Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/344372
8 The PCB Design Magazine • July 2014 by Andy Shaughnessy i-COnnECT007 THE SHAUgHNESSy REPORT Help Wanted: PCB Design Needs an Icon column For years, veteran designers like Gary Fer- rari, Bill Brooks, and the late Glenn Wells, just to mention a few, have been spreading the word to young people about PCB design as a viable career. Now, there are actual PCB design class- es available at a handful of colleges, and PCB design is becoming more visible to the general public. But it's still an uphill battle. Designers are retiring, and they just aren't being replaced. When was the last time you met a designer who was under 30? Imagine what it's like to be a smart high school or college student—the kind of kid who would make a great PCB designer. You'd be in- terested in math and science, and you'd be con- sidering a career in electronics. You'd be a little bit off-grid, and able to harness that facet of your personality. But you'd be getting deluged with informa- tion. You and your friends would most likely be interested in the "sexier" careers such as game developer or Web developer. Or you may have your sights set on being an electrical engineer. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. After all, the EE is a known quantity; I imag- ine there will always be kids dreaming of being EEs. Why isn't it that way for PCB design? If everyone knew how satisfying (and, often, profitable) a PCB design career can be, there would be waiting lists for every PCB design job. You know exactly what I mean: You may hate your boss, your company, and/or the EEs, but