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MARCH 2024 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 69 dents that align with the technical instruc- tion piece of our registered apprenticeship. We want those high school students to already have some industry-related knowledge, cer- tification, and even credentials when they graduate. ey will get their IPC-J-STD-001 and IPC-610 certifications so they can join an employer partner as a registered apprentice and get credit for prior learning that they com- pleted while they were in high school. is is another benefit to employers because they're not providing all the training. High school can open the students' eyes to manufacturing career opportunities, and do the training themselves. For the past 20 years, the U.S. has fallen far behind in offering man- ufacturing jobs as a career, and now we're dealing with the set- backs. We've asked kids what they wanted to be when they grew up, and they all said they wanted to be a lawyer, doctor, or teacher. Manufacturing wasn't sexy, and nobody wanted those jobs, so they didn't even know it was an option. We now have high school students not only exploring those options but also getting train- ing in things like soldering. So, if college is not their path—and only about 36% of high school graduates continue on to college—training can be offered that gives them industry-based credentials and a career path. For example, in Texas, there is the "60 by 30" initiative, which means that 60% of high school graduates will have an industry-recog- nized credential by the year 2030. eir goal is for every high school graduate to have a cre- dential recognized by an industry. Some high schools are offering OSHA and Cisco certi- fications so graduates will be employable as soon as they graduate high school. Why can't the electronics manufacturing industry join in with that? Why don't we get our training out there for high school students so that we're just adding another vein in the talent pipeline? Let employers start establishing relationships and building that workforce ecosystem to include high school and CTE programs. When the high schools offer the training and the state pays for it, the employer reaps the benefits. Te: What has been the level of interest from high school students? We are conducting surveys before and aer their workforce training so we can judge their reac- tion. I don't have that data yet, but the teachers at the schools have been very excited. ey love the curriculum. ey like that the students can work self-paced, but then they can support the instruction in class. It's been very positive from the teacher and instructor stand- point and we're waiting on more data from the students. Te: With the DOL approval in place, what has been the reaction from industry? Companies are enthusiastic about it. Zentech Manufacturing, headquartered in Bal- timore, Maryland, with production facilities in Bloomington, Illinois, and Richardson, Texas, is the first employer partner to adopt IPC's national program standards of apprenticeship. We're working on helping them secure grant funding dollars available through those states that will help offset their costs incurred with training. We are also working with national apprenticeship intermediaries that have incen- tive funding available for employers who are new to adopting apprenticeship as well as fed- eral grantors with funding allocated for reim- bursement for the related technical instruction component of apprenticeship in advanced man- ufacturing occupations. Like I said, they're having to bring these peo- ple in regardless, and so they might as well take advantage of the registered apprenticeship model. e training, being asynchronous and computer- based, is an investment in their employees. Some high schools are offering certifications so graduates will be employable as soon as they graduate.