Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Nolan’s Notes: Ready to Hire?

Staffing issues remain a top concern for electronics manufacturing companies—a ripple effect of the pandemic, to be sure. No sooner did supply chain issues soften than we realized nobody wanted to come work for us, and if they did, could we train them quickly enough? Therefore, what are today’s best practices in on-the-job training? Are local technical schools recognizing the need and meeting the challenge set before them?

It reminded me of a conversation I had recently with Johnny Vanderford, director and assistant professor of PCB manufacturing, PCB design, MEMS and microelectronics at Lorain County Community College in Lakewood, Ohio. Johnny and I have chatted in the past about the school’s nationally recognized programs¹, and he’s well-spoken on the topic of “education for employability,” the new buzzword for what had been termed vocational education.

In this conversation, Johnny again described the business model at LCCC—his programs benefit financially when students earn degrees and become employed as quickly as possible. Conversely, he suggests some higher-tuition educational institutions might be more motivated by keeping their students enrolled longer than really needed, giving me the sense that stretching out a degree program is more beneficial to the school than to the students themselves.

He repeatedly emphasized “employed” over “educated” or “degreed.” Lorain’s priorities are different, but quite clear. LCCC’s board of advisors for the electronics curriculum, for example, is comprised of local industry representatives who actively hire from the school’s graduate pool and are fully engaged in providing feedback on how to structure curriculum to ensure LCCC students are quickly prepared for employment.

So, are schools doing enough regarding today’s workforce development needs? This is not a new question, says Jim Flis, a boot camp instructor in the Community College System of New Hampshire, Nashua. “I have seen this addressed for most of my adult life, in one form or another. Every time there is an advancement in technology or techniques, we encounter a situation where we lack skilled people. As a society, we have been in this predicament forever. However, to address the concern for today’s new technologies, we need industry to invest in the solution. Without such support and investment, it simply won’t happen.”

Do you agree with Jim’s sentiments? Are we in the same place we’ve always been, or does it feel more dire now? As you read his interview with Marc Carter, I’ll let you be the judge. Nashua has recognized the steep mountain to climb and is doing what it can to address the challenge. This group of educators responded quickly to a local industry need, but saw the potential to expand the program and turn out a better trained workforce.

Here is my point: The lack of labor pool for electronics manufacturing is a much larger problem than simply having enough bodies to hire. This is a STEM and vocational program challenge, a need for skilled labor even if they’re working on the manufacturing floor. As our customers’ designs become increasingly smaller and more complex, our factories, machinery, processes, and staff must evolve to match these needs. It’s not just bodies to stand at machines; our workers need to be critical thinkers and technical problem solvers.

Our May 2023 issue of SMT007 Magazine is just the launching pad for what will surely be a more detailed and nuanced discussion in future issues. Here, I include the interview between Marc Carter and Jim Flis. I also share some best practices from Tara Dunn and Ron Lasky. In the future, we’ll be looking to a semiconductor substrates facility and an OEM manufacturer of automation equipment as they share their insights into creative solutions and best practices for recruiting, hiring, and retaining local talent. (Hint: It’s all about skill building in the recruitment process itself. Already trained or skilled? You jump to the front of the line.)

Additionally, I include an interview with Bob Duke, who’s now running a global sourcing division at American Standard Circuits. While supply chain issues aren’t as dire as the past couple of years, it’s still a direct financial and competitive issue for most EMS companies. Bob addresses some of those concerns, and kicks off a new I-Connect007 monthly column, which will publish in our daily newsletter starting this month. We also welcome new columnist Mike Konrad, vice president of communications at SMTA. In this first column, he addresses several questions on reliability in harsh environments, and in the future, he will be talking with other subject matter experts on a host of topics. Welcome to both of you!

Reference: 1. “Lorain County Community College’s Successful MEMS Program,” interview by the I-Connect007 editorial team, SMT007 Magazine, December 2020

This column originally appears in the May 2023 issue of SMT007 Magazine.