Tom Fahey
Human Resources Director
Siltronic Corp.

“Everyone has to be computer literate today. Everyone.”

Nobody knows the needs of employers more than the human resources director of a major company with over 1,000 employees, and no one has seen more changes in their industry over the last 20 years than Tom Fahey. Tom is the director of human resources for Siltronic Corporation, one of the world’s leading producers of silicon wafers for the high tech industry. “I was with the company when we first started in Oregon in the 1980’s,” said Tom. “ And we have always required our production employees have at least a high school diploma or equivalent.”

Even then, employees typically go through more on-the-job training to learn to work the high tech manufacturing equipment used by Siltronic. In the “old days” production workers had to check quality control doing “charting by hand” with a Statistical Process Control (SPC) device, but now all of that work has been automated.

Maintenance technicians who once only worked on pneumatic and hydraulic systems are today using sophisticated electronic equipment and computers. “These guys are working on a million dollar piece of equipment,” said Tom. “They need to understand how to work on a computer and do complicated problem solving.” When you have a million dollar production machine sitting idle for a few hours, it gets very, very expensive.

Siltronic has had a long tradition of working with schools and supporting students going all the way back to its founding in Oregon. In fact, when the company was recruited to Oregon in 1980 nearly all of its initial employees came through Portland Community College via a Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA) grant that help train employees to work in high tech jobs. “We have always had a great relationship with PCC and it continues to this day,” said Tom.

Education is the number one community focus for Siltronic, and Tom is active serving on non-profit education boards. “Employers have a unique role to play in education, and we have a vested interest in making sure students come out of school ready to work or pursue further education,” said Tom. “It’s in everyone’s interest our students succeed.”