Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1486199
DECEMBER 2022 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 27 port from Weller Tools, whose members will dedicate their time and support with the sol- dering track. Altium and Arduino, as I men- tioned, supporting our design track, and Magi- cRay sponsors the Breakfast for Champions. In addition, we have collaborating sponsors, including Mycronic, which has been a past supporter as well. We could not show- case the impact that we are mak- ing in the lives of these students and teachers without the sup- port from I-Connect007 as our official media sponsor, and we are very thankful for that. We have detailed informa- tion at ipcef.org under the Events tab where we mention the sponsorship opportunities still available. Why This Is So Important is event supports the industry by devel- oping a pipeline of new talent. It resonates the mission of the IPC Education Foundation because to build and support the industry, you must create awareness of the various types of careers available: opportunities, positions, entry points, and skills needed. is STEM event touches on all these aspects. We feel that if you can create awareness or "access points to knowledge share" with content, hands-on experiences, and engagement opportunities with industry, you can steer them toward pur- suing a career in the industry. Since we started the STEM event in 2019, we have conducted surveys before and aer the event. We wanted to gauge the interest of students considering a career in electronics manufacturing and it has been proven year over year that the event contributes to their decision-making. Besides maintaining a 95% to 100% overall satisfaction rate, we learned that there is a 33% increase in students who now will consider pursuing a career in this exciting industry. A Pipeline to New Talent rough strategic activities like this we can provide valuable information to the industry and will dedicate our efforts by incorporating opportunities to test responses by the partici- pants through the event. Whether you are in high school, have an associate degree, are a recent grad- uate from an engineering school, a veteran, or someone who wants to consider making a career change, there is ample opportunity avail- able. As the Foundation, we are very proud to have an event mainly focused on high school students. We have other designated pro- grams available to students in college and university such as the IPC Student Chapter program that offers students with industry-rele- vant content, connections through facility tours and speaking engagement opportunities on or off campus, as well as scholarships. Of Special Note Every year we meet a diverse group of stu- dents and among them there will be a ded- icated group of 25 girls who form part of the Girls in STEM at Olympian High School in Chula Vista, California. It's exciting to see such a large group that is specifically female focused. e Foundation will focus on exciting oppor- tunities to continue connecting talent with industry in 2023 and we cannot wait to share what we've been working on with everyone. If you have further questions, would like to volunteer for a roundtable discussion or to be a sponsor, please contact me. SMT007 Charlene Gunter du Plessis is the senior director of the IPC Education Foundation.