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82 PCB007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2022 jobs. Although that field is gaining popularity, don't write off manufacturing just yet. ere is plenty of interest in manufacturing in the elec- tronics industry, just not in the field of PCBs. e semiconductor industry is keeping the newer generation interested in manufacturing jobs. I believe the main influencers are educa- tion and awareness. I attended IPC APEX EXPO for the first time this year and since then I have noticed a recurring theme among those who get involved in PCB manufacturing: Before they started working in the field, most did not have much awareness of our sector. In fact, before I became a process engineer at Chemcut, I was one of them. is was primarily because I was not exposed to it in college. While I was aware that my chemical engineering degree could be applied to the semiconductor industry, I did not associate it with circuit boards. At my uni- versity, there were even a handful of professors who specialized in semiconductor research, so it seems that students are more exposed to semiconductors than to PCBs. is appears to heavily influence where these students choose to take their careers. If our industry wants to adapt for the bet- ter, it must start from the ground-up—starting where students get exposure to our industry. More exposure means more scientific devel- opments and progress in PCB technology. If more students are made aware of the oppor- tunities in the PCB industry, we can bring in fresh, new minds that will look at our manu- facturing limitations from different perspec- tives. e more interest in PCB manufactur- ing we can bring to young engineers, the bet- ter. Although it is necessary to gain overall interest in PCBs, it's important that we steer some in the direction of engineering capital equipment (i.e., printers, etchers, platers, etc.). If PCB manufacturers are to get an edge in the market, it is likely to come from advance- ments in fabrication technology. is is because innovation in this area will effectively lead to greater opportunities in PCB quality, productivity, and overall profit. In principle, if the equipment manufacturers grow and innovate, so should the rest of the industries they support. Making the upcoming gener- ations interested in all aspects of PCB fabri- cation may just be the adaptation our indus- try needs to handle the changing wants and needs of the market. Once the new genera- tion gains interest in our industry, PCB man- ufacturers should have a bright future ahead of them. at leaves us with the question of how we can best appeal to the next generation and get them interested in PCBs. Creating outreach programs and other similar efforts are likely the way to go because half of the battle is bring- ing awareness of how PCBs are made. I pro- pose that the other half of the battle is intro- ducing the nuances of our industry and the cur- rent matters we would like to improve. If you are trying to appeal to young engineers, the best way to do that is to give them a challenge and show them there is still plenty of room for intellectual growth in our industry. PCB007 Christopher Bonsell is a chemical process engineer at Chemcut. To read past columns, click here. The semiconductor industry is keeping the newer generation inter- ested in manufacturing jobs. I believe the main influencers are education and awareness.