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56 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2019 Feature by Brynt Parmeter and Emily McGrath NEXTFLEX It is no secret that there will be a surge of ca- reer opportunities in advanced manufacturing over the coming years. One of the most critical challenges facing the manufacturing industry is how to showcase the potential of this field to attract the next generation of talent—Gen- eration Z—into the workplace. Fortunately, or- ganizations like NextFlex and companies like DuPont are forging powerful partnerships to create the future of advanced manufacturing by engaging youth with the innovation driving this sector. DuPont, through their new Silicon Valley Technology Center, is the latest company to join NextFlex's flagship education and work- force development program—FlexFactor. Next- Flex, America's Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Institute, is an industry con- sortium with a mission to advance the manu- facturability and commercialization of flexible hybrid electronics and catalyze the next-gen- eration workforce. FlexFactor was designed to achieve NextFlex workforce development goals by engaging young people with the full range of opportunities in the advanced man- ufacturing and technology sectors. Working with future-thinking industry partners like Du- Pont, NextFlex is driving the development and commercialization of flexible hybrid electron- ics (FHE) and facilitating the creation of the next generation workforce. FlexFactor addresses the complexities of workforce development by bringing the edu- cational and industrial communities together. Through strategic partnerships between aca- demic and manufacturing stakeholders, the program provides students with experiences and knowledge to understand what a career in advanced manufacturing looks like. The pro- gram also helps identify pathways for students leading into the field. Driven by a project man- Engaging the Future of Advanced Manufacturing: NextFlex and DuPont in Silicon Valley and Beyond A Flex Factor class on AP Environmental Science from Abraham Lincoln High School in San Jose, California, pays a visit to the DuPont Silicon Valley Technology Center in February 2019. Teacher: Michelle Morella-Bennett (R).