As graduation season arrives, Taiwan's semiconductor industry once again enters its annual competition for talent. Driven by declining birth rates and surging demand for computing power fueled by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, semiconductor companies have continued to expand their hiring efforts year after year. As labor shortages become increasingly serve, recruiting international talent has become a strategic imperative for companies seeking to maintain their competitive advantage.
For years, ASE, the world's leading semiconductor packaging and testing company, and Micron, one of the world's leading memory manufacturers, have actively participated in the International Talent Development Program promoted by Taiwan's Industrial Development Administration (IDA) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). Through talent recruitment initiatives across Southeast Asia, coupled with comprehensive training programs and diverse employee benefits, both companies have successfully attracted professionals from various cultural backgrounds to pursue long-term careers in Taiwan.
Southeast Asia emerges as a key source of international talent
According to Sunny Li, Vice President of the Administrative Resources Center at ASE, the company began recruiting international professionals nearly 30 years ago during the early stages of its manufacturing expansion. Packaging and testing specialists from the Philippines, in particular, played a critical role in building the company's operational foundation.
"We initially recruited fewer than 100 employees, then expanded to 200. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we recruited another 200," Li said. While ASE initially focused on attracting highly qualified white-collar professionals from the Philippines, the company's continued expansion in manufacturing capacity and business operations has significantly increased its demand for international operational talent.
In addition to the Philippines and Malaysia, which remain key sources of international talent, ASE has recently attracted students from Indonesia and Vietnam, as well as professionals graduating from leading universities in countries such as the Republic of Nicaragua and Türkiye. Today, the company employs international professionals from more than 16 countries.
Micron, currently the only global memory manufacturer with production facilities in Taiwan, has also participated in overseas talent recruitment missions organized by the Industrial Development Administration for many years, recruiting manufacturing and semiconductor packaging talent from Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
"The government's overseas recruitment missions and talent training programs have provided tremendous support by encouraging companies to engage with international students much earlier," said Esther Cho, Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Micron Taiwan. "Through these initiatives, students can gain semiconductor industry experience through internships while studying in Taiwan, while also benefiting from access to the broader semiconductor ecosystem."
Building Taiwan into an international talent development hub
Given that semiconductor companies recruit thousands of employees annually, failing to build a sustainable talent pipeline could pose significant business risks. In addition to overseas recruitment, both ASE and Micron actively collaborate with Taiwan universities, including I-Shou University, Cheng Shiu University, National Sun Yat-Sen University, National University of Kaohsiung, National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, encouraging international students studying in Taiwan to participate in internships before graduation and transition directly into full-time positions.
Li believes that retaining international students already studying in Taiwan through work visa and permanent residency programs has become an increasingly important strategy. These students have already adapted to Taiwanese culture and daily life while overcoming many of the language barriers during their studies, enabling them to integrate into corporate operations more quickly after graduation.
ASE's recruitment of international graduates from Taiwanese universities has steadily increased from an initial 50 employees to 100, and the company expects to hire approximately 400 international graduates from Taiwanese universities this year.
"Developing international talent has always been one of our most important strategic investments," Li said. "We hope to cultivate a new generation of international management talent who can contribute in Taiwan and eventually assume leadership positions at our overseas operations."
"Having such a loyal international workforce gives us greater confidence in sustaining double-digit annual growth," Li said. "For example, our operations in Malaysia already employ nearly 6,000 people. Whether Malaysian graduates choose to remain in Kaohsiung or eventually return to Malaysia, they represent valuable talent assets for our company."
Li also praised the Industrial Development Administration's efforts to bring companies and universities together to recruit talent overseas, helping enhance the international visibility of Taiwan's semiconductor industry and its leading enterprises.
"The government's long-term commitment to these initiatives has enabled us to gradually build stronger international talent networks and generate cumulative momentum," Li said. "That is why we are now witnessing exponential growth in the number of international students choosing Taiwan."
In fact, ASE and Micron are not alone. Taiwan is increasingly becoming an important global hub for semiconductor talent development. For example, talent development programs jointly operated by TSMC and overseas universities also bring international recruits to Taiwan for comprehensive training before assigning them to overseas operations. From a global business perspective, cultivating international talent in Taiwan is not only about addressing immediate labor shortages but also about developing the future managerial and technical backbone of semiconductor companies' global operations.
Building an inclusive workplace to retain international talent
As global competition for semiconductor talent continues to intensify, Taiwan is strengthening its comprehensive support ecosystem for international talents. By aligning corporate initiatives with government resources, Taiwan seeks to create an environment that encourages international talent to pursue long-term career development and build their careers in the country.
To encourage international talent to remain in Taiwan, ASE provides Mandarin language courses, assists foreign employees with permanent residency applications, and offers night-shift allowances of up to 40%. The company also places strong emphasis on cultural diversity and religious inclusion. In addition to hiring chefs from employees' home countries to prepare authentic cuisine, ASE organizes beauty pageants, recognizes outstanding international employee instructors through special awards programs, and celebrates Christmas and other major international festivals, creating an environment where international employees feel respected, valued, and connected to the organization.
Li further suggested that Taiwan's government, industry, and academia should work together as "Team Taiwan" to continuously promote the competitiveness and global brand of Taiwan's semiconductor industry, thereby attracting more outstanding international talent to Taiwan.
She also proposed that the government introduce tax incentives or tax credits to encourage companies to invest in scholarships, professional seminars, Mandarin language education, and other talent development initiatives. Such measures would further strengthen corporate participation in international talent development and maximize the impact of the Semiconductor International Talent Connection and Innovation Empowerment Program across talent recruitment, development, and retention.
In addition to Mandarin courses, Micron assigns every international employee both a mentor and a buddy to help them adapt to life and work in Taiwan. The company's Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) also provide practical support on issues such as housing, taxation, and everyday life.
Amid the rapid transformation of the global semiconductor talent landscape, Taiwan's competitive advantage comes not only from its world-class industrial strength, but also from its continuous efforts to build a friendly and development-oriented environment for international talent. When talent chooses to stay in Taiwan and grow alongside the industry, what Taiwan delivers is not only semiconductor technology, but also the key talent driving global innovation and sustainable competitiveness.