Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is recruiting Taiwanese technicians without a university degree or related experience to work at its planned plant in Arizona, media reports said last week.
However, the world’s largest contract chipmaker is asking that job candidates speak fluent English, with a score of 800 or better on the Test of English for International Communication, the reports said.
An increasing number of companies and schools in Taiwan use the test for recruitment purposes or as a requirement for graduation.
Photo: Yimou Lee T, Reuters
TSMC’s Fab 21 in Arizona is expected to start production of advanced 5-nanometer chips in 2024.
The company needs workers at the new factory who can operate the machines, inspect the products, and detect equipment failures or abnormalities, while working flexible shift arrangements and overtime, depending on the production schedule, the reports said.
TSMC would subsidize accommodation, transportation and return travel, they added.
The reports have people wondering why TSMC is recruiting Taiwanese instead of Americans for the Arizona plant.
An article on Friday by the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) cited industry sources as saying that differences in work culture between the two countries are the main reason, as Americans generally do not like working night shifts or overtime.
TSMC might consider Taiwanese technicians more suitable for the plant, it added.
As the technicians would need to communicate with engineers and supervisors, and would need to live in the US for some time, TSMC considers speaking fluent English to be an essential skill, the Liberty Times said.
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