Cardiff University has launched the first in a series of short CPD courses for the compound semiconductor sector, as part of the CSconnected SIPF project.
The Cleanroom Protocols course is primarily designed for those who are new to the semiconductor industry, or those considering a career in the sector, and is one of five Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses being launched by Cardiff University in 2023, to help address the urgent need to increase semiconductor skills capability.
The skills agenda is a key focus of CSconnected Strength in Places Fund (SIPF), a £43 million (USD $52.2 million) 55-month project part-funded through UK Research and Innovation’s flagship Strength in Places Fund, and has deliverables in CPD activities.
2023 will be a busy year, with four more CPD courses on the way, covering topics in electronics, photonics, etching and wire bonding
The online bite-sized CPD course provides an overview of what it is like to work in a cleanroom environment and covers typical working practices as well as general principles for safe working. Filming took place at cluster partner KLA’s cleanrooms and at Cardiff University’s Institute for Compound Semiconductors.
Skills are essential in enabling the growth of the CSconnected cluster with the number of jobs expected to more than double over the next three years, with the CPD element of the CSconnected SIPF project supporting the development of the skilled workforce for the South Wales region.
Kate Sunderland, CPD Project Manager for CSconnected SIPF, said: “We are delighted to launch the first of our new CPD courses, which will help increase relevant skills in the region. This Cleanroom Protocols course is specifically aimed at those new to, or thinking of entering, the industry. It will be of particular interest to companies within the CSconnected cluster but is also open to anyone across the globe. It is a short, asynchronous course, which participants can take in their own time, so is ideally placed to become part of an onboarding or induction package. 2023 will be a busy year, with four more CPD courses on the way, covering topics in electronics, photonics, etching and wire bonding.”