Courtesy photo

NASHUA – As local demand for employees skilled in soldering continues to grow, Nashua Community College has responded with a new short-term training course meant to prepare students for immediate work in the industry.

“This skill is a good onramp into the electronics industry,” said Jon Mason, corporate, community, and continuing education coordinator at NCC. Mason worked with BAE Systems to launch the college’s 10-week Microelectronics Boot Camp in 2016, which has since prepared hundreds of graduates for advanced manufacturing careers with BAE and other employers in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

In working with industry partners, Mason said they repeatedly fielded requests for soldering training.

“The deeper we dove into Microelectronics, the more we saw the need for people with soldering knowledge in New Hampshire,” he said. Many of the same employers have joined the soldering advisory board to guide curriculum development; with Cirtronics Corporation, BAE Systems, AIRMAR, Monzite Corporation, Mercury Systems, and Microsembly on the advisory team.

The employers have also volunteered members of their staff to take the pilot class. “Eventually, the soldering training will be open to folks without a background in the industry, but for the pilot program; our advisory board companies sent in candidates from their current workforce,” said Mason. “That way, we can get informed feedback on the curriculum and tweak it for the next round of students.”

The soldering training program is part time, and runs for 5 weeks, Tuesday and Thursdays 5-8 PM, and Saturdays 8 AM – 12 PM on the NCC campus for a total of 50 hours.

The pilot class runs through Nov. 5. While Mason anticipates adjustments to the curriculum, he said they ultimately plan to facilitate interviews with industry partners, and have employers come in and talk to the class as throughout the program.

“By the end of the training, the successful student will have a functioning knowledge of soldering.”

About Nashua Community College

Since 1970, Nashua Community College has been successfully meeting the educational needs of Greater Nashua by delivering a high quality two-year, post-secondary education. The college partners closely with area industries that provide students with a unique perspective in their fields of study, allowing for a real-world experience to further their academic journey. Students can choose from a variety of associate degree, certificate, and career training programs. Nashua Community College is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire. The seven community colleges in the system are committed to working with businesses throughout the state to train and retain employees to develop a robust workforce across all sectors and embraces the “65 by 25 Initiative,” which calls for 65 percent of New Hampshire citizens to have some form of postsecondary education by 2025 to meet future workforce demands. Learn more at nashuacc.edu.