Building More Than
Circuit Boards at Arc-Tronics
November 2026 
What positions do you hire apprentices for?
Our apprentices are current employees, including electronics assemblers, machine operators, quality control staff and engineers. They build skills beyond their daily roles, such as programming automated machinery and creating production instructions.
How do people apply to be an apprentice?
We have an open enrollment internally for our current employees that are interested, from entry-level assembly operators to members of the engineering team. For our first group, our management team identified and invited employees who could benefit, and 14 joined the program.
Walk us through the apprenticeship program at Arc-Tronics.
Our Electronics Assembler apprenticeship is a U.S. Department of Labor-approved Registered Apprenticeship Program. It was developed by the Global Electronics Association (formerly IPC), our industry’s governing body, which approached us shortly after launching the program in late 2023. Our first group began in January 2024.
Adding to the training our employees already complete, apprentices learn skills and earn certifications such as:
- Circuit board assembly
- Machine operation and programming
- Quality control
- IPC J-STD 001 Certification (CIS)
- IPC A 610 Certification (CIS)
Why do you think apprenticeship programs are important?
Apprenticeships give employees structured, industry-specific training recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor, helping them learn best practices faster than traditional on-the-job training. They also learn how other departments provide the tools and support behind their daily work, building skills and a stronger team.
Why has the program been successful?
Over the past three years, we have enrolled employees in apprenticeship programs through the Global Electronics Association and Harper College. These programs provide employees with formal, structured training that, when combined with hands-on, on-the-job experience, accelerates the development of real-world knowledge and technical skills.
We view this as a win-win investment for both our employees and our organization. Employees benefit from clear development roadmaps that help them build skills and advance their careers, while we benefit from a highly skilled and efficient workforce. This commitment to workforce development enables us to consistently produce the high-quality products our customers expect and deserve.
