Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1104607
APRIL 2019 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 39 greatest challenge—interviewing. His mentor completely changed his perception of our industry and his career options. While my brother ultimately did not end up at a SEMI member company at this time, he has identified several companies within the industry that he will keep on his radar when he decides to look for his next opportunity. Johnson: It's interesting that you mention that story because when I talk to manufacturers who are facing this challenge, they're making the point that the electronics manufacturing industry is not what it used to be. It's not Rosie the Riveter from the middle of the 20th century; it's digital and computer work. Today's manufacturing has a lot of clean environments to work in with carpets and cu- bicles. That changes the skill sets needed and the nature of the involvement for students. How are you engaging college students? Sandoval: Right now, we primarily engage stu- dents onsite at our partner universities and via our mentoring program. During my interview with SEMI, I stated that this initiative, "...is go- ing to be a journey. Students don't know who we are." At a recent event at Austin Commu- nity College in Texas, we had approximately 65 students in attendance. I asked them to raise their hands if they had heard of SEMI before the event—none of them raised their hands. I then asked if they understood what the micro- electronics industry does, and maybe eight out of 65 raised their hands. Clearly, the lack of brand and industry recog- nition are major issues we need to address via our student engagement. To accomplish this, we offer programs both virtually and onsite to expand access to our audience. We host events on a wide variety of topics, such as resume building, interviewing skills, networking, and a "day in the life." We also invite leaders of member companies to speak on the impactful technologies their organization are pioneering. We capture information on program partici- pants and invite them to join SEMI's student network. Once they're a student member, we provide access to our programs to help prepare them for and expose them to the industry. We are working on building a database that will give our members more direct access to stu- dents coming through our programs. Once, I talked to a student on campus who said, "Well, isn't the semiconductor industry dying?" I said, "No, it's going to be a one-tril- lion-dollar industry by 2030." The perception of the industry is not a good representation of the truth. Through these programs, we start building brand and industry recognition, but it's going to take some time. Johnson: In what ways can companies get in- volved with what SEMI is doing? Sandoval: There are many ways that members can get involved. The easiest way is mentor- ing. We conduct onsite lunch-and-learns at member companies and share information on volunteer opportunities. We also offer the op- portunity for people to become a mentor and mentee as the program is open to both univer- sity students and developing professionals in the industry. Part of our strategy to help our industry addresses retention. With our men- toring program, we can both attract and retain talent in the industry. This mentoring program begins engaging at the university level and continues to be a resource as students grow into young professionals. Another way that companies can get in- volved is to recommend speakers to present at campus events. We're happy to facilitate event opportunities; we have the framework ready