HANDS-ON LEARNING FOR LOCAL GRADUATES
Cooperative venture by Silterra and PSDC to enhance technical skills

Kulim, October 5, 2006 – A collaboration between SilTerra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (SilTerra), a leading semiconductor wafer foundry majority-owned by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, and Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC), a major skills training and education organization, aims to provide hands-on learning for graduates with technical degrees who are interested in building a career in the high technology, wafer fabrication business sector.

Aimed at “bridging” the theoretical aspects of semiconductor wafer fabrication technology acquired at universities with actual technical know-how, this cooperative venture between SilTerra and PSDC is also supported by Dream Catcher Consulting Sdn Bhd (Dreamcatcher). Dreamcatcher is the training provider supporting PSDC and Kolej Universiti Kejuruteraan Malaysia (KUKUM), which will facilitate the laboratory activities required by the program.

Up to 20 fresh graduates will be undergoing the government sponsored “Industrial Skills Enhancement Program” (INSEP) at PSDC and KUKUM. Subsequently, these graduates will undergo an additional 5 month long on-the-job training period at SilTerra.

Fully endorsed and supported by the Malaysian government, INSEP is a one-year intensive training programme that incorporates both theory and practical learning for engineering students. There are three key components to the program, the first involving a six-month classroom module in collaboration with Dreamcatcher to be conducted in PSDC, while the second and third modules involve a one-month on-site laboratory work at KUKUM and followed by a five-month intensive on-the-job training period in SilTerra’s state-of-the-art wafer fab in Kulim.

“As a responsible corporate citizen and employer of choice, SilTerra is committed to play its role in enhancing the technical skills of Malaysians, particularly those who are keen to build a career in the high-technology wafer fabrication business,” said Bruce Gray, Chief Executive Officer of SilTerra.

“SilTerra’s commitment to INSEP and our other in-house training programs to train the Malaysian workforce has been part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility agenda since its inception in 1995. To date, we have helped to train more than a thousand engineers and technical specialists with the required wafer fabrication technical know-how and soft skills to succeed in their jobs through our rigorous on-the-job and technical training programs.

“Coupled with the foundational learning from the leading Malaysian universities and the practical knowledge and skills that SilTerra provides to the fresh graduates, SilTerra is better poised to compete globally and provide Malaysia with a workforce that will contribute towards the knowledge-based economy of the 21st century,” added Gray.

Dato’ Boonler Somchit, CEO, PSDC said, “We are pleased to collaborate with SilTerra in enhancing the skills of fresh graduates through the INSEP Design and Development in Wafer Fabrication as we believe the best way to learn technology is to get the hands-on experience in a real high-technology manufacturing environment. This program is designed with that in mind to ensure that trainees receive maximum exposure to the semiconductor wafer fab process.”

On-the-job training for INSEP participants will be conducted at SilTerra’s Fab in Kulim, an award-winning world-class 200mm facility that offers major foundry matched CMOS logic, high-voltage and mixed-signal/RF technologies down to 0.13-micron feature size.


About Silterra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.:

Market demand driven, SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd is a semiconductor wafer foundry offering major foundry compatible CMOS logic, high-voltage and mixed-signal/RF technologies down to 0.13-micron feature size. This includes complete, competitive contract manufacturing for fabless and IDM customers’ designs. SilTerra’s wafer fab has a design capacity of 40,000 eight-inch wafers per month. Environmentally vigilant, SilTerra delivers award winning, world-class performance to its customers seeking flexible capacity, competitive advantages and around the clock customer support. SilTerra is ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 certified. Founded in 1995, the company’s headquarters and factory are located in Malaysia’s Kulim High-Tech Park, and SilTerra has sales and marketing offices in San Jose (California) and Hsinchu (Taiwan). For additional information on SilTerra or its services, please visit www.silterra.com. 



About Penang Skills Development Centre:

PSDC, the premier learning institution in the Northern region and Malaysia’s first industry-led training centre established in 1989.
PSDC has been offering skills enhancement and career advancement programs to meet the demand of the industry and public. PSDC has established itself as a national and international icon for training – churning out a record number of more than 100,000 trainees through the years. PSDC, a world-class non-profit training and educational centre was built on a tri-partied partnership model between the Government, Industry and Academia backed by its 124 member companies. For additional information on PSDC, please visit www.psdc.org.my