Building a strong workforce means attracting, retaining, and nurturing qualified workers. To achieve these lofty goals, understanding what motivates talent is a must. And career advancement is key.

IPC recently released a new white paper, "Building Electronics Better: A Plan to Address the Workforce Challenges Facing the Electronics Manufacturing Industry." The white paper provides a framework for establishing an industry-wide talent pipeline and career pathways aligned to the needs of both workers and business.

PRIDE Industries is the United States’ leading employer of people with disabilities and those with other barriers to employment, including veterans and former foster youth.

IPC celebrates Workforce Champions. Tell us your story.

When a cyber break-in occurs, the IT team alone will not be able to respond to the attack. The detection is limited to what is available from the IT and network equipment, as opposed to the normal day-to-day behavior that is available to the IT team. Differences from the normal behavior of the production line can only be detected on the production line. No matter how good the IT system is, if the initial response of the people on the production line is slow, the impact of a cyber incident will be much greater. Today, the electronics manufacturing industry is shifting from China, Europe, and the United States to Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, India, and Thailand. Local education and onsite practice is essential.

In this webinar, participants will learn about exercises and best practices for Business Continuity Disaster Recovery (BCDR). This knowledge will help understand what needs to be accomplished at their local factories.

The weakest link in the supply chain can be a target, as demonstrated by the Japanese auto plant that was forced to shut down due to an attack on a single supplier. By applying the lessons from this webinar, participants will be well-prepared for potential cyber attacks, minimizing the risk to their entire, interconnected supply network and the broader electronics manufacturing industry. It is an action that will not be specified in the requirements of the IPC standard for cybersecurity (IPC-1792), but will be mandatory for implementation. The following topics will be covered:

-Practice Demands
-Recognition of current and goal setting
-Preparation (awareness creation)
-Business Continuity Disaster Recovery (BCDR)
-Characteristics of the factory
-Criteria for detection and judgment (risk extraction method)
-Differentiation between failure and attack
-Process of early recovery
-Guidance for BCDR measures policy (BCDR viewpoints, characteristics of factories, requirements for BCDR)
-Overview of BCDR measures
-Conduct incident response practice
-IPC-1792 and practice

Introduction to PCB Design I and II are two online IPC courses dedicated to PCB design, scheduled for the next few months. The courses are held by Pietro Vergine, co-president of Leading Edge and IPC instructor.

IPC announces a pivotal opportunity for California employers under the Employment Training Panel (ETP) program. This initiative provides significant financial support for customized job skills training, reducing costs and enhancing the competencies of the workforce in today's challenging market.

IPC announces a transformative partnership with Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU)'s engineering department, the IPC Education Foundation and the Center for Applied Research and Rural Innovation (CARRI). This collaboration is set to revolutionize workforce development and education in electronics manufacturing, aligning academic programs with industry needs.

Ball Grid Array (BGA) defects pose significant challenges in circuit board assembly. The IPC guidelines provide a foundational framework for inspection, yet they may not encompass all scenarios effectively. Leveraging the latest advancements in 3D Computed Tomography (CT) technology allows for a detailed examination of each solder ball, facilitating a precise identification of common defects such as voiding, non-wetting, and head-in-pillow phenomena. Through this approach, engineers can conduct a thorough root cause analysis, enhancing the reliability of electronic assemblies.

The IPC Education Foundation (IPCEF) promotes opportunities for students to access information and financial assistance for careers in the electronics manufacturing industry.  In addition to the existing IPC Scholarship and Award program, which has awarded more than $200,000 since 2019, the IPCEF was selected as one of the Opportunity Next Colorado Scholarship Program recipients.