Courtesy photo Microelectronics Boot Camp student Ashley Collins receives her graduation certificate, Friday at Nashua Community College.

NASHUA – Nashua Community College officials on Friday conducted their Microelectronics Boot Camp graduation, with most of the 16 graduates already having received job offers.

“The program has been phenomenal; it’s changed a lot of lives,” Jon Mason; corporate, community, and continuing education outreach coordinator at Nashua Community College, said.

Mason oversees the camp, which is supported by lab instructors Jim Flis, Phuong Dang, and Lean Manufacturing trainer Woody Thornton.

Graduates come from diverse backgrounds. Some are from MY TURN Inc., an organization that helps youth connect with educational and career opportunities.

“All the work you put in over the past 10 weeks will change your lives,” Allison Joseph, executive director of MY TURN, said during the graduation ceremony.

Joseph lauded the graduates’ camaraderie, as well as the time and attention local industry partners have spent on the program, “Especially impressive is the way community organization, higher education, and business organizations came together.”

Joseph described MY TURN as a means to help youth find their way to financial stability.

“The Microelectronics Boot Camp is the shortest path to financial stability I’ve come across,” she added.

Lab instructor Jim Flis emphasized the strength of the community, which is built by the students, lab assistants, and staff, and said the group now feels like a family.

“You invested in yourselves; not just in money, but with your time and patience. It has paid off and I am so very proud of you all,” Flis said.

Student speaker Nathan Yuhas turned the attention toward the audience, and thanked all the family, business leaders, and staff who supported students in the boot camp. “This class has been a fantastic growth opportunity for each and every one of us. We’re all ready to jump out of the nest and into the field,” he said.

The camp is an accelerated 10-week noncredit career training program for wire/ribbon bonding and die attach for microelectronic components in manufacturing. A high-demand area, the program was developed in partnership with BAE Systems in 2016 to fill the gap in the labor market. The college now partners with many local businesses, such as Mercury Systems, API Technology, MACOM, MIT Lincoln Labs, Lockheed Martin, Monzite, and more. As a founding partner, all program graduates are guaranteed an interview with BAE Systems.

After two years and 10 graduations, the program has a 95 percent job placement rate. Graduates have ranged in age from 18 to 63, and hail from diverse industries such as food service, veterinary tech, sales, and communication, as well as assistance programs like WOIA, and MY TURN INC. Graduates have gone on to continue their education with the support of their employer, with alumni returning to NCC to pursue degrees in programs such as electronic engineering technology. Alumni also support each new generation of students as lab assistants on campus, and as workplace mentors.

The 11th class included: Gregory Andreoli, Julio Balcacer, Thomas Brown, Ashley Collins, Robert Delgado, Christopher Gotshall, Scott Jowders, Luke McGuire, Emma Nigg, Elina Nykanen, Mineyshalee Paneto, Angela Pavelka, Christina So, Tiffany Terrio, Joshua Torres and Nathan Yuhas.

A new camp begins April 1. Each session includes about 16 students and lasts for 10 weeks at 40 hours per week. The program cost is $5,500. Learn more at www.nashuacc.edu/academics/microelectronics-boot-camp.