But the upcoming event has quite a bit to offer PCB designers and design engineers. Is it becoming a PCB design show as well—a show within a show? 

Between the Professional Development Courses and Technical Conference, I counted 15 classes that focus on PCB design or design-related topics. There are also plenty of fabrication courses on the roster, which many designers would likely benefit from. Have you visited a board shop since “Cheers” went off the air? 

The IPC Design Competition is returning for its second year. The first heat of the competition has already begun, with 47 contestants from around the world slugging it out. The survivors will face off in San Diego next month in a competition that will be live streamed on YouTube and Twitch.io. 

There’s certainly a thirst for knowledge among PCB designers. Every year, more of the “silverback” senior designers retire to the pickleball courts (seriously, pickleball?), taking with them decades of design knowledge and experience. 

Many companies are facing a lack of subject matter experts in PCB design, and the problem is likely to get worse before it gets better. With several PCB design positions available for each job-hunting designer; some companies are getting creative and developing PCB designers in-house. One manager told us he asks staff in other technical positions if they’d be interested in being a PCB designer. The company will pay for their continuing design education in exchange for their promise to stick around. I bet we’ll be seeing more of this: If you can’t find PCB designers, create them from the ground up. 

Designers are aging out, but there is one big positive note: For the past few years, we’ve been seeing more young people enter the PCB design segment again. At this point, it’s more of a trickle than a tidal wave, but young people seem to have rediscovered PCB design. Maybe we’re all doing a better job of marketing this industry. I hope that all the headlines around the CHIPS Act are leading more young people to consider careers in the electronics industry. 

All of which means that there’s a premium on solid PCB design education. So, while planning this issue, we asked the IPC’s show staff and Professional Development instructors to discuss their design content, as well as some of the reasons why PCB designers should consider adding this show to their continuing education schedule. 

In this month's issue of Design007 Magazine we start off with an interview with Kris Moyer, who answers the question that’s on the mind of designers: “Why should PCB designers attend IPC APEX EXPO? Isn’t that a manufacturing show?” Patrick Crawford highlights the IPC Design Competition, including changes to the format and lessons learned during the inaugural event in January 2022. Carlos Plaza discusses the new PCB design curriculum, as well as IPC’s drive to increase the PCB design offerings. Instructor Jim van den Hogen of Plexus provides details of his class on fabrication, and why designers who have never been to a board shop should attend. Ventec’s Paul Cooke gives us a preview of his fab workflow class, created especially for designers, which illustrates the many factors affecting yield, reliability, and cost during manufacturing. Finally, Rea Callender of Altium discusses the company’s education initiatives, which will be highlighted during the show. 

We have columns from our regular contributors Matt Stevenson, Saskia Hogan , John Coonrod, Vern Solberg, Happy Holden, and Joe Fjelstad, as well as articles by Doug Brooks and Anaya Vardya. 

I hope to see you in San Diego!

This edition of "The Shaughnessy Report" originally appears in the December 2022 issue of Design007 Magazine.