Electronics Industry Thanks U.S. Congress and President Trump for Enacting Bill to Advance Workforce Education

IPC, the global industry association representing the $2 trillion global electronics industry, is applauding the U.S. Congress for sending legislation to President Trump  that will strengthen workforce education and training efforts. The President signed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (the Perkins CTE Act) on Tuesday.

The U.S. electronics industry faces a chronic shortage of skilled workers in the United States. According to an IPC member survey, most companies say the skills gap is constraining their growth and, in some cases, their long-term viability.

IPC has been a staunch supporter of the Perkins CTE Act, having advocated for the measure over the past year. Most recently, IPC President and CEO John Mitchell sent a letter to the leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in June, urging them to complete their work on the bill. During IPC’s “IMPACT Washington, D.C.” advocacy event in May, member company executives discussed the issue directly with leaders in Congress and the Administration.

“Having access to trained individuals continues to be a top priority for IPC’s 2,300 U.S. member company sites that employ more than 2 million people throughout the United States,” said John Mitchell. “As a training and certification leader, IPC has made significant investments to address the skills gap for the electronics industry. We commend the U.S. Congress for passing this vital legislation, and the President for signing it into law, to help address these workforce challenges.” 

To address the workforce shortage, IPC is making unprecedented investments in its own education programs, including:

• IPC EDGE Online Platform – IPC is moving toward delivering more of its traditional training and certification programs online and in ways that are more likely to ensure long-term knowledge and skills acquisition.
• Jobs Task Analysis - IPC is undertaking an analysis of the critical job roles in the electronics industry to map the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform job functions. The outcome of this project will re-shape IPC’s future certification and education programs.
• Earn and Learn – IPC is partnering with academic institutions to develop apprenticeship, internship, and related opportunities that offer valuable skills in concert with academic programs.
• STEM Programming – IPC is working with schools and nonprofits on a variety of programs to get kids excited about STEM subjects and to give them a familiarity with the electronics industry.
• Veterans/Transitioning Military: IPC is supporting activities and programs that seek to recruit veterans into the electronics manufacturing industry.

To learn more about IPC’s government relations efforts on education and workforce, contact Ken Schramko, senior director of North American government relations at 202-661-8094 or KenSchramko@ipc.org.