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NCC Program to Train Students on the Detailed Work of Microelectronics is a “Critical” Feeder to Employment at BAE Systems
This article was originally published by NH Business Review.
A Nashua Community College (NCC) program to train students on the detailed work of microelectronics is a “critical” feeder to employment at BAE Systems as it ramps up contract work for the U.S. military, particularly the F-35 fighter jet. The work is exact, “like making a stitch with a sewing machine,” only it’s done through a microscope, said Jonathan Mason, workforce development director at NCC.
This so-called wire and bonding technique involves attaching gold strands that are one-fifth the width of a human hair, part of a component system that is about the size of a cellphone, according to Butch Locke, strategic operations director at BAE.
The NCC program — which BAE fostered and which Locke described as “critical” to the company’s workforce needs as it anticipates a ramping up of work — is a Microelectronics Boot Camp, starting on Feb. 18.
“Because of the type of work that we do, we need a lot of different skills, mostly in engineering and advanced manufacturing. But a lot of those skills weren’t available in the community, so we had to get creative and the boot camp was the result,” said Locke.
“We are now at the point where BAE’s relationship with the NH Community Colleges and specifically NCC’s Microelectronic Bootcamp is critical for the company to achieve its long-term staffing projections.” Locke added.
Those who successfully complete the program are guaranteed an interview with BAE. BAE partners with community colleges in New Hampshire to create a variety of career channels toward employment at the company. In addition to the microelectronics boot camp, other boot camps at NCC teach soldering, precision manufacturing/machinist, quality inspection and test technician. BAE also has a relationship with Manchester Community College with its backing of a Information Technology and Cyber Security Program.
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