ORLANDO – Powell-Mucha Consulting Inc. will present a tutorial on Identifying EMS Market Trends: Learn to Predict the Future and Help Your Company Lead the Pack at SMTAI in Orlando next Monday.

The tutorial will look at ways to create a forward-looking planning environment. “This tutorial focuses on identifying cyclical industry patterns and developing a planning process that extrapolates likely results of current trends,” said company president and presenter Susan Mucha.

The tutorial covers typical cycles that repeat in the EMS industry; key events likely to trigger changes in demand; useful strategic planning tools, and creating business models that can readily adapt to changing markets.

For more information, visit http://www.smta.org/smtai/tutorials.cfm.

In addition, Powell-Mucha Consulting and Circuits Assembly have organized a contract manufacturing symposium scheduled for Oct. 9. The symposium features six speakers in two sessions titled Cutting Costs in the EMS Supply Chain and Optimizing EMS Service Delivery.

For more information, visit http://www.smta.org/smtai/symposium.cfm.

SANTA CLARA, CA -- EMS provider NBS Design Inc. will move into a new facility in Santa Clara later this year, the company said today. The 40,000 sq. ft. custom-built PCB layout, assembly and manufacturing test facility will be operational in the fourth quarter.

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WASHINGTON – Responding to the growing shortage of engineers, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) in September introduced the Strategic Technology/Engineering Program (STEP) Act of 2007 – “GI Bill style” legislation that provides incentives for young people entering the engineering profession.

The bill, H.R. 3634, creates new scholarships and loan forgiveness for engineering students working toward their P.E. license.

“Our nation needs to make much more efficient use of the available resources by recruiting students from our best and brightest high school graduates and encourage them to go on to college to become our next generation of engineers,” Cleaver said in a statement. “This legislation will help support engineering students as they complete an education for an industry that will always be in demand.”

The number of U.S. engineering graduates has steadily declined in the last two decades, according to the National Science Foundation. In addition, over 25% of the science and engineering workforce is older than 50 and expected to retire over the next 15 years.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Jabil on Thursday night reported net profit of $11.7 million on a 3.3% gain in sales for its fourth quarter.

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