Washington, D.C. – The Trump administration this week is praising IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries and several of its member companies for their efforts to expand the skilled workforce.  

On Tuesday, Chris Pilkerton, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), visited workers on the factory floor at Calumet Electronics in Calumet, Michigan, and took part in a roundtable discussion at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan, focusing on workforce issues that affect the U.S. electronics industrial base. Participants including Colette Buscemi, senior director of IPC education programs, and Chris Mitchell, vice president, IPC global government relations, discussed what must be done by business, government, and other organizations to provide the right kinds of educational opportunities at all levels, from K-12 through college and career. Click here for the press release on the Michigan event.

Then on Thursday, the White House is convening an event on the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s Executive Order to develop a national strategy to expand the skilled workforce in key industries. IPC strongly supports such efforts and over the past year has made unprecedented, multi-million-dollar investments in its already-extensive educational programs, including trainings and valuable certifications for adult workers; new university chapters and electronics courses; and new curricula and outreach efforts aimed at students in middle and high school. The White House event will be attended by employees and executives from five IPC member companies:  Calumet Electronics (including Audra Thurston, a 23-year-old employee who is one the youngest engineers in the industry); Summit Interconnect of Anaheim, California; STI Electronics of Madison, Alabama; TTM Technologies of Santa Ana, California; and Zentech Manufacturing of Baltimore, Maryland.  

Advance quote: “IPC applauds the Trump administration for bringing together the public and private sectors to help today's workers thrive in the modern workforce,” says IPC President and CEO John Mitchell. “The national dialogue between the White House and the business sector has accelerated workforce readiness efforts, with more and more employers, workers, universities, and others getting involved. For our part, IPC is taking a holistic approach to cultivating skilled workers at all levels, from K-12 through college and career. Our education and credentialing programs are already creating opportunities for approximately 100,000 adults every year, and we are continuing to expand our efforts.”

More resources available: IPC can offer interviews, photos, and more background on these events and topics. Online information is available on the websites of IPC (for adult education programs) and the IPC Educational Foundation (for programs aimed at grades K-12). 

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