With the New Year right around the corner, it’s time to pull out the crystal ball and think about what may come to pass in the coming months. IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell's makes a few predictions for our industry.
Thanks to tremendous collaboration, IPC and our partners navigated an extraordinary year marked by significant global changes, including a new European Commission and European Parliament, new National Governments in place and in transition, a pending new U.S. administration, and geopolitical and economic upheaval worldwide.
Throughout the year, the IPC Government Relations team keeps an eye on the sausage-making so you don’t have to, although we do need your help in the kitchen. Fortunately, over the last year, we’ve seen evidence that our collaborative efforts are working, setting the table for more progress going forward.
As the managing editor, I know exactly what it takes to put together each issue of IPC Community: months of planning, writing, and execution in order to share the most relevant thoughts, activities, and ideas from IPC and its members.
IPC is making waves across South Asia, strengthening its government relations efforts to support the region’s rapidly evolving electronics and manufacturing industries. From India’s ambitious policy shifts to Malaysia’s expanding semiconductor sector and the UAE’s push for localized production, IPC is working closely with key stakeholders to ensure that manufacturers have the resources and policies they need to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.
This week, Kate Koger, IPC's public affairs coordinator, had the exciting opportunity to visit Detex's New Braunfels, Texas plant for a tour with two staffers from Senator John Cornyn’s (R-TX) office: Andi Dooley, regional director, and Jacob Smith, policy advisor for commerce, science, and technology. What made this visit even more special was how it specifically highlighted IPC’s apprenticeship program and how Detex is implementing it to address workforce challenges.
IPC just released another video in its series of short explainers supporting its chips-related advocacy campaign – this one focuses on the need to take a complete “silicon to systems” approach to investing in Europe’s electronics industry.
Recently, John Mitchell, IPC’s President and CEO, asked executives Greg Maxwell, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Tom Edman, TTM Technologies, about how they prioritize sustainability in their companies.
Today, IPC released a new offering in its series of short “explainer videos” – this one tackles the critical labor shortage faced by the electronics manufacturing industry. The United States is expected to have an unprecedented 2.1 million unfilled jobs in manufacturing by 2031. More than two-thirds of IPC’s U.S. members report that an inability to find and retain skilled workers is limiting their growth and competitiveness.
In a time that feels more politically divided than ever, there are still policies that Americans generally agree on—and expanding workplace apprenticeships is one of them. Last week’s commemoration of National Apprenticeship Week gave us the opportunity to take a deeper dive into why apprenticeships have such bipartisan appeal and the important role they can play in supporting the U.S. electronics manufacturing industry.