Government funds training to build UK chip skills

To tie in with funding for the UK’s semiconductor sector, Southampton has become home to an E-beam lithography facility, one of only two such sites capable of manufacturing semiconductors using this new fabrication technology.

In chip manufacturing, a process known as photolithography projects a beam of light onto photosensitive material to create the intricate components that make up an integrated circuit. Rather than light, E-beam lithography uses a focused beam of electrons to create patterns in materials.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said the Southampton facility is the first cutting-edge semiconductor facility of its kind in Europe.

Technology such as E-beam lithography is regarded as an area the UK can build on to differentiate its chip sector from other countries. But as in other countries, there is a dire lack of skills to support a semiconductor sector.

A government report, the UK semiconductor workforce study, notes that the UK is not developing sufficient skills to enable the continued growth of its semiconductor sector. The report warns that nearly half of the semiconductor employers surveyed feel that current university courses – particularly undergraduate programmes – do not fully align with industry requirements. The report also highlights underutilised degree apprenticeships and vocational pathways, hindered by the lack of semiconductor-specific frameworks. 

Anecdotal evidence discussed in the report suggests UK semiconductor companies are struggling with recruitment and retention as they face intense competition for talent. The report authors said some strategically important companies have been running at approximately 10% below their required headcount.

The DSIT research shows the majority of semiconductor companies perceive a moderate or acute shortage of people to fill key technical roles, including research and development, manufacturing and process engineers, and integrated circuit design engineers.

By investing in infrastructure and talent, we’re giving our researchers and innovators the support they need to develop next-generation chips in the UK

Discussing the latest funding and the Southampton facility, science minister Patrick Vallance said: “Britain is home to some of the most exciting semiconductor research anywhere in the world – and Southampton’s new E-beam facility is a major boost to our national capabilities.

“By investing in both infrastructure and talent, we’re giving our researchers and innovators the support they need to develop next-generation chips right here in the UK.”

As part of its drive to bolster high-tech sectors, the government has announced £4.75m in funding to support Labour’s Plan for Change. Vallance said the funding would help more young people develop skills in high-value semiconductor careers.

The funding includes £3m for undergraduate bursaries, offering £5,000 each to 300 students starting electronics and electrical engineering degrees this year, alongside specialist semiconductor content to raise awareness of the field, with a focus on courses that include semiconductor design and manufacturing.

In addition to the bursaries, the government has committed £1.2m of funding for chip design training, with new courses to teach practical chip design skills to undergraduates, postgraduates and lecturers, as well as a feasibility study for new postgraduate conversion courses.

The funding also includes a £550,000 school outreach programme, which DSIT said provides 7,000 students aged 15 to 18 and 450 teachers with hands-on semiconductor experience in partnership with local employers.

The programme will be focused on existing UK semiconductor clusters, such as Newport, Cambridge and Glasgow.