Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1494936
MARCH 2023 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 17 This is our version of Moore's Law? Yes. Every time the new and exciting chip technology comes out, I look at it a bit cross- eyed because I know that means more pin- outs, more layers, more vias, more intercon- nects, smaller spaces and traces to accomplish whatever magic is embedded in that chip's capability. Is finding qualified staff a difficult thing to do across North America and Europe? I have heard anecdotes about human resources departments for facilities in our industry cruising the supermarket, asking the retail staff if they'd like to make $5 more an hour. We have heard simi- lar anecdotes. We are thinking outside the box because the way the box is configured is in such a fashion that we're not making progress fast enough to solve it. We've been doing this a long time— independently and collec- tively at Summit—and have both a long industry reach and a solid reputation in the industry, so filling the manager level roles is not as challenging for us as it might be for some. Filling the operator roles—which is the bread and butter of any manufacturing organi- zation—has been a challenge because there's true wage inflation there and people are highly mobile in this society now. Educational Institutions John, what's your current opinion on higher education? Those programs are never perfect, but are they adequate? ere are some programs directed specifi- cally to the printed circuit board industry; the one in Michigan comes to mind. When I was an owner of businesses that operated in the printed circuit board and EMS provider space, I was a huge advocate of the industrial-related schools and community colleges. e printed circuit board industry is not for the faint of heart; you must have a driven personality and a go-getter attitude. If you add in some intel- ligence, are motivated to show up, and have a willingness to learn, listen, and work hard, you can go a long way. High school graduates with some industrial arts training or an interest in computers, or someone in a community col- lege or two-year school, are perfect candidates for our industry. e higher you go up the edu- cational spectrum, interest seems to wane for the exciting world of printed circuit board manufacturing. ere's just so much exposure now in the world for our indus- try—our customers, coun- try, national security, and economy are impacted daily by our industry and there is more widespread recognition of the critical nature of the work we do. It is encouraging to see the efforts by USPAE, PCBAA, IPC, and others who are educating legis- lators on how vital our industry segment is to national defense. I've been part of that effort for 10 or 15 years through IPC, but I've never seen the coalescing of interest, activity, and thought leadership that I'm seeing now. I'm more encouraged now than ever that the guys on Capitol Hill are getting it. I'm hopeful that meaningful change is on the horizon. What do you see ahead in the next five years? I'm guardedly optimistic. A handful of fabrica- tors support 80% of what the DoD spends on PCBs. Some other fabricators that are also par- ticipating may or may not be undercapitalized or be able to take the next step and continue We are thinking outside the box because the way the box is configured is in such a fashion that we're not making progress fast enough to solve it.