US-headquartered Micron Technologies, listed among the world's largest semiconductor producers, has confirmed that it is on track to meet its target of hiring a total of 1,500 high-skilled staff in Singapore over the next few years. The number, originally revealed in 2019 when it launched a new facility, does not include staff who are being upskilled.

Many of the roles still open are “very high-skilled” engineering-related ones, including product engineering, test engineering, and global quality, according to Manish Bhatia, Micron's Executive Vice President of Global Operations. He was reported by the Straits Times as attributing the company's ongoing expansion to the move to 5G and the resultant growth of 5G devices worldwide. Singapore's electronics manufacturing industries grew by 11.9 percent last year despite the COVID-19 downturn.

However, while Bhatia did not comment on Micron's success in filling the positions, it's likely that hiring for these roles has not been an easy task. Competition for engineering talent in Singapore has been steep for years, with over 50 percent of employers in the city-state consistently reporting that they have difficulty recruiting and retaining engineering staff. The challenge may have become greater since 2020's boom in ICT, which first saw the rush for IT talent.

Micron currently employs approximately 10,000 staff in Singapore, where its regional headquarters is located—almost a quarter of its total head count worldwide.