Meet the New Workforce at IPS

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

As the workforce continues shifting to the next generation—with a noticeable lack of appeal toward manufacturing careers—it’s even more important to share the voices of those who have chosen to work in manufacturing. We believe that raising awareness will inspire others to consider manufacturing as the strong and viable career path that it is. 

I recently visited IPS in Cedar City, Utah, which has been manufacturing wet process equipment for printed circuit boards fabrication for more than 30 years. While there, I conducted candid one-on-one interviews with several of the team members. They shared their views on manufacturing, their roles and challenges, their burgeoning passion for what they do, and valuable advice for others looking at manufacturing as a career.

Something I found very interesting was IPS’s long-term partnerships with the local high schools, trade schools, and colleges. Mike Brask, president of IPS, says this is not only good for the community, but part of his company’s core values. He introduced me to several young employees, part of the next generation of manufacturing professionals poised to make their mark.

Caleb Aagard

Caleb Aagard, a local high school student and the youngest intern at IPS. Caleb found this opportunity at IPS through his high school’s CTE intern program and has taken full advantage of the experience, while sharing some concerns and advice for other high school students.

At just 16 years old, Caleb already has goals and a clear direction for his career. He was so well-spoken about his passion for learning about manufacturing, and his journey through it. Mike recognizes this and has given Caleb responsibility for important tasks. Caleb also has a direct mentor, but he quickly emphasizes that the entire IPS team has been helping him learn, including an allowance for mistakes. You’ll see how, with the guidance of his mentors, he is learning from those mistakes.

His mentor, Ben Herring, told me that the mentorship program at IPS is not just important for high school students to gain real-world experience, but for everyone who works at IPS. Ben talks about the challenges of training and strategies to be successful.

It was easy to see how a career in manufacturing appeals to Caleb, especially when he started talking about the manufacturing tools he uses. He gave me a quick overview of a very cool project he’s working on, and it was so encouraging to see his passion. I know you’ll sense that right away. This is one video definitely worth watching.

To read this entire article, which appeared in the November 2023 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.