The rapid expansion of the global semiconductor industry has exposed a skills gap in regions where English-medium training and employability competencies are limited. This paper reports on the design and implementation of the first cohort of “English, Ethics and Employability in the Semiconductor Industry” (E3), a 100-hour diploma programme created at the University of Guadalajara, a public university in Western Mexico, to prepare late-undergraduate engineering students for emerging opportunities in the sector. Grounded in competency-based education and socio-economic development goals, the programme integrates seven modules on ethics, collaboration, agility, corporate social responsibility, digital literacy and artificial intelligence, workplace conflict, and transparency. The paper focuses on three core aspects of the initiative: (1) the collaborative curriculum design process led by a multidisciplinary team with experience in semiconductor science and industry, curriculum design and English language teaching; (2) the selection of 29 students through a competitive call; and (3) the pedagogical model based on active, project-based and reflective tasks, informed by Universal Design for Learning principles and Bloom’s taxonomy, and structured into pre-class, in-class and post-class sequences. Data from baseline questionnaires, learning artefacts and end-of-module surveys are used to explore changes in students’ preparedness for English-medium teamwork, ethical decision-making and participation in the semiconductor value chain. Preliminary results indicate high levels of engagement, increased confidence in discussing ethical and socio-technical issues in English, and a strong perceived impact on students’ future career plans. The paper argues that E3 offers a context-sensitive and transferable model of professional training that links higher education, employability.

Authors:
Erick Omar Cisneros-López, University of Guadalajara, Mexico
Mariela Bravo-Sánchez, University of Guadalajara, Mexico
Sabrina Vega-Maldonado, University of Guadalajara, Mexico
Marco Antonio Pérez-Cisneros, University of Guadalajara, Mexico
Amparo González-Morales, Universidad Cultural Metropolitana, Mexico

About the Presenter(s)
Erick Omar Cisneros López is a Professor at CUCEI–University of Guadalajara. His interests include biodegradable polymers, sustainable materials, and AI in education and research. He currently works on biocomposites and sustainable materials.

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