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94 I-CONNECT007 I REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2023 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE Because without it, people can miss out on great opportunities that could be life- changing, and I'm a perfect example of that myself. I came to the electronics manufac- turing industry by way of the scenic route. I'm fairly new; I made a mid-career change. I spent the first 12 years of my career as an educator in the public school system. I left the classroom in 2015 to begin a new career at Lockheed Martin. I realized that I had a lot to learn about electronics manufacturing at that point. Throughout my career at Lock- heed Martin, I've gone from not knowing anything related to electronics manufactur- ing to becoming a certified trainer. I teach new operators, assemblers, technicians, and engineers about IPC standards and the appli- cations that they will use in the production and manufacturing settings when they begin their careers. I've learned a lot over the course of the seven and a half years that I've been at the company. Now, I'm looking at ways that we can reach potential employees while they're still in middle and high school, and I'm working on workforce development oppor- tunities to include community colleges. The goal is to reach anybody who may be looking for a new career opportunity, just like I was. That's a great story. When you started with Lockheed Martin, were you planning on getting into electronics or did that just surprise you when you got there? Personally, I had an interest in STEM educa- tion; that was my passion. I got my Master of Science and Science Education from Montana State University. STEM was a big focus, so when I found that Lockheed Martin focuses on it and recruits people who are interested in STEM careers, it was a big draw for me. Continuous learning is a trait we value at our company, which ensures we always keep our customers ahead of ready. Because the company values continuous learning, I learn new things and try to improve every day. I hope that comes across in my interac- tions with those I'm working with and the training I'm doing with them, so that they can be ready for their next great opportunity, whatever it might be. That's great to hear. Where have you seen the biggest benefit from IPC in workforce development? Obviously, IPC standards are important, but is there anything beyond that? Yes, I spoke at the EMS conference as part of the luncheon panel on Monday, Jan. 23, about the partnerships that we've created locally through STEM outreach and working with educational institutions like Angelina Col- lege. IPC has been very receptive of any feedback that we have offered and, through utilizing the Electronics Assembly for Operators Qualification train- ing within our apprenticeship, we have seen more success for employees within our program. By creating the robust workforce ecosystem that we have worked hard locally to imple- ment, and putting IPC's workforce develop- ment training into action, Lockheed Martin is growing and diversifying the STEM pipeline to meet 21st century workforce challenges. We all know that there's definitely a shortage of young engineers and workers in our industry, so what advice would you give to other companies regarding workforce development? Interview by Patty Goldman