IPC APEX Expo Professional Development Courses Connect With Industry Needs

A carefully selected slate of half-day courses has received a surge of registrations for IPC APEX Expo 2010, taking place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, USA on April 8–9. Expert presenters will lead more than 30 courses covering SMT process fundamentals for tin lead and lead free; cleaning/coating/contamination; printed board design; emerging technologies; environmental issues and compliance; PCB fabrication and materials; quality, reliability and test; and supply chain/business issues.

"Our registration numbers are up two to three times our course averages from this point before the 2008 and 2009 shows,” says Susan Filz, IPC Director of Industry Programs. "Understanding that companies are requiring demonstrable return on investment for training, we were especially selective this year with our offerings. We have also identified courses as basic, intermediate or advanced to help guide registrants in course selection.”

Filz notes that, as the economy improves, companies are making employee training a new priority. "With all the cuts in the last 18 months, it was very hard for employees to improve their skills. IPC APEX Expo is offering a tremendous opportunity to take advantage of education, plus to see what suppliers and exhibitors are offering.” Citing the National Academy of Engineering’s reference that the "half-life" of engineering knowledge—the time in which half of what an engineer knows becomes obsolete—is in the range of two to eight years, she adds, "With so many companies running lean, employees need to wear a lot of hats, and the best way to be prepared is through education and training.”

Industry experts such as Jim Hall, Phil Zarrow, Bob Willis, Ray Prasad, Lee Ritchey, Richard Hartley, Vern Solberg, Dr. Ron Lasky, Dr. Ning-Cheng Lee, Gary Ferrari and Michael Carano will offer one or more courses.

www.ipcapexexpo.org/courses