From April 2026, the BCDC will launch its second round of practice-oriented trainee programs for Analog IC Design, Test & Validation, System Engineering and Digital IC Design.
The trainee programs specifically for companies are scheduled to start in October 2026.
The trainees will work on BCDC research and development projects, qualifying them as specialized design and engineering specialists.
Next start: April 1, 2026
Duration: 6 months
Weekly working hours: 39 hours
Procedure:
Within six months, the trainees undergo practical training in which they work on real projects and acquire the necessary know-how for the profession of IC designer. In addition to practical skills, technical and interdisciplinary knowledge is taught in numerous training courses. A final examination takes place at the end.
Prerequisites:
Application:
You will find our open trainee advertised agein in our Fraunhofer IIS job portal from fall 2026 for a start in April 2027.
Trainees in the Analog IC Design trainee program receive a comprehensive introduction to analog IC design and work on real projects under the guidance of experienced engineers. Practical experience is gained in the design, simulation, layout and verification of analog integrated circuits, with a focus on optimizing circuits in terms of power, speed and area efficiency.
In addition, there is the opportunity to work with other teams such as layout, test and product management, which fosters a collaborative working environment and provides insight into various aspects of semiconductor design.
Trainees on the Digital IC Design trainee program receive a comprehensive introduction to the front-end design of digital integrated circuits. You will work on real projects under the guidance of experienced engineers and gain practical experience in the modeling, simulation, synthesis and functional verification of digital systems.
A particular focus is on the application of hardware description languages such as Verilog and VHDL as well as an in-depth understanding of modern processor architectures, e.g. RISC-V. The aim is to efficiently analyze and optimize digital circuits in terms of performance, resource consumption and timing. In addition, there is the opportunity to work with other trainee teams such as Analog IC Design and System Engineering, which fosters a collaborative working environment and provides insights into various aspects of semiconductor design and system integration.
Our Test and Validation trainee programme provides a comprehensive introduction to the characterization and testing of integrated circuits. The trainees work on real projects under the guidance of experienced engineers. Practical experience is gained in the use of state-of-the-art test equipment and methods, test setups (PCB, test code, etc.) are developed and the reliability and quality of IC product testing is prepared and ensured.
In addition, there is the opportunity to work with other teams such as IC design and product management, which fosters a collaborative working environment and provides insights into various aspects of semiconductor design.
Trainees on the System Engineering trainee program receive a comprehensive introduction to the system architecture and integration of chiplet-based systems. They work on real projects under the guidance of experienced engineers and gain practical experience in the specification, partitioning, co-design and verification of heterogeneously integrated systems.
In addition, there is the opportunity to work with interdisciplinary teams from IC design, packaging, test and product management, which fosters a collaborative working environment and provides valuable insights into various aspects of modern semiconductor systems and their manufacturing processes.
Would you like to qualify your young employees or train existing colleagues in future-oriented technologies? Our trainee programs offer you the ideal solution.
Whether you are a start-up, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) or large company - we support you in training specialists in a targeted and practical way.
Your advantages
Our programs from October 1, 2026
Procedure & contents
The trainee programs combine theory, practical exercises and work on real projects. Your employees will gain comprehensive insights into design, verification, testing and system integration and benefit from working with teams of experts in an innovative research environment.
Participation & costs
We will be happy to inform you of the participation fees on request. Places are limited.
Interested? Please contact us for a non-binding consultation by e-mail at Yevgeniy Itskovych.
Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS