Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1278896
82 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2020 Article by Teresa Rowe IPC —ASSOCIATION CONNECTING ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES Let's face it. We are all getting older, and as we age, so does our industry. With the advent of electronics, the adage "it's a small world" came to mean something more, and with that change came the realization that time doesn't stand still. We must plan for the future now. What happens when our technical experts open the next chapter of their lives? Will we, as Stevie Nicks asks in "Landslide," "Be able to sail through the changin' ocean tides?" To stem the approaching gap created by the loss of subject matter experts to vital industry programs, IPC introduced its Emerging Engi- neer Program in 2016. In this program, IPC pairs someone in the first five years of his or her career in the electronics industry with a mentor from industry experienced in IPC programs and activities. Over the course of three years, the emerging engineers are giv- en access to IPC professional development courses, technical presentations, standards development activities, industry equipment and service providers, and, most notably, the subject-matter experts that make our indus- try what it is today. In their first year of the program, the emerg- ing engineers are required to participate in a series of events centered around IPC APEX EXPO, IPC's award-winning industry confer- ence and exhibition. Since this is the largest IPC annual event and the place where the in- dustry comes together, the emerging engineers are tasked with developing their professional knowledge by attending educational courses and presentations, participating in standards development task groups, and meeting exhibi- tors representing the latest innovations the in- dustry offers. They also have the opportunity to meet the brightest and best in the industry through networking events. Second- and third-year emerging engineers are presented with more challenging activities, including taking on action items during stan- dards development meetings, leading standards development meetings, and working on special projects. One such special project is the collec- tion of tribal knowledge where emerging engi- neers document the information the experts live and breathe as part of the fabric of their lives. Creating Energy in Leadership: IPC Opportunities for Emerging Engineers