South Korea ramps up semiconductor workforce training ahead of Samsung, SK hynix southwest expansion

The government has launched a full-scale effort to train hands-on semiconductor workers in line with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix's plans for a large-scale semiconductor investment in the country's southwest.

The initiative aims to systematically develop not only chip design talent but also workers needed across the entire production process — including fab construction, equipment operation and maintenance.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Minister Kim Young-hoon convened a semiconductor workforce development forum Thursday at the Korea Photonics Technology Institute in Gwangju, where he gathered input from companies, educational institutions and relevant agencies.

The forum was organized to discuss field-centered workforce development strategies in response to the southwest semiconductor production hub plan announced June 29 by the government, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

Participants agreed that securing competitiveness in the semiconductor industry requires not only chip designers but also a large pool of skilled workers to support production sites — covering fab construction, automated facility setup, cleanroom installation, and equipment operation and maintenance.

Kim outlined three directions for developing a semiconductor-specialized workforce in the southwest: proactively identifying labor demand from industry, actively leveraging the ministry's vocational training resources including Korea Polytechnics, and building a flexible talent development system tailored to regional conditions.

Building on this, the ministry plans to designate additional local companies and universities as joint semiconductor training centers to expand field-tailored education. It will also support workforce development in semiconductors and other advanced and foundational industries through the K-Digital Training program and national strategic industry vocational training.

The ministry intends to develop specialists in power facilities and renewable energy through the Korea Polytechnics Naju Power Technology Education Center, which opened last year. It will also expand semiconductor education facilities, equipment and curricula at the Gwangju campus to strengthen the regional talent development base.

"The key resource that will ultimately determine the success or failure of this project is the people who will actually build and operate the factories," Kim said. "The ministry, companies and local governments will join forces to cultivate the talent that will underpin both the success of the semiconductor project and the growth of the region."