Keywords
Citation
(1999), "PWB design engineer labour pool stronger thanks to IPC programme", Circuit World, Vol. 25 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/cw.1999.21725aab.003
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
PWB design engineer labour pool stronger thanks to IPC programme
IPC
PWB design engineer labour pool stronger thanks to IPC programme
Keywords Certification, Education, IPC
The electronics industry is finding there are more qualified designers today than previously, thanks to the IPC Designer Education and Certification Programme. More than 180 designers have become IPC certified interconnect designers as of September 1998.
Successful completion of the programme verifies that a PWB designer has the body of knowledge to create quality manufacturable designs; reducing costs for their companies and suppliers. The goal of the programme is to enhance the professional image of PWB designers through education, training and certification.
The number of designers who have been certified shows how much the IPC Designer Education and Certification Programme has evolved since it was introduced in 1995.
When the programme was created, most of the people who took the examination failed. This was surprising for the design engineers who took the examination especially those who had up to 30 years of experience on the job.
The success of the Design Education and Certification Programme will continue in 1999. The programme has expanded to include monthly workshops and examinations across the country. The following dates and locations have been scheduled for 1999 workshops:
27-29 January, Tempe, Arizona;17-19 February, Orlando, Florida;10-12 March, San Jose, California;14-16 April, Cleveland, Ohio;19-21 May, Toronto, Canada;23-25 June, Chicago, Illinois;21-23 July, Seattle, Washington;18-20 August, Denver, Colorado;22-24 September, Boston, Massachusetts;20-22 October, Minneapolis, Minnesota;17-19 November, Austin, Texas;15-17 December, Atlanta, Georgia.
If a company wants its employees to take the examination, but they cannot make it to one of the 12 locations where the test will be offered in 1999, IPC offers another alternative. Interested companies can contact IPC and request to hold the test at their own facilities.
"We will send instructions on how to administer the examination, and ask for verification that the test will be proctored according to our instructions," says IPC Director of Education John Riley. The test can be proctored on-site by a university, a local college, or by a certified designer.
For more information on the IPC Design Education and Certification Programme, contact Gary Ferrari, Tel: (860) 350-9300; E-mail GaryFerrari@ipc.org For more information on how to proctor the examination, contact John Riley. Tel: +1 (837) 790-5308; or E-mail JohnRiley@ipc.org