RALEIGH, N.C. - Guests streaming into the packed trade show took only a few steps before being greeted by eight Central Carolina Community College students decked out in light blue polos. A few were handing out canvas gift bags along one side of the V-shaped table and more were on the opposite side handling questions. Mary Della Slate stood at the apex pulling name tags off a small portable printer.

PCB Carolina 2024 is an enormous event, billed by promoters as "the premier electronics trade show on the mid-Atlantic coast." And, today (Nov. 13), more than two dozen students in CCCC's Laser and Photonics Technology program are essentially serving as ambassadors.

Hundreds of electronics industry professionals are moving around N.C. State University's McKimmon Conference and Training Center, in and out of an exhibition hall with more than 70 companies pitching products and services behind a long maze of tables that snakes through the huge square space. In smaller rooms just outside and across the hall, more guests are attending technical presentations on a wide range of topics focused on how to design and produce printed circuit boards, which is exactly what "PCB" stands for in the conference name.

No matter where guests may go, CCCC students are there handing out bottles of water, managing traffic flow and doing just about anything needed to keep the event running smoothly. And none of that is taken for granted. Randy Faucette, founder and director of engineering at Better Boards, the Cary-based company that organizes PCB Carolina, has been working for years on this project with students from CCCC's Laser and Photonics Technology program.

"They have an enormous impact," he said in a phone conversation two days before the show. "It takes a village to run and execute this event and we don't have enough staff, so volunteers help do it. They are respectful to the professionals, interested in technology and take the job very seriously. We can't do it without the students."

An Educational Experience

While laser and photonics students provide an essential service, the experience also enriches their studies. Gary Beasley, lead instructor for the program, uses PCB Carolina to introduce the business side of the technology he's teaching. That begins with understanding exactly what happens at major trade shows like this one and how to make the most of them. Students also get to refine what some call "soft skills," things like the ability to communicate effectively and operate comfortably in a professional setting.

And then there's learning more about the technology itself. Faucette and Beasley both organize the work so students have time to explore the show for themselves -- talking with company representatives and maybe even dropping into one of those technical sessions. Many students make the most of their opportunity.

Taking some time away from their volunteer assignments, Gabe Plumley and Juan Conde Cardenas are browsing the booths, talking to industry reps and grabbing some of the seemingly endless supply of company swag. There are the common and ever-present ball-point pens and miniature Reese's peanut butter cups, but also a few less-expected items. Foot-long computer cables. Even something called a "3-in-1 Cell Phone Fan."

At the moment, Gabe and Juan are headed to visit RBB, an Ohio-based custom circuit board assembly company where there's a particularly impressive number of circuit boards on display under a large screen playing a video about the company.

It doesn't take long for the two to get deep into discussion with company reps Carrie Guenther and Megan McCrossen. As topics focus on the manufacturing process and how the company handles recycling, more CCCC students walk up and join the discussion. Then, the conversation shifts to jobs.

"We're looking for our next generation of engineers," Guenther says. "We don't have any job listings, but we know that some staff may retire in the next two to five years." Taking the cue, Gabe grabs the staff credential hanging round his neck and flips it over where there's a white disk with nothing but a QR code. "Here's my resume," he says. "I did this on our laser engraver." Guenther steps forward with her phone and gets a scan.

Connection made.

One Full Day

Gabe wasn't the only student making a connection. Mary Della Slate, who was in charge of the name tag printer earlier in the day, heard about a graduate educational program offered by Rohde & Schwarz, an international technology company with 14,400 employees worldwide and its North American operation based not far away in Maryland. So, she stopped by the company's table to get some information and ask a few questions. Now, she's thinking seriously about applying.

But in between serving as ambassadors and making strategic connections, there was plenty of time for fun. One especially popular stop was the Blank Beauty robot that produces custom nail polish shades in three easy steps. At one time, there were at least a half dozen CCCC students waiting for their chance to score a free bottle. It wasn't the Blank Beauty company exhibiting, but APTUS DesignWorks, a Tennessee-based company that took the machine from concept to a fully operational Huey -- yes, that's the punny name of the robot -- in just nine months.

There was food. A lot of food. PCB Carolina is entirely free -- not just for the student volunteers, but for everyone attending -- and that includes breakfast. Then bottled water. And soft drinks. Followed by lunch. Not just a little lunch, but two buffet lines with fried chicken, barbecue brisket, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, salad, bread and banana pudding. Oh, and an espresso bar on the opposite side of the room from Huey the robot. When you throw in all of those miniature candy bars on just about every table in the exhibition room, there was no possible way to go hungry.

And there were plenty of door prizes, too. Scores of names kept popping up on massive screens throughout the McKimmon Center announcing the latest winners. Before lunch, at least two CCCC students had already claimed $25 Amazon gift cards as prizes.

It was that full experience that Beasley wanted for his students. Not only providing some service as volunteers, but getting some unique opportunities to advance their careers and simply have a little fun along the way. "There is a huge industry and a lot of work out there," Beasley said. "This opens their eyes to what it's all about and, whether it's high school, college or even university, they just don't see things like this in the classroom."

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CCCC Students Participating in PCB Carolina 2024: Hunter Buzzard, Avery Chumley, Juan Conde Cardenas, Nathaniel Faucett, Christopher Hampton, Aidyn Hedgecock, Jennifer Hill, Julie Jamison, Luke Johnson, Tyreek Jones, Isabella Konieczny, Juan Martinez, Melissa Maynor, Gustav Nelson, Gabe Plumley, Arnold Rubio Torres, Bryan Segovia, Harvey Schneider, Angel Sirias, Lucas Shay, Mary Della Slate, and Sebastian Valera.

CCCC Faculty Participating in PCB Carolina 2024: Gary Beasley, Laser and Photonics Lead Instructor; Dr. Cristy Holmes, Dean of Arts and STEM; Ich-Kien Lao, Laser and Photonics Advisor; and John LaVere, Electronics Engineering Technology Instructor.