The CADD department at one of our local community colleges offers a certificate program for PCB design. I am participating in an Advisory Board that is reviewing the program curriculum. A recent study shows a steady decline over the past several years in the first time employment rate for graduates of the program. The advisory board is trying to determine if and how the program can be salvaged, and if so, changes to the curriculum. To this end, we are investigating the criteria most commonly used when hiring new entry level designers, and in fact we are trying to determine if a substantial number of entry level jobs exist. I am interested in your responses to any or all of the following questions. Additional comments are also welcome: 1. Do you interview, recommend, or make final hiring decisions for PCB design? 2. Does our would your company hire entry level PCB designers (PCB design educated but no previous on the job experience)? 3. What are your company's hiring qualifications for your lowest level PCB designer? 4. Would your company hire a knowledgeable PCB designer if he/she required training on your EDA system? 5. Would your company hire a PCB designer that was knowledgeable of your EDA system but required training in PCB design theory? 6. Would your company participate if a local community college offered a "PCB design Internship program" or a "work experience program"? 7. Would your company hire an entry level designer if their course of study met your requirements? You may respond directly to my email address if you prefer to keep your responses private. Mark Koitmaa TechServ Printed Circuit Design [log in to unmask]