Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1522641
JUNE 2024 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 45 the entire world, then works a job for 10 years. How much is the technology he is currently working on different from the day he gradu- ated? What technology has been gained and how much is obsolete? e idea of upskilling is keeping our current talent updated as new technologies, processes, and materials emerge. What mechanisms can you put in place to work on these issues? ere's no singular problem and no singu- lar solution, so we are trying to create pro- grams that have multiple applications. ere are a series of training programs that are meant to take someone with little to no knowledge about something and get them to a high level of productivity in the workplace. e next step is to take those same programs that the indus- try is using and put them into schools. Stu- dents then graduate with that specific knowl- edge, and now the company doesn't have to do the base levels of training. We want to develop these mechanisms and solutions and apply them at various points. Apprenticeships are another mechanism. ey are great because, essentially, they are defined career paths. For example, one of our apprenticeship programs provides the oppor- tunity for an individual to grow from entry- level to senior level. All we did was formalize that in one program, which made it easy for companies and individuals to access the train- ing and earn the credentials. David, thank you for providing your insights and educating us on IPC's white paper and our workforce challenges. Thank you for all you are doing for our industry. I appreciate the opportunity to talk about it. ank you, Marcy. PCB007 New multidisciplinary research from the Univer- sity of St. Andrews could lead to more efficient tele- visions, computer screens and lighting. Researchers at the Organic Semiconductor Cen- tre in the School of Physics and Astronomy and the School of Chemistry have proposed a new approach to designing efficient light-emitting materials in a paper published this week in Nature (Wednesday 27 March 2024). Light-emitting materials are used in organic light- emitting diodes (OLEDs) that are now found in the majority of mobile phone displays and smartwatches, and some televisions and automotive light- ing. The latest generation of emit- ter materials under development produce OLEDs that have high efficiency at low brightness, but suffer reduced efficiency as the brightness is increased to the lev- els required for lighting and out- door applications. This problem is known as "efficiency roll-off." Researchers have identified the combination of features of materials required to overcome this problem. Guidelines developed by the team of researchers, led by Professor Ifor Samuel and Pro- fessor Eli Zysman-Colman, will help OLED research- ers develop materials that maintain high efficiency at high brightness, enabling the latest materials to be used for applications in displays, lighting and medicine. (Source: University of St. Andrews) Lighting Up the Future