Foundation Course 15th - 18th April 2024

Chester University

Emma Hudson

ICT Technical Director

For the 2024 ICT Foundation Course we had the pleasure to welcome 25 students from 13 different companies, all keen to learn more about the PCB manufacturing processes.
The course started at the Merlin Circuit Technology facility in Deeside, who generously welcomed us for another year. The course starts on the Monday morning with two lectures, followed by a lovely lunch, a factory tour, and two further lectures….no breaking them in gently!

Merlin Circuit Technology facility in Deeside

Once the lectures were done, we all moved on to the course hotel, a couple of miles away from Chester University, our venue for the next three days. It’s been a tradition since the first course in 1980 that we all gather together on the first night for a team dinner, allowing everyone to get to know each other a little better in a more relaxed environment. With some old hands in the industry being a part of the dinner, the students got to hear some of the tales from years gone by (don’t worry, we didn’t name any names!). It was just the start of the networking during the course, and it was very positive to see relationships being built which will hopefully last long beyond our time in Chester.

For the next three days of the course, we based ourselves at the hospitable Chester University who not only provided us with a superb lecture theatre but also some wonderful catering, I don’t remember lunches like that when I was at university. It was so good that at the end of the course, the catering team were welcomed into the lecture theatre for a round of applause from all in attendance.

Neil Chamberlain - Polar Instruments

Andre Bodegom - Adeon

All our students were welcomed into the Institute as Associate Members whilst attending the course. Bill Wilkie (Technical Director at the time of the course, now our new Chairman) presented all of our new members with their certificates, although one did manage to dodge the photo but I did get him on the group shot (just hiding behind the Foundation Course banner).

There are so many people involved in making the course the success it is, so our thanks go out to all of our students, their companies who send them, all of our 16 lectures who give their time for free, and Merlin Circuits for hosting day 1 along with all of the staff that were involved in facilitating the factory tour.

2024 Delegates 

There is one special set of thanks this year for Mr William Wilkie, more affectionately known to us as Bill. This was Bill’s last year of organising the Foundation Course, retiring as Technical Director at the completion of it. Bill makes the organisation of the course seem effortless but having been there for the week with Bill, I now appreciate just how much time and effort he takes to ensure that the ICT Foundation Course has been and continues to be a success. I only hope that I can live up to his mantle when it comes to our 2025 Foundation Course.

Emma Hudson, Technical Director

A few comments from the delegates:
Course was better than I thought. Lovely bunch of people on the course too. Would highly recommend the course to my colleagues.
Fantastic run course. Thanks a lot :)
Thanks for the course. As a new in PCBs, I had chance to meet with the people in the PCB business, it contributed a lot to my PCB knowledge.
I had no knowledge prior to the course, now I do….thank you.
Thank you for having me, I have thoroughly enjoyed the course. It has been a wonderful experience! Loved the lectures!
Really good experience.