IPC's CID Programme: Is it Worth the Effort?

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

IPC's Certified Interconnect Designer (CID) curriculum is the definitive training course for PCB designers and electronic design professionals, but with budgets tightening and time at a premium, is the investment of time, effort and finance worth it?

We decided we wanted to understand why electronic engineers, PCB designers and other product design professionals are taking the course and what they feel they and their employers gain as a result of the training.

The smaller, more complicated and more resilient electronic devices have become, the more essential efficient and effective circuit board design has become. Impedance, thermal challenges and dense layouts are a regular issue for PCB design which can create further issues when the boards come to be manufactured and assembled.

CID and CID+ are the industry’s only premier professional development programme targeted toward those working in the PCB design industry. The CID professional development programme ensures delegates are familiar with the foundations of design decision-making and ensures that IPC standards are embedded into their work from the start to avoid complications later in the process.

We spoke to three recent delegates to find out their reasons for completing the course and what they learned as result of attending the training.

David Roseman from Swiftsure Design spoke about the importance of IPC CID certification for his business.

“My experience and knowledge is crucial to the job I do as a freelance/contract PCB designer. I need my clients to know that I have the skills, experience and knowledge to ensure their designs can be completed quickly, efficiently and within budget. Taking my IPC CID will allow me not only to build on my 17 years of industry experience, but also improve the professional profile of my business.”

On the same course as David was Caroline Finch. Caroline has worked for Malvern Instruments for three years as a manufacturing engineer.

“I was keen to do my CID+ qualification but needed to complete my CID first. The main objective of taking my IPC CID qualification was to further increase my effectiveness and deliver a quicker and more effective relationship with colleagues, suppliers and customers.”

She went on to say, “I think it is crucial in this industry to continue to learn and improve and I think more electronic professionals should take this qualification, especially non-electronic professional who would benefit from a wider overview of the design process.”

Samer Kilani, an electronic engineer from University College London, also highlighted the importance of improved internal and external business interactions.

“Initially I decided to complete my IPC CID qualification as I thought it would be useful and helpful for my career. However, the information gained has not only taught me about good manufacturing processes but will also help aid communications with fabricators and manufacturing.”

IPC CID courses run throughout the year at Quadra Solutions and there are dates now available.

About Quadra Solutions

Quadra Solutions is a Gold Autodesk Software Reseller for the mechanical and construction industries, sole UK reseller of Zuken's PCB design software, CADSTAR, experience training provider and houses one of the largest PCB design bureaus in the UK.