Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1058015
38 SMT007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2018 Feature Interview by Barry Matties I-CONNECT007 Facing a growing shortage of talented labor with which to fill the employment positions in America, IPC is working to help solve this problem. With over 4,400 members global- ly and chapters in almost every state, Colette Buscemi, senior director of IPC's education programs, is encouraging IPC members to bet- ter engage pre-college and post-secondary col- lege students at the local level. Barry Matties spoke with Colette about the educational pro- grams IPC has put in place to invest in future generations, including the STEM program at this year's IPC APEX EXPO, which has dou- bled in size from last year. Barry Matties: You're the senior director of the education program for IPC. First, tell me a little bit about your position and what you do. Colette Buscemi: I was hired in January of 2018 to oversee IPC's education programs targeting high school or pre-college students and post- secondary college students. We're also looking at K–8 but in a slightly different way. The goal is to attract more students into the electronics industry generally, everything from engineers to operators and technicians. Matties: I know you have a STEM program at IPC APEX EXPO. We're proudly sponsoring that. Tell me a little bit about what the pro- gram and what people can expect. Buscemi: We're super excited about IPC APEX EXPO 2019. When I joined in January of 2018, within two weeks, I was at the show, and we had already set the foundation for what you're going to see in 2019. Our goal is to get in 100 students from the local San Diego region. We're going to provide them with a full day of activities beginning with a breakfast and a panel session of industry leaders who will be talking about careers in electronics. Then we'll spend about an hour to an hour and a half with the students on the floor showcas- ing all the exhibition has to offer. We'll also be giving the students an opportunity to have a hands-on experience with soldering. We're bringing in some of our trainers to support us, so the students will have a good experience and exposure to what the purpose of a PCB is, how it's designed, how they interact with it— everything from "that's hot, don't touch it," to the basics and fundamentals. The goal is to expose them to see, feel, touch, and experience what this industry is about, and there's no better way to do that than getting them on the floor or putting tools in their hands so they can see how the equip- ment works. We'll also be providing them with potential mentoring opportunities. We're building that program as well. They'll have a well-rounded day. STEM: The Future of Our Industry