10-week training concludes with all graduates landing job offers
The Microelectronics Boot Camp at Nashua Community College is now in its 10th year, and is still going strong with a hiring rate at about 95 percent for graduates.
“There is no program like the Microelectronics Boot Camp,” said U.S. Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander at the graduation celebration Friday, April 25. “This boot camp is truly a model for the nation. It’s this incredible team that you’ve put together. People show up; alumni, the business community, and people across the board.”
Microelectronics Boot Camp students are supported by a team of instructional assistants, alumni and mentors from industry and community partners.
“This is what we need in our country more than ever before,” said Goodlander. She met the cohort when they first started back in February, and said she tried ribbon bonding herself, and appreciates the skill necessary to do the work well.
Workforce Development Director Jon Mason recalled the program planning began in 2015 with Butch Lock and Kim Cadorette of BAE Systems, Inc., Mason and former NCC President Lucille Jordan, who passed in December. “President Jordan is no longer with us, but without her; this program wouldn’t be what it is today.”
Interim NCC President Alfred Williams recalled how President Jordan spoke of the boot camp, “Working closely with Lucille over the years, she always told me what great workforce programs were available in Nashua – and these are really a model for the entire state.” He said noting the partnerships and collaboration, “it was great to see the students in action during the semester – and one thing I’m concerned about is ‘does everyone have a job’ and the answer is yes, everyone has a job.”
Mason said the boot camp was developed based on the needs of the industry with the guidance and support of founding partner BAE Systems, Inc.
“We’ve on-boarded several hundred of these folks at BAE, and I’m really proud of that,” said Jason Krug, Director Strategic Operations BAE Systems, Inc. Krug described the critical work graduates will be doing with microscopic components, “It’s 20x, 30x, 1000x – really diving into components the size of a salt granule. The world is built with small things. The technology you studied here is shaping everything.”
A crowd of alumni was also present to cheer on the grads. Alumni speaker Devina Duncan graduated in Cohort 24 in June 2022, and she’s been with Analog Devices in Chelmsford since. “Before I took this program, I was a bartender. I made decent money and met great people; but it wasn’t my dream. I was in the service industry 10 years, and I didn’t think I could leave it.”
Duncan said she always worked late, and worked weekends. “At some point, I stopped being content – I didn’t like the schedule and didn’t see much growth.” That year, the Microelectronics Boot Camp made the news, and her parents sent her a link. She then met Jon Mason, and enrolled in the program.
“As of last July, I was given a promotion and am now a technician. I truly like my job, and I see plenty of room for growth. My boss is awesome, I get weekends off, and I get great benefits. I plan on taking advantage of my employer’s tuition reimbursement to come back to school and go after my high school dream of becoming an engineer,” said Duncan.
Allie Joseph, Executive Director of the MY TURN, Inc. program, which helps youth overcome barriers to pursue career and educational pathways.
“You’ve not only completed an intense and challenging program, but you’ve chosen a career path that has a massive impact on our world.”
MY TURN is incredibly proud to be a partner for this program, she said. “Go show the world what you’re made of, we all believe in you and we can’t wait to see what you do next.”
Boot camp instructor Jim Flis reflected on the 36 cohorts, and nearly 400 students who have traveled through the program, “They come here in an effort to better themselves. It’s a 10-week program, 400 hours. There are moments of stress, frustration, and success. These guys have been through it all; they grow to respect each other, the process, and the lab. They formed themselves into a team that anyone would be proud to have.”
Student speaker Spencer Davis, who accepted an offer from BAE, talked about the tone of the class and embrace of his peers. “This cohort taught me a very valuable lesson in self-worth, and I’ll never forget that.”
The second student speaker, Trey Newell, uprooted his life to enroll in the class, “I just moved out from Ohio, I moved away from everything I have ever known, to take a chance on this program. I can confidently say we are all going to be much more successful in our lives after taking this program.”
Cohort 36 graduates: Dean Joseph Adams, Alejandro Borrero, Amy Jane Caissie, Spencer James Davis, Alessandra Nicole Deutschlander, Matthew Gregory Dobens, Harrison Ryan Dugas, Gabrielle Maria Gagne, Janessa Anne Jette, Trey Edward Newell, Dominic George Notini and Ryley Robert Rankins
About the Microelectronics Boot Camp
Microelectronics Boot Camps enroll throughout the year. Sessions are 10 weeks at 40 hours per week, and the next Microelectronics Boot Camp begins Monday, May 12. Graduates are guaranteed an interview with founding partner BAE Systems, Inc. and other industry partners. With 36 classes over the past 10 years, the hiring rate for graduates is over 95 percent. To learn more or enroll, contact Jon Mason at jmason@ccsnh.edu, or 603.578.8900 x1763.
