Chicago public school students become IPC certified
Jun 19, 2006
Members of the Great Lakes Chapter, SMTA (Surface Mount Technology Association) and the Chicago Public Schools - Education to Careers (CPS-ETC) Program have announced that students in the CPS-ETC program are now certified by the IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries - an international standards authority for the printed circuits manufacturing industry. IPC certification means that the students have demonstrated knowledge and proficiency in a number of areas associated with electronics manufacturing. Getting them to this level of achievement is the culmination of a 30-month cooperative effort between the Great Lakes Chapter of the SMTA, an electronics industry trade association, and the Chicago Public Schools department.
In making the announcement, Ross Clark, President of SMTA Great Lakes Chapter, said, "The student certification brings the CPS-ETC Electronic Manufacturing Program in line with current industry standards. As part of this program, the SMTA Great Lakes Chapter will also cover the cost for students to obtain their own IPC certifications upon graduation and the successful completion of IPC"s examination." Richard Wierzbicki, Teacher, Curie Metropolitan High School, the original curriculum architect, expressed satisfaction in seeing the first class take the certification test and pass. "Seeing these High School young adults getting certified in the disciplines that set the standards for the electronics manufacturing industry is great, since it represents a significant milestone" he said. "When an electronics manufacturing company can hire a high school graduate with IPC certification and training, this means an immediate plus to that manufacturer's bottom line. Ultimately, this program is about young adults making our local high-tech manufacturing sector stronger, more competitive and better prepared to meet the challenges of the future." For more information about the Surface Mount Technology Association and its programs, visit www.smta.org
|
