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46 SMT Magazine • August 2017 Contrary to what our children are being taught, college is not for everyone, and certainly not for every job. What we have now is an awful lot of college educated 20–30 somethings asking, "do you want fries with that?" or choosing to live in mom and dad's basement because getting their hands dirty in a factory job is beneath them. I remember guidance counselors that actual- ly helped students determine what to do with their life, not just what to do in college. Second, I also place blame with the parents! We have been seeing the "participation trophy" generation entering the workforce for a while now, and the results are not pretty. Parents that push kids into college to earn a degree that there is little market for are part of the problem. En- couraging their kids to stay at home far longer than ever before is enabling the entitlement syn- drome that has created the situation we are in re- lating to the next generation of manufacturing craftsmen and women. Taking five, six, and seven years to gradu- ate with a four-year degree is now the norm. I could write an entire book on how the partici- pation trophy philosophy is leaving our kids ill- prepared for not only work, but life. Sorry kids, but life is not fair, never has been, never will be. Our children have lost the ability to handle fail- ure and learn from their mistakes—invaluable life lessons. A recent Fox poll of current univer- sity students really highlights this point. When asked "What age do you consider yourself an 'adult'?" The overwhelming response was 30! Wow, when my generation was growing up the answer was 18, and we couldn't wait to get out on our own. Brain Drain There is no question that America has an aging workforce; and this is neither unique to contract manufacturing, nor a new phenome- non. However, in my humble opinion, the tal- ent issue facing EMS leaders today is the most challenging I have seen over my 40-year ca- reer. In fact, I had this very discussion recent- ly with John, an old friend that happens to be a senior executive with a midsize contract manufacturer on the east coast. As we spent some time catching up and talking about busi - ness, I asked John what kept him up at night. He said, "Steve, that's easy, people. We have a difficult time not only finding engineering talent, but also assembly, high-temp solder- ing and basic manufacturing people." We con- tinued our discussion comparing notes on the lack of "minimum required skills" that the av- erage job applicant walks through the door with. As I tend to routinely talk to a lot of in- dustry leaders, unfortunately, this is not a one- off. This got me thinking, and again, compar- ing notes with the hiring managers in our in- dustry, on what exactly are those "minimum required skills" that contract manufacturers are looking for . Minimum Required Skills Talking with many EMS executives and hiring managers over the past year, this is what they are looking for in an ideal new employee candidate: Résumé Skills for Entry-Level Assembly Position Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities • Read and speak English • Component identification skills for both PTH and SMT components, including polarity are required • Be familiar with use of calibrated tools used for assembly, measurement and verification, such as pneumatic power tools, torque drivers or critical measurement tools such as calipers and pin or hole gauges is required • Creative thinking and the ability to apply solutions • Must be able to understand and follow complex work instructions, adapt quickly to changing priorities and job assignments and work well with others • Advanced soldering skills to perform complex rework, modification or repair of PTH and SMT circuits in accordance with IPC Rework and Repair standards • Working knowledge of IPC A-610 specifica- tions is required and certification is desired • Ability to perform simple computer related tasks such as data entry, look up information related to job tasks, and email • Good manual dexterity, good vision and the ability to stay seated for long periods of time THE EMS SKILLS GAP EPIDEMIC