We are starting with introductory electronics training, delivered under Clark and built around the IPC standards the industry already works to. Small at first, on purpose: a few well-chosen courses done properly, wrapped in the education that usually gets left out.
Planning stage. No dates, venue or prices are published yet. When there is a room and a certified trainer, they will appear here.
IPC standards are the common language of electronics manufacturing: they say what an acceptable solder joint, a soldered assembly or a wire harness looks like, so a buyer, a builder and an inspector can agree without arguing. The association behind them was founded in 1957 and, since 2025, is called the Global Electronics Association. It keeps the IPC name for its standards and certifications, so the credentials you hear about are still IPC ones.
EPTAC, a long-established North American provider, certifies to the IPC standards, and its Canadian range follows the same pattern we describe below: a set of standards, each with entry, trainer and expert levels. We use it as our reference. For the details of any course — content, length, schedule, fees — go to EPTAC's course pages or its 2026 Canadian schedule; we would rather point you to the source than restate it and get it wrong.
Introductory means the entry level of IPC's program, the Certified IPC Specialist. We plan to begin with one to three of these standards:
| Standard | What it covers | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| IPC-A-610 | Accept and reject criteria for electronic assemblies, shown as visual examples across the three product classes. | Inspectors, quality staff, buyers, managers. |
| J-STD-001 | Materials, methods and acceptable conditions for soldered electrical and electronic assemblies, with hands-on practice. | Operators and technicians who solder. |
| IPC/WHMA-A-620 | Requirements and acceptance for cable and wire harness assemblies. | Harness builders and their inspectors. |
Descriptions follow EPTAC's course list. Which of the three we open with depends on what people here ask for.
Certification is program-specific and has levels. Per IPC:
| Level | What it means |
|---|---|
| CIS Certified IPC Specialist |
The entry level, for operators, engineers and quality personnel who apply a standard. This is where we start. |
| CIT Certified IPC Trainer |
Authorized to deliver CIS training and administer the exams. |
| MIT Master IPC Trainer |
An optional designation for trainers working with an IPC Licensed Training Center. |
| CSE Certified Standards Expert |
An advanced role: interpreting the standard, settling disputes and working with the standards committees. |
The point that matters for us: only a certified trainer can grant an IPC certificate. Where a class is an IPC course, it is taught by someone IPC recognises, and the credential is IPC's. Where it is ours, it says so.
Two things are true at once. The certification track is the certification track; we do not water it down. Around it, we can offer more or less.
Passing an inspection standard tells you what good looks like on a bench. It does not tell you why the industry is shaped the way it is. The Clark layer is meant to. Topics we intend to build out:
We are building this through relationships and partnerships rather than alone: certified trainers, established providers, regional manufacturers, colleges and the makers who will use it. We will name partners here once they have agreed to be named, and not before.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1957 | Founded as the Institute of Printed Circuits by six printed circuit board manufacturers. |
| 1960s | IPC-A-600 sets acceptability criteria for printed boards. |
| 1977 | Renamed the Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits. |
| 1980s | IPC-A-610 defines acceptability for assembled boards, and the first worker certification program follows. |
| 1999 | Adopts the name IPC. |
| 2017 | Establishes the IPC Education Foundation. |
| 2025 | Becomes the Global Electronics Association, keeping the IPC name for standards and certification. |
Source: Global Electronics Association.
Interested in taking a course, hosting one, or teaching? Put your name on the list, register as an expert, or write to office@niagaraassembly.com.
Niagara Assembly is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, EPTAC, IPC or the Global Electronics Association. Their names are used here to describe the standards and the certification program.