A few years ago, when I was working for a chemical supplier, I chaired the PCB Suppliers Leadership Meeting Subcommittee, part of the IPC Suppliers Council. As a matter of course we held annual meetings and inevitably the final afternoon session would turn into a roundtable discussion where we could vent on the latest series of challenges facing the industry. I don’t think we solved many problems in those two-hour therapy sessions, but they were extremely cathartic, so we continued to include them in the program.
Over the past few years, the need for this type of open dialog between companies and within our industry has grown exponentially. We face very serious challenges today and will continue to be stress-tested in the years to come. While peer discussions may not help us solve all the problems, this constructive interaction and the precipitating brainstorm that results can certainly help us focus on those things most critical for success.
One of the biggest hurdles to address, especially in technology sectors, is our aging workforce. Don’t get me wrong – I’m rapidly becoming one of them – but it has been estimated that nearly 50% of U.S. scientists and engineers will reach retirement age by 2012. They may not all retire then, but as they exit the workforce there are limited resources waiting in the wings. By 2013 the number of workers 54 to 64 years of age in the U.S. will mushroom to 12 million. Meanwhile, the younger, yet still experienced, workers – those aged 35 to 44 – will shrink by 15%. As a result there will be a labor shortage of major proportion, particular for highly skilled positions.
We know from analysis of our annual Salary Survey that the average age of the PCB designer rises each year. There are not enough engineers entering the field to offset the advancing age of the bulk of U.S. PCB designers. In 2007, the average age for PCB designers responding to our survey was 48, up from 46.8 in 2006. In all likelihood, the age will advance to over 49 in the 2008 survey. This should be a call to action for our industry. From where are the new engineers that will be needed over the next five to 10 years going to come?
We can all appreciate the relentless progression of technology, Moore’s Law marching to its own drummer. But have you considered that such rapid advancement in technology is creating enormous education gaps? The half-life of an engineer’s knowledge is considered to be five years. In the electronics industry it’s even worse. More than 50% of what you learn as a freshman is obsolete by the time you reach your senior year. The only answer to keeping up and moving ahead is to actively engage in continuous training and re-education.
Today, 80% of the jobs available in the U.S. require some postsecondary educational schooling. While 97% of high school students hope to go to college, only 63% enroll, and of those, just 30% actually receive a bachelor’s degree. It is estimated that the shortage of skilled workers in the U.S. will be over 5 million in 2010 and will swell to 14 million in 2015. This is the making of a real infrastructure disruptor.
So, ensuring the education and technical competence of young people entering the workforce is at the top of my list of things that keep me up at night. UP Media Group continues to support such educational activities. Through a variety of venues like the PCB Shows conferences, Webinars, the Virtual PCB event, in the magazine and on the web pages for PCD&F, there are daily opportunities to keep up to date. Make sure you check out the program for this year’s
PCB West included in this issue. The conference will be held Sept. 14 – 19 in Santa Clara, CA. I look forward to seeing you all there.
We are only as good as our information is timely and we want to ensure we are supplying more of the type of information and educational materials you need. Over the next few months we will be contacting you to get your opinion on the critical topics for the next 18 to 24 months. Make a point to participate in these surveys. Further, during
PCB West, we will host a special event: Designer Decision 2008. This new feature offers an opportunity to share pressing concerns, technology-related issues or other industry problems. The results of our survey and forums will form the foundation of editorial coverage for PCD&F in 2009, so we hope that you will share with us what keeps you up at night.
