Better to Light a Candle

Column from: Marc Carter

Marc Carter has worked in the electronics interconnection industry since 1984 in a variety of roles in fabrication and assembly materials, processes, environmental compliance, and supply chain management activities around the world. He has had the honor and privilege of working with and learning from many of the true giants of this industry in multiple functions over many years. His experience includes a major mil-aero OEM, field and development work at materials suppliers to the printed circuit industry, and an educational stint as the sole proprietor of a manufacturer’s agency representing multiple high-tech milaero material suppliers.
Connect:
May 10, 2023

Better to Light a Candle: A Solid Training Ground in New Hampshire

I’ve dedicated my career to facilitating the health and growth of the electronics manufacturing industry. In this interview with Jim Flis, a boot camp instructor at Nashua Community College in New Hampshire, we discuss a successful and growing effort to provide the next generation of electronics manufacturing staff with the foundation they’ll need to carry the industry into the future. Jim took over the boot camp program about five years and is quite proud of the students and what they’ve accomplished.
April 15, 2021

Better to Light a Candle: Chapter 12—Light at the End of the COVID Tunnel

The past 11 issues of this column series reported progress building on the foundation of a prototype grass-roots industry/academia collaborative effort to prepare the next generation of PCB “experts.” This effort exists to support and facilitate post-secondary educational programs for next generation electronics manufacturing staff here in North America.
February 09, 2021

Better to Light a Candle: Chapter 11—Expanding and Adapting in the Face of the Pandemic

In this issue, we’ll concentrate on the current status of efforts to replicate that success in other areas of North America, and our collaboration with other like-minded organizations. The loosely-affiliated team that is working this one aspect of the future staffing shortfall has accepted the working title, “Electronics Manufacturing Technical Education Project.” It exists to support and facilitate post-secondary educational programs for next generation electronics manufacturing staff here in North America.
January 19, 2021

Better to Light a Candle: Chapter 10—Expanding the Base and Building the New

In this 10th installment, Marc Carter continues to report on the progress of the collaborative effort between industry and academic to prepare the next generation of PCB "experts." Here, he concentrates on a line-up of guest lecturers at Michigan Tech.
October 19, 2020

Better to Light a Candle: Chapter Nine—Growing Interest Around the Country

The first eight issues of this column series reported on starting a grass-roots industry/academia collaborative effort to prepare the next generation of PCB “experts.” Marc Carter shares progress from three September meetings and details some of the new potential connections that have begun to develop.
September 02, 2020

Better to Light a Candle: Chapter 8—Expanding the Model in This New Reality

Marc Carter posts an update on the collaborative grassroots effort to prepare the next generation of PCB “experts" by outlining the progress of efforts to replicate the MTU “prototype” at other industry-academia “nodes” around the country.
April 21, 2020

Better to Light a Candle: Chapter Seven—Coping With COVID-19

The cascading effects of the exploding COVID-19 pandemic have, as you’d expect, forced major changes in the educational experience at MTU (and generally at universities across the country), and put plans elsewhere on hold. Marc Carter outlines the ways MTU students, educators, and guest lecturers are coping with the unexpected “remote learning” as the new reality.
February 26, 2020

Better to Light a Candle: Chapter Six—Spreading the Word

In the first five issues of this column series, I reported on one grass-roots industry/academia collaborative effort to prepare the next generation of PCB “experts.” In "Chapter 6," Marc Carter provides a brief status 2020 reprise/expansion class at MTU and report on efforts to get similar local industry/academia partner classes started elsewhere.
December 11, 2019

Better to Light a Candle: Chapter Five—2020 Reprise of MTU PCB Course

Continuing his series on the university course in PCB manufacturing at Michigan Technological University, Marc Carter provides some feedback in the form of testimonials from students who participated in the 2019 classes, as well as a preliminary look at the upcoming “new and improved” 2020 reprise/expansion class at MTU.
September 27, 2019

Better to Light a Candle: Using Industry Standards as Another PWB Manufacturing Tool

Some people will say, "Standards are so boring!" To that, I might respond, "Well, that's kind of the point." When you're in production manufacturing, a "boring" day (i.e., everything works smoothly with no disruptions, and everybody shares clear expectations) can be a welcome relief from your usual. But what should we do with all of these standards anyway?
August 12, 2019

Better to Light a Candle: Chapter Four—Next Steps for Developing the Future Workforce

This fourth installment of Marc Carter's column series will give the prospects and status of repeat (perhaps even expanded) classes at Michigan Tech, and report on developing contacts at other prospective university, industry, and government nodes for similar efforts to ensure basic printed circuit technology familiarity of college graduates over the next few years.
June 05, 2019

Better to Light a Candle: Chapter Three—First-year Recap of the PCB Fabrication Course at MTU

In the third installment of this column series, Marc Carter acknowledges the many organizations and individuals that willingly and freely contributed their time, materials, and support to make this first “prototype” effort a success. This article also gives a sneak preview of some of the efforts underway to expand the efforts at MTU and to start similar grassroots, industry-academia supported programs elsewhere.
May 01, 2019

Better to Light a Candle: Chapter Two—Introduction to PCB Fabrication

As a reminder, “EE4800: Printed Circuit Board Fabrication” is a hands-on class intended to give engineering undergraduate students an introduction to the basics of printed circuit design, fabrication, and assembly, which started on January 14 of this year.
January 11, 2019

Better to Light a Candle: Chapter One—Prepping the Next Generation

There has been a considerable amount of (electronic) ink and words shared in our industry bemoaning the graying-out of our industry and the growing shortage of skilled people at all levels. (See the May 2017 PCB007 Magazine column “Help Wanted—and How!” for just one example). As is usually the case, though, when all is said and done, more has been said than done.
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