Fewer and fewer people are aspiring to hands-on
trades in the manufacturing industry. Is it approaching a crisis
situation or is it a rationalization that is good for the industry and
will serve to drive up shop rates and individual wages, which in turn
will attract people to the profession?
school. Actually, I did go to college for three weeks thinking I wanted
to be a mechanical engineer. But I learned very quickly that college
wasn’t for me and decided to change course. One of the classes I had
been taking for the three weeks was a basic manufacturing techniques
class that involved machining a few simple parts. Admittedly, I didn’t
know what a machine shop was or what a machinist did prior to taking
the course. I remember thinking to myself, “People actually get paid to
do this?” It sounded like a great career option for me. So, I
un-enrolled in college (sounds much better than “dropped out”) and
drove over to the local trade school and enrolled in the machine shop
certification program.
Prior to graduation, employers were lined up offering jobs to
everyone in the course. I went to work for a die/mold shop serving the
automotive industry and got the most amazing on-the-job education that
combined my love of math, geometry and computers to make tangible
things. For me, it was very rewarding.
It amazes me how few people know anything about manufacturing; even
though our world revolves around it. I want to tell everyone “look
around you, everything you use was manufactured.” Manufacturing is the
largest industry in the world and no other industry exists without the
manufactured products that enable it.
Had it not been for stumbling into that class when I dipped my toe
into the college water, I am sure I would have missed out on a
wonderful career. And there are many young people today that are
missing out on a great career option because either they just don’t
know how unique and rewarding a manufacturing career can be.
All of the kids that are spending their days gaming on Xbox or
PlayStation will probably be great at using a CAM system to produce
complex toolpaths and run CNC machines. It’s kind of like the ultimate
video game—you have to make a cutter run around a piece of 3-D geometry
following all the rules related to part orientation. You must choose
the right cutter, depth-of-cut and avoid the hold down clamps. Then the
final challenge is to cut the part and have it pass the first article
inspection. How can kids not be all over that?
One question lingers and that is salary. The skills needed may not
match up with the pay provided. Being a good machinist involves being
skillful in math, geometry, computers and one must have mechanical
aptitude. With all the skills required, why do auto mechanics, plumbers
and electricians make more money according to employee compensation
surveys?
Perhaps the relatively low pay is the reason for the shortage of
people interested in manufacturing careers. Or is it that people just
aren’t aware of what being a machinist means today? There are two sides
to the argument. Some feel that if more people went into the trade it
would serve to further erode the wages due to increased competition for
the jobs. While others argue that if the pay were better and the people
with the right skills flocked to the trade, productivity and innovation
would skyrocket—allowing companies to generate record profits. I
certainly have heard more questions than answers, but I know for sure
that a solid base of manufacturing is critical for us to maintain our
quality of life and that base can’t sustain itself without talented
people entering the trade.
