Features Articles
PCB manufacturing doesn’t have a talent shortage; it has a marketing problem.
Where are all the PCB youngbloods? Why aren’t young men and women entering the industry in the numbers they did in the past?
I asked these questions several years ago, and the situation has improved slightly since. But not enough.
The average age of PCB fabrication workers continues to climb. Industry surveys now peg it somewhere north of 50 years old, and the pipeline of replacements remains dangerously thin. We’re not just facing a skills gap anymore; we’re staring down a demographic cliff.
Executives reveal their top concern isn’t tariffs, but the struggle to retain a qualified manufacturing workforce.
A recent industry event included a session on managing through disruptive times. Toward the end of the session, a panel of industry leaders addressed audience questions, one of which was, “Of all the disruptive issues currently taking place, which keeps you up at night?” Surprisingly, the panel was unanimous in its response, and it was not tariffs, new technology or geopolitical events. What keeps these executives awake at night is far more basic: finding qualified employees.
The catchphrase used when discussing the challenges of locating, hiring and retaining qualified employees is “workforce development,” and the operative word is “development!”
Amid AI hype, true progress depends on the accuracy of sensor-driven data collection.
While the world is flummoxed over the up-and-down nature of tariffs and the political drama they create, one bright spot in the news the past year or so, and impacting our industry more than any, is artificial intelligence, or AI.
What’s your company’s marketing strategy?
Trade shows are great for business, providing valuable contacts and permitting your company to build industry exposure and credibility. Yet many firms attend shows haphazardly and sporadically, lacking a strategy to maximize their time and effort. What is your trade show strategy? Do you have one?
Staying on course and supporting colleagues in challenging situations fosters trust and respect.
Leadership and interpersonal skills are essential for all electronics manufacturing services (EMS) management team members. These skills become even more critical in program management and sales roles, where individuals often need to execute with little or no authority over the teams they rely on. I teach these skills in a range of programs. Over the past year, I’ve had a surprising journey that reinforced how important it is to practice that knowledge daily.
Technology that keeps us moving naturally is the juice for better living.
Wearable technology and robotics have brought many exciting and helpful innovations to our work and lives. Yet the most exciting developments – adaptive and protective clothes made from smart fabrics, the witty humanoid home concierge – remain more science fiction than science. Bringing the two together, however, offers an exciting way forward that’s ready to explore right now.
