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22 SMT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2025 electronics assemblies that go into an elec- tronic product. Annually, IPC publishes dozens of new and updated standards in areas from printed board design and intellectual property protection through box build. Today, IPC's collection of industry standards and guidelines exceeds 300 "active" standards and its resource library contains more than 1,000 standards. In 2024, innovative new standards emerged in design, printed electronics, sintering materials, and plastronics. Efforts expanded into vital areas like IC substrates, system-in-package technol- ogies, and sustainability, reflecting IPC's com- mitment to address emerging industry trends and technologies. rough its multifaceted education, training, and certification program initiatives, IPC sig- nificantly influences global industries and edu- cational systems in electronics. Last year, IPC secured $542,650 in grants for future endeavors, demonstrating a strong commitment to work- force development. e introduction of 150 individuals into pre-apprenticeship and appren- ticeship programs, coupled with IPC's recogni- tion as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the U.S. Department of Labor, underscores its piv- otal role in shaping skilled professionals. e value of IPC's workforce training was further reflected through a dramatic 89% increase in participation in IPC member ben- efit courses, rising from 7,928 in 2023 to 14,959 in 2024. Additionally, the 36% increase in registrations for paid programs, the release of four new workforce training programs, and the publication of an IPC work- force white paper highlight IPC's proactive stance on industr y edu- cation and workforce readiness. IPC certification demonstrates a foundation of proven knowledge for our most vital electronics man- ufacturing systems. ese certification programs issue an industry-recognized certi- fication with endorsements based on the fol- lowing IPC standards: IPC J-STD-001, IPC- A-610, IPC-A-620, IPC-A-600, IPC-7711/21, and IPC-6012. IPC has more than 150 partner certification centers worldwide to administer exams and prepare students for them. ese centers provide the necessary training for the workforce to be certified and earn the proper credentials needed in today's robust and com- plex workforce. IPC's searchable conference paper database is a valuable resource for engineering leadership and staff who want to stay updated on the lat- est developments in the electronics manufac- turing industry. You can search by author, title, and keyword. You can also search for keywords and topics in the filter by tag field. Offerings dat- ing back to 2002 include IPC's workforce white paper and IPC APEX EXPO conference papers, including such topics as digital transformation, supply chain, cyber security, conformal coating, " IPC's searchable conference paper database is a valuable resource for engineering leadership and staff who want to stay updated on the latest developments in the electronics manufacturing industry. "