Growth in the consumer sector is a reason for us to celebrate and a signal for us to change.

The consumer sector is arguably the most powerful aspect of today’s immense electronics industry, influencing our quality of life and our perception of it. The standards of functionality, appearance and quality are far above the norms of just a few years ago, and many of us own far more of these luxuriant items than previous generations could have dreamed.

Don’t let derailments break your sales spirit.

In the past four years I have sustained numerous injuries from my “hobbies.” Why do I do this, and how does this relate to business? The easy answers are to slow the aging process, challenge myself, achieve some goals I’ve arbitrarily set and overcome some fears … well, maybe some of all of that.

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!”