edfas.org ELECTRONIC DEVICE FAILURE ANALYSIS | VOLUME 28 NO. 3 28 development agencies to create innovation areas where R&D, prototyping, and workforce training happen in one ecosystem. INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION Workforce development doesn’t start in college, it starts much earlier. MMEC participates in STEM outreach across the Midwest, engaging K-12 students with hands-on activities, lab tours, and mentorship. We know the moment a young person sees how semiconductors make satellites communicate, cars drive smarter, or medical devices save lives, something clicks. That’s when microelectronics becomes not just a subject, but a career dream. By aligning workforce training with these strategic areas, we ensure our programs deliver mission-ready talent for national priorities. The MMEC leads the acceleration of microelectronic technologies and delivers solutions to establish a trusted and resilient domestic supply chain. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Errol Flynn is the director of workforce development at MMEC. The MMEC is the premier collaborative, public-private ecosystem, that engages broadly across innovative partners in industry, academia, and government to rapidly advance defense and commercial applications. This unique environment empowers members to discover new technologies, share capabilities, develop a skilled workforce and launch groundbreaking innovation into scalable commercial production for the benefit of national security and economic dominance. “TECHNOLOGY WITHOUT TALENT IS JUST POTENTIAL. TALENT TURNS IDEAS INTO IMPACT.” JACKIE JANNING-LASK, MMEC CEO THE ROLE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES IN WORKFORCE STRATEGY MMEC’s workforce programs are closely tied to our technology focus areas, including: • GaN and SiC power electronics—driving efficiency in defense, aerospace, and renewable energy systems. • Advanced packaging—enabling higher performance and smaller form factors for next-gen computing. • Secure microelectronics—ensuring trust in defense and critical infrastructure applications. STORIES FROM THE FIELD At the University of Dayton Research Institute, MMECsupported interns are working alongside engineers to prototype RF GaN amplifiers for defense applications. At the same time, community college students in Illinois are earning MMEC-linked technician certifications while already being recruited by semiconductor fabs. These are more than training programs, they are launchpads for careers that will sustain America’s technology leadership. THE CALL TO ACTION The U.S. cannot afford to treat workforce development as an afterthought. It is the foundation of our microelectronics strategy. At MMEC, we are calling on: • Industry to engage in curriculum development, internships, and mentorship. • Educators to incorporate microelectronics into STEM pathways at every level. • Policy leaders to maintain funding and incentives for skills development. The next decade will define the global technology balance. With the right people in place, the U.S. can lead it.
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