HUMAN RESOURCE DEMAND IN THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY

Vietnam’s semiconductor workforce: A “golden opportunity” that cannot be taken lightly

The semiconductor industry is increasingly recognized as a national strategic sector in Vietnam. According to the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), Vietnam needs approximately 150,000 engineers annually for information technology and digitalization. However, the current supply only meets about 40–50% of this demand, and for the semiconductor sector specifically, only around 20% of actual workforce needs are currently fulfilled.

Currently, Vietnam has only about 5,000–6,000 engineers working in integrated circuit (IC) design. Experts forecast that over the next five years, the industry will require around 20,000 university-level engineers, and by 2030, this number could rise to 50,000 engineers across the entire semiconductor sector.

Factors driving the workforce pressure in Vietnam

• Low graduation numbers: Only about 500–600 students graduate annually from specialized IC design programs.

• Limited participation in core manufacturing: Vietnam mainly engages in design, packaging, and testing, while fabrication and core technology research remain underdeveloped.

• Increasing skill requirements: Expertise in IP core design, SoC (system-on-chip) architecture, EDA tools, and advanced packaging is required, but the current workforce lacks sufficient capability in these areas.

The shortage of highly skilled talent could become a bottleneck slowing Vietnam’s deeper integration into the global semiconductor value chain. At the same time, this represents a major opportunity for educational institutions and companies. Key strategies include:

• Expanding and upgrading IC programs at universities and research institutes.

• Strengthening collaboration between schools, enterprises, and government to provide practical training and real-world environments for students and junior engineers.

• Reskilling workers from related fields such as electronics and automation toward IC design to quickly increase the talent pool.

• Investing in support systems — including labs, training equipment, international partnerships, and talent retention policies.

The demand for semiconductor human resources in Vietnam is clear and urgent. Achieving the target of approximately 50,000 high-quality engineers by 2030 will require not only increasing the number of graduates but also improving quality and integrating training, research, practical experience, and enterprise operations. If successfully implemented, Vietnam can seize this “golden opportunity” to enhance its position in the global semiconductor supply chain.