Why a US Chip Talent Pipeline Is Drying Up

What this episode covers

Lucas and Luna drill into a specific problem that landed on June 11, 2026: the semiconductor industry is facing a severe shortage of process engineers, and it's not just about college enrollment. They examine new data showing that the number of US-based semiconductor engineering graduates has dropped 23% since 2020, while chip fabs under construction in the US have tripled. The conversation digs into why equipment makers like Applied Materials and Lam Research are quietly building their own training programs, and what that means for company valuations and long-term growth. Lucas breaks down the math: Applied Materials, ticker A-M-A-T, spent $140 million last year on internal semiconductor academies — a line item most investors ignore. They also touch on how immigration policy is shaping the talent funnel more than any corporate initiative. No sweeping industry overview — just one tight, data-driven angle on the workforce bottleneck that could cap US chip production before a single wafer is made. #Semiconductor #TalentShortage #ProcessEngineers #AppliedMaterials #LamResearch #ChipManufacturing #Workforce #TrainingPrograms #USFabs #CHIPSAct #EngineeringGraduates #Immigration #Technology #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #ChipsFoundriesAndSemiconductors #LucasAndLuna #IndustryAnalysis Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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