Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1498238
MAY 2023 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 13 ing facilities, by the eighth cohort, this pro- gram was opened to the rest of the micro- electronics industry in southern New Hamp- shire and northern Massachusetts. We now service over 25 companies, but none of this would have happened without the invest- ment made initially with one company. The early days of these kinds of efforts are critical. Could you outline the growth of the program (numbers, scope, etc.) especially how you navigated those first few "cohorts" (group of students)? I was not involved in the early days of this program, having joined in 2018 with Cohort No. 10. Early on, the structure of the pro- gram was easier to establish, as we only had to address a single company's need. BAE was able to clearly define what they needed the students to learn, so it was easy to tailor the class to meet that need. Because most every- thing being taught was based on BAE com- pany specifications, it oen did not match what other industry members implemented, so as we serviced more of the industry, we made some significant changes that would allow for continued success. erefore, one of our earliest changes was switching our focus to MIL-STD-883 as our manufacturing standard of choice—the entire industry followed that specification as a very minimum. We continue to keep a close eye on industry needs and make modi- fications to implement those changes. Addi- tionally, the program has evolved as new training techniques are tried and perfected, resulting in a better trained recruit for the industry. Can you describe the types of students who are most likely to attend, how the program is structured, and what skill sets you've focused on? We seek out and accept a very diverse student body; they are primarily walk-ins who either