Employers

Students exploring semiconductor technology in a modern classroom

For Industry & Hiring Partners

Employers

Etch is building Florida's semiconductor talent pipeline — from students and recent graduates to veterans and career-changers. Tap into a growing pool of career-ready local talent, host interns, and help shape the training that produces your future workforce.

Our Semiconductor Talent Pipeline in Florida

Our talent network lets you browse anonymous candidate profiles and connect only when there’s a real match. That saves your team time, raises the quality of your applicant pool, and lets you shape your future workforce from the ground up.

Etch is backed and powered by the Florida Semiconductor Institute (FSI), the state’s leader in semiconductor education, innovation, and workforce development. FSI partners with employers to build training programs, internships, and educational opportunities statewide.

Become Part of the Network Connect with FSI

See Every Semiconductor Company in Florida

FSI maintains an interactive map of the semiconductor companies, research centers, and training institutions operating across the state — useful for locating suppliers, collaborators, and talent near your facility.

View the Ecosystem Map
Where We Build Talent

Developing Talent Across All Sectors

No matter your company’s focus, our pipeline reaches candidates with the backgrounds and skill sets you need — on the floor or in the lab.

Front-End & Back-End Manufacturing

Logistics, Supply Chain & Operations

Facilities & Maintenance

Process Engineering

Technician & Line-Level Roles

Research & Development

In Their Own Words

Internship Video Testimonials

Short interviews with interns and the companies that hosted them.

Intern Testimonial
Equipment Engineering Intern
Intern Testimonial
Process Development Intern
Intern Testimonial
Industry Partner
Intern Testimonial
FSI Internship Program
Employer Perspectives

Investing in Talent, Driving Innovation

Florida’s semiconductor employers know today’s students are tomorrow’s innovators. Internships fuel company growth and build a stronger industry at the same time.

As a startup, we acknowledge the significance of cultivating talent and promoting innovation to attain sustainable growth. The FloridaMakes, Florida Semiconductor Institute (FSI), and Florida Semiconductor Engine (FSE) Internship Program provided us with support through student interns, whose skills, new perspectives, and enthusiasm greatly contributed to our projects. Their efforts not only advanced our short-term objectives but also contributed to reinforcing the foundation for our future success.
Raj Gautam Dutta, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and CEO, Silicon Assurance
We were glad to be a part of a program such as the Florida Semiconductor Institute (FSI) Grant Funded Paid Internship Program. Given our status as a deep-tech start-up, especially in the realm of semiconductors, we believe that early introduction of the students to these technologies is crucial for the fomentation of their interest in pursuing careers in the field.
Joana Tata
Design Specialist, PIC Advanced
Real Work, Real Outcomes

What Our Interns Actually Build

Interns in the program don’t shadow — they own scoped projects inside working fabs and labs. Here’s a sample of recent work.

Equipment Engineering Intern Projects

Interns in the program don't shadow — they own scoped projects inside working fabs and labs. Here's a sample of recent work.

Mylar Template Placement

An introductory project to get familiar with entering the fab and understanding how tools are laid out in the 1K Cleanroom.

FOUP Cart

Created a custom ESD-compliant mobile cart from 80/20 parts to make moving FOUPs around the fab safer and faster.

New Gas Line

Worked with vendor W.W. Gay to run a new process gas line to an existing tool — building familiarity with the gas room, standard install procedures, and the vendor coordination a full-fledged equipment engineer handles during tool acquisition.

FOUP Keys

Designed a more affordable, ESD-compliant way to open FOUPs in the fab. Included CAD design in Creo Parametric and real design tradeoffs — manufacturability versus ergonomics. Off-the-shelf options ran about $200 a pair; this solution came in near $26

Reticle Rack

Rebalancing and rebuild of a custom 80/20 rack in the 1K Cleanroom.

Chem Piping Project

Built a manual chemistry refill station mounted on 55-gallon drums. Exposure to safety data sheets, assembly and operation documentation, and “designing the operator out of the equation” with fool-proof features that minimize the risk of mixing chemistries.

Stress–Bow Analysis

Analyzed a series of differing depositions and the resulting wafer bow (curvature) to characterize film stress.

Photoresist Recharacterization for Dry Etch

After maintenance on an etch chamber, ran a series of Designs of Experiments to re-establish etch rates for every in-house photoresist.

Process Development Engineering Intern Projects

Data, metrology, and process optimization work that feeds directly into production quality.

Die Yield Programming

Wrote software to distinguish good dies from bad dies across a wafer.

ESD Practice Implementation

Built out electrostatic discharge tables and worked with ionized fans to put proper ESD practices in place.

Thermal Cure Optimization

Optimized the thermal cure profile of a polymer material.

Documentation Consistency

Audited and standardized process documentation across the group.

Gage R&R Studies

Ran Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility studies on metrology tools to validate measurement reliability.

Etch Optimization & Visualization

Improved etch performance and built software visualizations for metrology data.

Tool-to-Tool Comparison

Compared two same-capability tools from different vendors to determine whether they produce comparable data.

Inside the Program

Interns at Work

Beyond the Bench

Professional Development for Interns

Technical skill is only half of it. Interns also build the communication and industry connections that turn a summer placement into a career.

STEM on the Lawn

A large-scale campus showcase where interns present their work to students, faculty, and industry guests — real practice explaining technical projects to a non-specialist audience.

Industry Mixer

Structured networking with Florida semiconductor employers, giving interns direct access to hiring managers and engineers before they graduate.

Florida Semiconductor Summit

Statewide gathering of industry, academic, and government leaders. Interns attend sessions, meet partners, and see where their work fits in the broader ecosystem.
Who's Involved

Current Internship Program Partners

These organizations host interns, fund placements, or help build the training behind the program. Want your company on this list? We’ll walk you through hosting your first intern.

Florida Semiconductor Institute (FSI)Florida Semiconductor Engine (FSE)FloridaMakesFLATECareerSource FloridaSilicon AssurancePIC AdvancedSkyWater TechnologyAAA Engineering & Test Lab
See all Etch partners

Why Florida? Why Now?

The semiconductor industry is growing fast in Florida — driven by a growing population, state funding, and a dense network of research centers. Local governments and initiatives like Etch are investing heavily in semiconductor infrastructure, job creation, and talent development. The careers you create and the investment you make turn that opportunity into a durable job market. Etch is the proactive answer to the talent gap, connecting employers directly to high-quality talent inside the state.

Hire Smarter in Florida

Whether you want to expand your company or are just getting started in the field, Etch can help you hire smarter and better. Find real, local talent through our semiconductor talent pipeline in Florida today.
Join Our Network

Shape the Future of Talent

Want to be more directly involved? Help shape curriculum, host an intern, or lead training initiatives with the Florida Semiconductor Institute.
Connect with FSI