Press Release

WORKFORCE: S.S.T..... The SIA Stay Tech Program Project Summary

For Immediate Release
August 14, 2006

The Semiconductor Industry is a leader in innovation and a major contributor to improvements in productivity and GNP. The amazing leaps we have made in technology have a common thread at their core ? talented, creative engineers able to find new ways to add incredible power, speed and function to the thousands and thousands of chip designs and applications we see all around us every day. The member companies of SIA are concerned that the supply of qualified EE graduates will not be adequate to meet our workforce demands in the years ahead. Enrollments in the critical EE major are showing signs of declining at a number of schools. Underserved populations are not well represented in this exciting and rewarding profession. Competition from other countries is increasing rapidly.

Nationally the retention rate for EE's is below 40% and even worse for Underserved populations. Our view at SIA is that the best way to increase the quality and supply of graduating EE's is to increase the retention rate of students already enrolled in the EE major. After discussions with a number of leading institutions we believe that it is possible to increase the success and retention of students in years one and two by providing them with focused support systems.