Qualifications: Junior High Schools: Learning - ERIC · Some photographs may not be free of every possible safety or health hazard. Government Sources. ilvieral. Armed Forces Radiobiology

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INSTITUTIONREPORT NOPUB DATENOTE

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CE 028 018

Exploring Careers. Industrial ProductionOccupations.Bureau of Labor Statistics (DOL) , Washington, D.C.BLS-Bull-2001-27955p.: Photographs will not reproduce well. Forrelated documents see CE 028 017-031.Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government PrintingOffice, Washington, DC 20402.

MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.*Assembly (Manufacturing): Career Awareness: CareerChoice: *Career Exploration: Educational Needs:Education Work Relationship: EmploymentQualifications: Junior High Schools: LearningActivities: *Machinists: *Manufacturing Industry:Metal Working: *Occupational Information:Occupations: Resource Materials: Self Evaluation(Individuals) : Work AttitudesFoundry Occupations: Industrial ProductionOccupations: Printing and Publishing Occupations

"Exploring Careers" is a career education resourceprogram, presented in fifteen separate booklets, for junior highschool-age students. It provides information a'Iout the world of workand offers its readers a way of learning about themselves andrelating that information to career choices. The publications aim tobuild career awareness by means of occupational narratives,evaluative questions, activities, and career games presented infourteen occupational clusters. This second of the fifteen booklets,"Industrial Production Occupations," presents an overview ofoccupations which involve factory production. Narrative accountsfocus on a bench assembler, a machinist, and a photocomposit or,explaining their training needs and what they do on the job. Anexploring section relates the skills needed for these occupations tostudents' personal characteristics, and suggests activities such asfactory trips and reports. A Job Facts section explains nature andplaces of work, training and qualifications, and other informationfor thirty-three industrial and production occupations, grouped inoccupational clusters of foundry, machining, printing, and otherindustrial production and related occupations. ("Exploring Careers"is also available as a single volume of fifteen chapters.) (KC)

***********************************************************************Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made

from the original document.41***********************************************4**********************

Exploring Industrial ProductionCareers OccupationsU.S. Department of LaborRay Marshall, Secretary

Bureau of Labor StatisticsJanet L. Norwood, Commissioner1979

Bulletin 2001-2

U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.EDUCATION &WELFARENATIONAL INSTITUTE OF

EDUCATION

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO-DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROMTHE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN-ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONSSTATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE-SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OFEDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing OfficeWashington. D.C. 20402

Exploring Careers is available either as a single volumeof 15 chapters or as separate chapters, as follows:

The World of Work and YouIndustrial Production OccupationsOffice OccupationsService OccupationsEducation OccupationsSales OccupationsConstruction OccupationsTransportation OccupationsScientific and Technical OccupationsMechanics and RepairersHealth OccupationsSocial ScientistsSocial Service OccupationsPerforming Arts, Design, and Communications OccupationsAgriculture, Forestry, and Fishery Occupations

Photograph Credits

Photography for Exploring Careers was directed by MaxL. Carey of the Bureau of Labor Statistks, Division ofOccupational Outlook. Members of the Division's staffwho assisted with obtaining and editing photographswere Anne Kahl, Kathy Wilson, Chester Curtis Levine,and Gloria D. Blue. Contributing photographers wereAl Whitley of Whitley Associates, and Harrison E. Allen,Robert Donaldson, and Fleming P. Rose of the U.S.Department of Labor, Division of Graphic Services. TheBureau gratefully acknowledges the cooperation of themany government and private sources that either con-tributed photographs or made their facilities available tophotographers. Depiction of company or trade names inno way constitutes endorsement by the Department ofLabor. Some photographs may not be free of everypossible safety or health hazard.

Government Sources

ilvieral. Armed Forces Radiobiology Institute; Board ofThvernors of the Federal Reserve System; Bureau ofPrisons; Department of Agriculture; Department ofHealth, Education, and Welfare; Department of the In-terior; Federal Aviation Administration; GovernmentPrinting Office; National Aeronautics and Space Admin-istration; National Institute of Mental Health; NationalPark Service; Smithsonian Institution; Tennessee ValleyAuthority; and U.S. Postal Service.

State and local. City of San Antonio; City of San Diego;District of ColumbiaDepartment of Human Re-sources, Police Department; Fairfax County (Va.)Pub-lic Schools, Public Libraries; Maryland National CapitalPark and Planning Commission; Montgomery CountyPublic Schools (Md.); University of Texas Health Sci-ence Center at San Antonio; and Washingtcn Metropol-itan Area Transit Authority.

Private Sources

Individuals. Robert Devlin; Robert Miller; The Honora-ble Eligio de la Garza; The Honorable Henry B. Gon-

11

zalez; The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye; and DavidWeitzer.

Membership groups. Air Transportation Association ofA ..nerica; American Iron and Steel Institute; AmericanPetroleum Institute; Associated General Contractors ofAmerica; Association of American Railroads; Chamberof Commerce of the U.S.A.; International Association ofMachinists and Aerospace Workers; Motor VehicleManufacturers Association of the U.S., Inc.; NationalEducation Association; and United Brotherhood of Car-penters and Joiners of America.

Industry and business. Allen-Mitchell and Co.; AmericanTelephone and Telegraph Co.; Arlington Hobby Craf-ters; Babcock and Wilcox Co.; Badger America Inc.; TheBig Cheese; Blake Constru tion Co.; Bob Peck Chevro-let; Carl T. Jones Associa its; Chase Manhattan Bank;Chessie System; Cycles Del Mercado Shell ServiceCenter; Everhart Jewelers; General Truck Sales; TheHecht Co.; Hyatt Regency of Washington; HeritageExxon Servicenter; International Business MachinesCorp.; Mayflower Hotel; Merrill Lynch Pierce Fennerand Smith, Inc.; Navy Marshall and Gordon; Nike ofGeorgetown; Riggs National Bank; Southeast Auto Sup-ply; State Farm Insurance Companies; Texaco Inc.;WGMS Broadcasting Co.; Westinghouse Electric Corp.;and Westvaco Corp.

Publications. Arlington News; Co-ed Magazine; Law En-forcement Communications; The New Prince George'sPost, and The Washington Post.

Other. Alexandria Archaeology Research Center (Va.);American National Red Cross; Catholic Charities of theArchdiocese of Washington; Folger Shakespeare Li-brary; Forsyth County Heart Association (N.C.); GeorgeWashington University Hospital; Model Cities SeniorCenter (D.C.); St. Columba's Episcopal Church (D.C.);St. Thomas Apostle Catholic Church (D.C.); UnitedWay of America; Visiting Nurse Association of Wash-ington, D.C.; and Washington Hospital Center (D.C.).

Preface...{

Exploring Careers is a career education resource for youngsters of junior highschool age. It provides the kind of information about the world of work that youngpeople need to prepare for a well-informed career choice. At the same time, it offersreaders a way of learning more about themselves. The publication aims to buildcareer awareness by means of occupational narratives, evaluative questions, activities,and career games presented in 14 occupational clusters. Exploring Careers emphasizeswhat people do on the job and how they feel about it and stresses the importance of"knowing yourself" when considering a career. It is designed for use in middleschool/junior high classrooms, career resource centers, and youth programs run bycommunity, religious, and business organizations.

This is 1 of 15 chapters. A list of all the chapter titles appears inside the frontcover.

Exploring Careers was prepared in the Bureau's Division of Occupational Outlookunder the supervision of Russell B. Flanders and Neal H. Rosenthal. Max L. Careyprovided general direction. Anne Kahl supervised the planning and preparation ofthe publication. Members of the Division's staff who contributed sect guns were LisaS. Dillich, David B. Herst, H. Philip Howard, Chester Curtis Levine ThomasNardone, Debra E. Rothstein, and Kathy Wilson. Gloria D. Blue, Brenc.12, :Marshall,and Beverly A. Williams assisted.

The Bureau gratefully acknowledges the cooperation of all the workers who agreedto be interviewed and photographed, the teachers and students who field tested asample chapter, and all who shared their ideas with BLS. Many people in thecounseling community offered encouragement and support. Special thanks for hergenerous assistance go to Cathy Cockrill, Career Education Curriculum Specialist,Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, Virginia.

Although they are based on interviews with actual workers, the occupationalnarratives are largely fictitious.

Material in this publication other than photographs is in the public domain andmay be reproduced without the permission of the Federal Government. Please creditthe Bureau of Labor Statistics and cite Exploring Careers, Bulletin 2001.

iii

Contents

Page

Industrial production occupations 1

Bench assembler 13

Machinist 18

Photocompositor 24Job facts 31

ExploringCareers

Industrial ProductionOccupations

1

!X'

Industrial production workers deal with things more than they do with people orideas.

7 1

Exploring Careers

Annie Bergdahl walked down the corridor, wide-eyed.From the moment she first walked through the massivebrass doors of the main entrance, the Museum of Scienceand Industry held her in a spell. The old airplaneshanging from the ceiling, the mummies, the space cap-suleseveryWhere she turned, Annie found wonderfulthings to explore. She wanted to see it all, read everyword, push every button. %it the museum was so big!

Most of the other youngsters on the field trip alsowanted to run off and spend 'Fiore time at some exhibitthey had spotted. But Mr. Borden, their teacher at Mid-dlesex Junior High, kept them together in a group. Therewere certain exhibits he wanted them to see, exhibits thatshould liven up the unit they were doing right now in hissocial studies class.

The unit on industry had begun last week, and Mr.Borden was teaching the class how factories producegoads. Some of the students were obviously bored. Butnot all of them ... and certainly not Annie Annie had

enjoyed the film about an automobile assembly line. Itfascinated her to watch the metal frames grow, almostmagically, into complete cars as they moved along. Andshe couldn't believe how many workersassemblers, Mr.Borden had called themit took to build a car. Eachassembler performed a single task over and over whilethe seemingly endless parade of unfinished automobilesmarched on. As the engines glided down from above,two or three workers would bolt each one to a frame.Others attached the seats; still others added doors or sidepanels or wheels or a hood, over and over. Mr. Bordenhad said that not all assemblers work on an assemblyline. Many work at benches or on shop floors and settheir own pace. Nevertheless, Annie had decided thatassembly work wasn't her cup of tea.

Now, at the museum, she walked with the grouptoward a tall archway crowned with a large sign in shinybrass letters: HALL OF INDUSTRY. Mr. Borden ledthe students through the archway into a large room. All

4

, :?&

.07

It takes many assemblers, each performing a different task, to produce an automobile.

Industrial Production Occupations

America's industrial plants produce everything frompaper clips to rocket ships.

around them they saw exhibits and more doorways.Ushering the group to one side of the room, Mr. Bordensat them on the carpet and introduced them to a casuallydressed young man who awaited them there.

"This is Mr. Novacello, class. He works here at themuseum, and he's going to tell us about the exhibits inthis hall. Now, what are we studying in class thesedays?"

"Industrial production!" shouted half the group inunison.

"Right!" said Mr. Borden. "And who can tell me whatthat means?" A sudden attack of shyness paralyzed thegroup. There was silence until Annie raised her hand.

"Production means making things. Industrial produc-tion means making things in factories and plants."

"Very good, Annie," said Mr. Borden, smiling. "Now,let's let Mr. Novacello tell us more about it and demon-strate how some things are made."

Mr. Novacello flashed a smile and greeted the group.After telling them a bit about the museum and himself,he returned to the subject at hand. "Who can tell mewhy it's important to learn about industrial produc-tion?" he asked.

Silence."Well, then, who can name some industrial prod-

ucts?"

This inspector looks carefully at every television set.

One by one, the children began to name things madein factories: Cars and trucks, trains and airplanes, booksand newspapers, pencils and pens, refrigerators and ra-dios, television sets and telephones, window glass andwallpaper, lampshades and lightbulbs, canned soups andcandybars.

"The list is quite long, as you can see," said Mr.Novacello. "Industrial plants produce everything frompaper clips to rocket ships. And they produce thesethings much more quickly, efficiently, and cheaply thanwas possible years ago. Today, almost every Americanfamily has a TV or an automobile or a refrigerator.Without modern industrial production, all these thingswould have to be built by hand, and most of us couldnever afford them. Modern industry makes our lifestylepossible, and so we should know something about it.

"There's another reason, too. All those products didn'tappear by magic. They were made by millions of workersin a great variety of jobs. When you start thinking aboutthe kind of job you might like when you grow up, it'llhelp to know about these.

"We have exhibits here that illustrate a dozen differentkinds of industrial processes. I want to show you four orfive that I think will interest you, and tell you a littleabout the work and the workers in each. Come with meto the first exhibit and we'll have a look."

Exploring Careers

Foundry Occupations

The youngsters followed Mr. Novacello over to the farwall and gathered around him before a large darkenedwindow. Curious to know what was about to happen,they listened to him closely.

"This exhibit shows an industrial plant called afoundry. The workers there make metal parts for manydifferent things." As he spoke, Mr. Novacello pushed abutton on the wall near the glass panel. Spotlights sud-denly illuminated the scene behind the glass, in which adozen mechanical people came to life. All dressed inoveralls and hard shoes, they acted out the differentkinds of foundry work. At the same time, a clear, deepvoice spoke from a wall speaker.

"The process used to make metal parts in a foundry iscalled casting," began the voice, "and it resembles theway you would mold a ring or some other shape out ofgelatin in your kitchen. Workers heat the metal until itliquifies, then pour it into a mold. When it has cooledand hardened; the metal has the desired shape and istaken from the mold.

"Casting is used to make metal objects that must bevery strong, such as engine blocks and axles for cars. Inorder to cast the desired shape, foundry workers createthe molds themselves. First, the patternmaker creates an

4

Steel workers may have to wear special clothing forprotection.

4

exact model, or pattern, of the part out of metal, wood,or perhaps plaster. Patternmakers are highly skilledworkers. They make a model from a set of drawingscalled blueprints that give the exact measurements of thepart. And since the quality of the product depends uponthe quality of the pattern, patternmakers work verycarefully and deliberately.

"When the pattern is finished, the molder uses it tomake a mold. Molders pack special sand around thepattern in a box called a flask. After pressing the sandvery tightly with mallets or powered rammers, theycarefully remove the pattern, leaving a space in the sandexactly the shape of the final piece. This is the mold

"Some castings have hollow sections," continued thevoice. "They axe forme -.1 when the liquid metal flowsaround a "core that the coremaker creates. Coremakersstart with a wood or metal block with a space hollowedout in the proper shape. After packing sand into thehollow, they bake it or dry it by some other method.Once dry, the sand core is hard enough to remove anduse in casting."

Fascinated by the mechanical figures, the childrenstared for another minute or so while the voice describedother aspects of a foundry. Then the display went darkand the speaker silent. Mr. Novacello's voice broke thetrance.

Foundry workers make metal objects that must bevery strong. Here the worker is pouring liquifiedmetal into a mold.


"If you'll follow me over to the next display, we'll seesome other kinds of workers who make things out ofmetal."

Other Metalworking Occupations

Leading the children to a large floor-to-ceiling displaycase, he pointed to the first of several life-sized figuresposing behind the glass. "Now," he began, "who can tellme the occupation of this man standing at the anvil witha big hammer in his hand?"

"Blacksmith!" answered the class in unison."Right!" said Mr. Novacello. "And what do black-

smiths do?""They put shoes on horses," answered a few voices.The guide smiled. "That's partly correct. Many black-

smiths specialize in shoeing horses and are called farriers.But blacksmiths also make or mend metal objects formany other purposes. The process they use is calledforging. First, they soften a piece of metal, usually iron,by heating it in a fireplace called a forge. Next, holdingit on the anvil with a pair of tongs, they strengthen andshape the metal by hammering and chiseling it. Thenthey cool it in water.

"This blacksmith is forging metal in essentially thesame way that his predecessor did a hundred years ago.Even his tools are similar. In a modern forge shop, youwould find workers who look like these next figures inthe case. They heat the metal in a furnace and use largepower hammers and presses to pound and squeeze it intothe desired shape. With their equipment they can pro-duce objects such as keys, wrenches, drill bits, or hugeparts for heavy machinery. And they can do it muchfaster than a blacksmith.

"Now this occupation," continued Mr. Novacello, in-dicating the next figure, "may be harder to figure out.As you can see, this woman is placing a metal object ina vat of liquid. An electrical wire is connected to theobject, and another runs into the liquid. Can anyone tellme what she's doing?"

Mr. Novacello looked out across a sea of blank faces."Do you all give up? This woman is an electroplater. Sheputs a metal layer, or plating, on an object. She does thisby passing an electric current between the plating mate-rial, which can be silver, chromium, or some other metal,and the object. She covers those parts of the object thataren't to be plated, and she carefully controls the strengthand duration of the current. Then she checks the platingto make sure it was applied evenly and in the rightthickness. In this display she is putting chrome platingon an automobile bumper, but she could be pla:ing anyof the shiny, silvery parts of a car.

"The next occupation might be a bit easier. Twopeople wearing face masks are standing over a metalobject, while one holds a torch to it. What do you thinkthey're doing?"

Silence."I thought you'd guess this one," said the guide.

are welders. They use heat from gas or eiectric

This welder Is using heat from an acetylene torch tojoin pieces of metal.

.7;

An artificial limb doesn't prevent this worker frompursuing his trade as a welder.

ti

Exploring Careers

torches to join pieces of metal together. These two workin a plant where bulldozers are made. They're joiningtwo pieces of the bulldozer frame together. Welders alsowork in factories that make trucks, boilers, and all kindsof heavy machinery. But you see welders at work justabout everywhere, not just in factories. They work onbridges, roads, pipelines, and construction sites, joiningthe metal beams and steel reinforcing rods that makethose structures so strong. And they work on ships. Shipwelders have to be highly skilled and they have to dotheir jobs very carefully indeed, to be sure that the shipdoesn't break apart in rough seas. But that's enough fortoday about welders!

"Now let's look at these last workers in the display.They are demonstrating three different steps in boiler-making. The fast worker measures and cuts all the piecesfrom metal, according to the blueprints. These measure-ments must be precise, because it may be impossible tocorrect a bad cut. The next worker joins the piecestogether temporarily to see if they fit properly. It may benecessary to grind or cut in places to make a good fit.

I

Boilermakers need mechanical aptitude and manualdexterity.

6

Then the last worker assembles the boiler by welding orriveting the pieces together. Small boilers, like the oneshown here, may be assembled in the shop, but largeones, such as those that supply steam to drive turbines inelectric power plants and in ships, must be put togetherin place. Any questions?"

Several in the group raised questions, which Mr. No-vacello answered as best he could. Then he led them toanother corner of the hall.

"So far we've seen occupations related to metal prod-ucts. Now let's look at workers who make somethingentirely different, something you all use every day inschoolbooks."

Printing Occupations

"Most people in this country toda" read and ownbooks," continued Mr. Novacello. at hundreds ofyears ago books were handwritten, and only the veryrich could afford them. And of course in those days,ordinary people didn't know how to read. With theinvention of the printing press and movable type, booksbecame much easier and cheaper to print. More peoplebought them and learned to read them. So those of youwho love reading can be grateful to the people whoinvented the processes we're about to see!"

Following their guide through a wide doorway, thechildren found themselves on a long balcony overlookinga huge factory in miniature. When they had spreadthemselves out along the railing to get a better view, Mr.Novacello continued his talk.

"If you could remove the roof of a printing plant andlook inside, this is what you might see. The printingprocess begins in that far room, called the composingroom. There, the compositors set a written text, or man-uscript, in type.

"In the old days, they had to choose type by handfrom a large case, one letter at a time. And since all theletters were backwards, it vas easy to make mistakesespecially with letters that took alike. Compositors hadto take a good look at each letter to be sure they had theright one. That's where the saying "Mind your p's andq's" comes from. Today setting type by hand in thistraditional way is done only for very special printingjobs.

"These days, compositors use machines with key-boards on which they type the text. These machines settype much faster than is possible by hand. Until fairlyrecently, the most common typesetting machines werethe Monotype and Linotype machinesboth of whichforce hot molten metal into rows of type. "Hot metal"typesetting is on the way out, however, and is being


replaced by machines that use paper and chemicals toset the. type.

"After all the type is set, the columns of text must bearranged into pages. Usually the compositors print thetext on paper which is then cut up and pasted ontomounting boards. The completed boards, looking justlike the pages of the finished book, then go trough aprinting process. There are many different ways of print-ing, including such old standbys as linoleum and wood-block printing. For commercial purposes, however, aprocess called lithography is very important."

Mr. Novacello pointed to another room in the model."You can see the lithographic process over here. Lithog-raphers photograph the boards with large cameras andmake negatives. They lay the negatives over metal platesthat have been treated with a special light-sensitivechemical. When a plate is exposed to light, the chemic21eats into the metal only in the places where the negativelets the light through, until ... Presto! The plate has theimage from the negative etched into it. And so a printingplate is created. Have I confused you all yet?"

Annie raised her hand. "How do the compositorsmake type for the pictures in a book?" she asked.

"Good question!" answered Mr. Novacello, smiling."The answer is that they don't. When they paste up a

board, they leave blank spaces where the pictures willappear. Meanwhile, other workers enlarge or reduceeach picture to the desired size and insert it in its intendedspace. Then the lithographer makes a plate of the entirepage, pictures as well as words.

"The next step is the actual printing. But first, let megive you a little math problem. If it takes 4 days to printa book using one printing press, and you want to printit in only 2 days, how would you do it?"

"Use two presses!" shouted several of the children."Excellent!" replied Mr. Novacello. "Now, here's the

hard part. If each press requires its own set of printingplates, but all of your typesetting and lithography hasproduced only one set, what do you do?"

"Make another set!" shouted the same voices."You're all too smart!" said the guide. "And that's

exactly why a print shop employs electrotypers. Theymake a wax or plastic mold of the printing plate. Thenthey form a metal shell in the mold, in the same waythat the worker we saw earlier put a chrome layer on thecar bumperby electroplating. That metal shell, with alead backing, becomes a duplicate plate.

"When all the plates are ready, they go the pressroom,this large area nearest us. There, the press operators setup the printing presses. They insert and adjust the plates,

Many printing press operators learn their trade through apprenticeship programs.

1'

13

Exploring Careers

check the supplies of paper and ink, and run the presses.These presses print on both sides of paper that comesfrom a large roll, and then cut the paper into sheets ofseveral book-pages each.

"These sheets go to the bookbinders, who fold themand assemble them into books. Using stitching and glue,they bind the books and attach the covers. After somefinal touches, the books are ready to be sold. And, if youhave no questions, we are ready to move on."

Mr. Novacello led the group back through the mainhall and into an adjoining room. The major wasa large scale model, similar to that of the printing plant.Scattered around the edge of the room were life,-sir4figures standing at various machines. The c1.0curious gazes wandered every which way unti' the guidebegan to speak.

"I want to show you a few more metalworking occu-pations," he began, "but first I have a question. Who cantell me what a tool is?"

After a conspicuous silence, one brave boy raised hishand. "A tool is something you use to help you dosomething."

"Excellent," said Mr. Novacello. "And what are someexamples of tools?"

Hammer, saw, screwdriver, pliers, chisel, all were men-tioned in turn.

"Very good," commented the guide. "You have allgiven examples of handtools. What you see in this roomare examples of machine tools. Some are about the sizeof a person; others, as you can see in the scale model, fillan entire room. Some perform only one kind of opera-tion; others carry out a whole sequence of tasks auto-matically. But they ttll use power to cut, grind, drill, orshape metal.

"Machine tools are an important part of industrybecause they can produce metal parts quickly with ahigh degree of precision. They make it possible to buildcomplex machines, like automobiles, in large numbers.And those machines have interchangeable parts. Forexample, if your family's car has a worn-out gear, youcan buy a new gear that will be virtually identical to theoriginal one. If the gears were made with handtools, thiswouldn't be possible. But with machine tools, we canmass produce automobiles, electric motors, airplanes,and hundreds of other everyday products.

"The people who work with machine tools have dif-ferent kinds of jobs. Machine tool operars have theleast complicated jobs and need the least training. Theyrun a machine and watch for problems after set-upworkers have performed the more demanding job ofadjusting the machine and preparing it for use. Set-upworkers and operators usually stick to one kind of tool,such as a drill press or a grinder.

8

"All-round machinists have much more training andskill than machine-tool operators. They can operatemany different kinds of machine tools, instead of justone kind. With their knowledge of materials and tools,they can do everything necessary to turn a block of metalinto an intricate part."

Mr. Novacello walked over to one of the machines."Take a close look at a machine tool," he said. "On eachone you'll find a jig or fixture to hold the metal. You'llalso see the "tool" portion of the machine that actuallycuts, drills, grinds, or presses the metal. Very often, inorder to make a particular part, a special jig or tool isneeded. If so, a tool-and-die maker produces it. Tool-and-die makers are not only highly skilled machinists,but creative workers, too.

Tool-and-die makers need mechanical ability.

"And speaking ofcreativity, the most creative machinework of all is that of instrument makers. They are a bitlike inventorsthey take someone's idea and translateit into a piece of experimental or custom-built equip-ment. And instrument makers work without the benefitof a detailed set of blueprints. Often, there's only a roughsketch or idea to work from. They use their skill andimagination to fill in the details of the design and thencarry it out."

After pausing to take a breath, Mr. Novacello calledfor questions. Annie, who was fascinated by the size of

14

-Industrial Production Occupations

some of .the machines, raised her hand. "How do theyput these machines in the factories?" she inquired.

"I'm glad you asked that!" replied Mr. Novacello."Installing industrial equipment is the job of millwrights.They may have to dismantle the old machinery, lay afoundation, move the new equipment in, and assembleit. All of this takes a great degree of skill. Any otherquestions?"

There were no further questions."Well then," announced the guide, glancing at his

watch, "so much for machining occupations. I'm goingto take you now to another part of the museum. Therewe will closely examine the nature of one last productionoccupation. Follow me, if you will, as we set off to

Millwrights use ropes and other rigging devices tohelp them move machinery.

explore the production of hot dog lunches by the cafe-teria cooks!"

Personal Characteristics

The day after the field trip, Mr. Borden had his socialstudies class review what they had learned at the mu-seum. Walking up to the chalkboard and picking up apiece of chalk, he said, "Let's start by brainstorming fora few minutes. We learned a lot yesterday about the

different kinds of jobs there are in industry. What canwe say about these jobs? What are they like? What dothey have in common? And what sort of person wouldbe good at this work?"

There were a few moments of silence. Then Daveraised his hand and answered, "Making things is whattheir jobs are all about. So you could say that industrialproduction workers deal with things. They have a lotmore to do with things than they do with people orideas."

"They work with things," Mr. Borden wrote on theboard. "Very good. Is there anything to add to that?"

Dave continued, "Well, yes. The things these workersdeal with could be raw materials ... machines ... tools... equipment ... the final product itself. But whateverit is, it's an object of some kind. Something you cantouch or feel or handle."

"Fine,' said Mr. Borden. "Now, does everyone agreewith what Dave has said?"

Phil spoke up. "I agree that all industrial productionworkers deal mainly with things, but beyond that, theirjobs aren't the same at all! Just think about the differentlevels of skill they need. You have the set-up worker whogets a drill press ready to use, makes all those calculationsand adjustments and so forth.... And then you have thedrill press operator who just runs the machine! Thatoperator's job seems pretty straightforward to me. It'sjust a matter of starting and stopping the machine andwatching it while it's running.

"And don't forget the machinist," Phil continued,warming to his subject. "The machinists do highly skilledwork. They have to know a lot to be able to set up andoperate a lathe to make a part for a motor, for example.So even though industrial production workers' jobs havesome similarities, they aren't all alike. They range fromroutine and simple to very complex."

"Industrial production work involves varying degreesof skill," wrote Mr. Borden. "Thanks, Phil. Now, whatelse?"

"These workers work mostly with their hands," sug-gested Barbara.

"That's right," said the teacher. "They do manualwork. They have to be good at doing things with theirhands in order to work with handtools or operate ma-chines. It takes coordination and dexterity ... the samekind involved in making a model or repairing a lawnmower, for example. Anything more?"

Annie had something to say. "These workers have touse their heads. They read blueprints, measure things,and make calculations."

"You're right," answered Mr. Borden. "Some of theindustrial production workers we've learned about ncedwhat's called spatial ability to work from diagrams and

159

Exploring Careers

7

Working with handtools takes concentration.

blueprints. Spatial ability means they can look at a flatdrawing of a three-dimensional object and picture theobject in their mind. They also have to have good formperception to notice details and detect slight flaws inshapes and surfaces. And, like just about all workers,they have to be able to understand instructions, reason,and use common sense. As Phil has just told us, reasoningability is much more important for some industrial pro-duction workers than for others. I think we were allimpressed with the problem-solving skills it takes to bean instrument maker."

Pat spoke up. "Some of the jobs seem boring to me.Workers like assemblers do the same thing over and overagain."

"Yes, that's right," agreed Mr. Borden. "Some indus-trial production jobs involve repetitive tasks. Jobs likethat are just right, though, for people who like repetitive,concrete, organized activities. Now, what else can we sayabout these workers and their jobs?"

Emily raised her hand. "It seems to me that peoplewho have what it takes to learn a skilled trade are people

10

with some sort of mechanical interest. So many of thejobs we learned about at the museum involved machinesand mechanical principles. The workers were applyingmechanical principles to practical situations."

"Mechanical interest is important," Mr. Borden wrote."And ... ?"

There was silence."Well, I can think of several things," continued the

teacher. "Industrial workplaces can be noisy and dirty.Industrial workers have to be able to do their jobs inplaces that may be uncomfortable or unpleasant. Some ofthe jobs are strenuous, and require both strength andstamina. Not all industrial production workers have tolift and carry heavy things, of course, but some do. Andworkers like assemblers and machine-tool operators maybe on their feet all day long. That's tiring, too."

Mr. Borden glanced around the room. "Does any-one have anything to add? No? Well, then, let's go on.The other day we saw a film about an automobilefactory. ..."

This automobile worker enjoys his job.

lb

, 1


Training

A week after the museum trip, Annie gave an oralreport in Mr. Borden's social studies class.

"If you wanted to be a lawyer," she began, "you wouldgo to law school. To become a dentist, you'd attend aschool of dentistry. But where would you go to learn anindustrial trade? For less difficult occupations, such asmachine tool operator or assembler, you could train righton the job. But how would you break into a skilled

occupation? Would you enroll at the State College ofBoilermaking? Tool-and-Die Graduate School? WeldingUniversity? That would be one way.

"Trade schools and technical institutes offer programsin the skilled tradeswelding, printing, and tool-and-die making, for example. These programs provide theo-retical instruction and the practical skills you'd needright away on the job. Vocational training is given inboth public and private schools. You're probably famil-iar with the vocational education courses given here in

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This woman is training for a job as an electric power plant operator.

4'

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I I

Exploring Careers

our school system. There are, in addition, thousands ofprivate schools that teach the skills you'd need for a jobin industry.

"There are other ways to train for industrial produc-tion occupations, too. Often, the best route is through anapprenticeship. Consisting of planned classroom and on-the-job instruction, apprenticeships normally last about4 years, although they range from 1 to 6 years. It alldepends on the occupation. Apprenticeships are ar-ranged by unions and employers.

"Here's how they work. Let's say you are an apprenticemachinist with the Wonderful Widget Company. As anapprentice, you train for 4 years on the job, learningevery aspect of a machinist's work. You also go to classto learn blueprint reading, shop mathematics, and othersubjects. After completing all the requirements for theprogram, you receive a certificate that proves you haveall the skills of a journeyworker machinist.

"Many workers do learn their skills without appren-ticing. Quite a few get their training on the job by

.9

Many workers learn their skills on the job.

12

Employers generally prefer to hire people who havefinished high school.

watching experienced workers, asking questions, andhaving someone guide them as they try the job them-selves. While some of these workers have attended avocational high school or a trade school, others beginwith no previous exposure to the occupation. And thenthere are workers who "pick up the trade" on their ownby watching, imitating, and experimenting wheneverthey can."

More About Training

The Job Facts at the end of this chapter summarizethe training requirements for each of 33 industrial pro-duction occupations. If one interests you, you can beginpreparing in high school. Math, science, drafting, shop,and other industrial arts courses will help. You can joina chapter of VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs ofAmerica), if your school has one. VICA chapters planprojects, take field trips, and hold competitions in suchskill areas as welding, machining, and printing.

One final tip: Plan to finish high school. Employersdo hire people who haven't finished high school,they prefer those who have. They know that high schoolgives you basic skills you'll need for the job. And thediploma shows them that you're willing to finish some-thing once you've started it.


A6sernbler

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Karen says, "You don't need a great deal of education and experience to do what1 do, but you have to be good with your hands."

,04

is 13

Exploring Careers

The traditional Fourth of July picnic in Elks Gap lastweekcnd had been a big affair; everyone in town hadbeen there. Under the trees the fire department had setup grills to barbeque the chickens that would be eatenlong before the fireworks began. There, Karen ran intoher new neighbor, Sarah Green. Sarah and her husbandhad moved to Elks Gap just a few weeks before, and sheand Karen had quickly gotten to be friends.

Over barbequed chicken, Sarah had told Karen thatshe was thinking about looking for a job. Karen told herabout Astro Electronics, the plant where she worked.

"Why don't you come out and apply for a job likemine" she had suggested. "You don't need a great dealof education or experience to do what I do. But you doneed to be good with your hands. You need patience,too, and have to be able to concentrate on very smalltasks."

Karen is a bench assembler. She assembles circuitboards for television sets and other electronic equipment,and works at a bench rather than on a moving assemblyline. Putting together complete circuit boards meansinstalling all the components: Capacitors, resistors,diodes, transistors, and coeds. It means soldering thesecomponents into place, and installing connecting wireswhere necessary. Karen usually works from a diagramor blueprint that shows her where to insert each com-ponent. Sometimes, however, Karen uses a "sampleboard"an exact model of the board she is constructing.

Karen's job as a bench assembler is more complex andinvolved than that of an assembly line worker. Karenassembles the circuit boards from start to finish, insteadof just inserting one or two components, which is whatshe might be doing if she were working on an assemblyline. On an assembly line she would repeat the same task

I

Assembling electronic components is very delicate, detailed work that requiresconcentration.

mi..41111

14


over and over again, rather than complete all the stepsof the circuit board assembly process herself.

Kann didn't need any special training to get her jobat Astro Electronics. The company put her through atraining course the first day she went to work there, andsince then she's been learning and gaining speed throughpractice.

"It's a bit like putting together, a puzzle or a modelairplane," she had told Sarah. "It's very delicate, detailedwork that requires a lot of concentration. I have to usea magnifying glass sometimes, when I'm working onvery tiny boards. It can be hard on the eyes. But I enjoythe work. It's not boring at all, because I put together

04..k,a4

Sr

Karen uses a magnifying glass to put together verysmall parts.

many different kinds of circuit boards, and the varietymakes it interesting."

Karen had been excited and enthusiastic when shetalked to Sarah about her job. But now the holiday isover and Karen is back at work. She has to make aneffort to concentrate on the work in front of her.

Tools are scattered around Karen's workbenchwirestrippers, wire cutters, pliers, lacing cord, a solderingiron. There's cleaning fluid on the workbench, and sev-eral trays of electrical components, too. Karen picks upan electrical component and plugs it into some holes inthe circuit board. She turns the board over and uses herwire cutters to clip the wire that is sticking out of thecircuit board in the back. Then she picks up her solderingiron and solders some metal onto the bottom of thecomponent that's sticking through the circuit board. Themelted metal, as it dries, holds the component securelyin place. Karen picks up another electrical componentand repeats the process.

The "bench" that Karen is sitting at is actually a rowof long tables, like the kind used in a school cafeteria.There are lots of benchesrow after row. The benchesfill up the large warehouse-like building where Karenworks. The work area is clean and the temperature iscomfortable. Karen likes being able to sit down all dayrather than stand, as she'd probably have to do on anassembly line. Sometimes her neck and back get sorefrom bending over her bench, but it's better than stand-ing all day, in her opinion.

All of the people working at Karen's bench are assem-bling the same kind of circuit board that Karen is. Theywork quietly, each concentrating on the work at hand.It's easy to become involvell it: the work when there's somuch detail.

"How's everything down on this end?" The questionstartles Karen, but she recognizes the voice. It's hersupervisor, Betty.

Karen smiles and replies, "All right, I guess, but I'mgoing to need some more resistors soon."

Betty nods. "I'll go bring some over. Does anyone elseneed anything?" The man next to Karen asks for somemore wire. Betty nods again and then hurries off.

"She's always rushing around," Karen thinks to her-self "But then I guess supervising 30 workers is a prettydemanding job."

Before long Betty is back with the materials. "Oh,Karen," she says, "we have a new worker. She'll becoming out of training after lunch. I thought I'd placeher next to you, so that you can help her if she has anyproblems."

"All right," Karen replies quietly."By the way," says Betty, "it's your friend Sarah."

Karen looks up with a surprised smile.

15

Exploring Careers

Exploring

Assemblers need to be good at working with their hands.Are you good at fixing things?Are you handy with tools?Can you repair your bicycle?Do you enjoy leisure activities that involve workingwith your hands, such as sewing, macrame, stringingbeads, model building, or furniture refinishing?

Assembly work usually involves a lot of repetition. As-semblers must be willing to perform repetitious tasks.

Do you enjoy needlework such as knitting, crochet-ing, or quilting?Can you put up with the repetition involved in mow-ing grass, shoveling snow, painting a house, or puttingdown tile?

Speed can be important in assembly work.

Are you good at activities that require finger dexteritysuch as slapjack, jacks, or shuffling and dealing cards?

Assembly work requires attention to detail and the abilityto follow diagrams and written directions.

Are you good at following a recipe, sewing or doingneedlepoint from a pattern, building a model fromwritten instructions, assembling a radio from a kit, orpainting by numbers?Are you good at reading maps?Do you understand football plays when they're writ-ten out?

Assemblers work indoors. They stay in a small work areawhile they do their jobs.

Can you sit still through your classes?Can you concentrate without feeling the need to movearound all the time?

Suggested Activities

Ask your teacher to arrange a plant tour if there is afactory in your community. Prepare questions in ad-vance on the types of production jobs there. Ask aboutthe education and training needed to get a job, startingpay, and opportunities for advancement.

Factory workers relaxing in the products they make.

16

industria Production Occupations

This worker is filling capsules with medicine.

Prepare a report on Henry Ford and the assembly linefor your English or social studies class. Explain howthis method of organizing work has affected the man-ufacturing process. How has it affected the workers?

Use Working by Studs Terkel as the subject for a bookreport in your English class. (New York: PantheonBooks, 1974.)

Related Occupations

Assemblers aren't the only workers with factory jobs.Using the descriptions below, unscramble the letters tofind the names of other production workers.

1. GIEWSN NAEMCIH TOAPRORE. I use a sew-ing machine to join, gather, hem, reinforce, or decoratesuch articles as carpets, gloves, hats, bags, and uphol-stery.

2. YAPSR NEITRAP. I use a spray gun to spray thesurfaces of machines, manufactured products, or work-ing areas with paint, enamel, glaze, gelcoat, or lacquer.Before painting something, I often clean grease and dirtfrom it; sometimes I fill cavities and dents with putty.

3. HAMNICE TURTEC. I cut fabric into parts forsuch articles as canvas goods, house furnishings, gar-ments, hats, stuffed toys, and upholstered furniture, using

These strands are being twisted to make tire cord.

2

a portable electric cutter. I generally cut many layers offabric at a time.

4. CITAAMOUT NIRTP EPELOVERD. I tend sev-eral machines that automatically develop, fix, wash, anddry photographic prints.

5. CIAMNEH GAPARECK. I tend machines thatperform packaging functions, such as filling, marking,labelling, tying, packing, or wrapping containers.

6. NARY DWENRI. I tend machines that windstrands of yarn into packages for further processing,shipment, or storage.

7. PLUMAOE RELFLI. I tend a machine that fillssmall glass containers known as ampoules with measureddoses of liquid drug products.

8. ENARCYN KEWROR. I put fruits, vegetables,meat, cheese, and other food products into processingequipmentwashing, peeling, refrigerating, coring, pit-ting, rimming, grinding, dicing, cooking, or slicing ma-chines. The work I do is used in canning, freezing,preserving, or packaging food products.

9. GTNTKINI HICANEM TROPAEOR. I tend sev-eral machines that knit fabrics, garment parts, or otherarticles from yarn.

See answers at end of chapter.

17

xploring Careers

Machinist

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Machinists do very precise work.

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18 2


Joe rolled over and opened his eyes. Through thedense grey haze he could make out small lights twinklinglike stars.

"Strange, it wasn't foggy out," he thought, trying tomake some sense of the haze that had swallowed himup. Images swirled through his mind: A quiet summernight, the street leading to his house, unfamiliar lightsbehind'a hedge, a blinding flash, and....

Joe realized with a start that he was no longer outsidehis house. In fact he had no idea where he was. Alarmed,he jumped to his feet, but lost his footing and fellbackwards. As Joe struggled tb his feet, he saw that thesurface underneath him was as clear as glass. He knewalready that it was as slick as ice.

Joe made an effort to focus on his surroundings despitethe grey haze that made it difficult to see. He seemed tobe in the middle of a large round room. He stood andcautiously took a step toward the lights.

"Who are you?" boomed a loud, authoritative voice.Joe froze.

"Who are you?" repeated the voice impatiently. Joesaw the spheres of light blink as the voice spoke. He feltcompelled to answer.

"I'm. Joe Von Braun. Where am I?"No answer. Joe thought about making a break for it,

but remembered how slippery the floor was."I must be dreaming," he thought. "Of course, this is

only a dream. I'll wake up any minute.""Please, don't run," said another voice, a soft and

soothing one this time. The sound frightened him evenmore, because this voice was closer and undeniably real.

As Joe turned in the direction of the voice, the hazegrew lighter. Only a few yards in front of him a sphereof light was suspended in midair. In the haze it lookedlike the sun on a cloudy day.

"Please, sir, don't run," repeated the gentle voice. Thelight blinked as the words were spoken. Joe still was toofrightened to speak.

"We know our first voice disturbed you, but we meanno harm. We are visitors to your world and we wish toknow more about you. We have talked to many of you,but there is still so much to learn. Please tell us aboutyourself."

The voice was calm and reassuring. Encouraged, Joebegan to speak. He spoke haltingly at first, then moreconfidently.

"I don't know where to begin....""Tell us anything.""Well, my name is Von Braun. I'm 35. Have a wife.

What else? I'm a machinist....""That's interesting. We've never talked to a machinist

before. What is it?""A machinist is...that is...I make things."

"What things?" asked the voice, quietly."Parts for machines, usually. I work in a machine shop

that makes replacement parts for water pumps, electricgenerators, sometimes cars: well, anything, really. We'llmake almost anything from metal."

"What is metal?""What is metal?" repeated Joe, puzzled. "Everyone

knows what metal is.""We're sorry, but we don't," replied the voice. "Please

explain metal to us.""Metal is a...well, it's steel, iron, brass...I don't know

the scientific definition. How can I explain? Wait, I'llshow you."

Joe searched his pockets and found the 6-inch steelruler he used at work. He held the ruler in front of himand said, "This is metal. This is Steel...."

A white light streaked from above, touched Joe's handand instantly disappeared. The ruler was gone. Joe fellto his knees. He was almost in tears.

"We do know metal. We have seen it before. Tell usmore about how you work with metal."

"Please don't hurt me," cried Joe."Don't be afraid," responded the voice, as the sphere

of light blinked rapidly. "We would never hurt you. Weonly want to understand. We have seen metal before, butwe have nothing like it where we live. We are eager tolearn about it. How do you make things from metal?"

Joe hesitated, then began talking again. He did notknow what else to do.

"Usually I work from a blueprint the boss gives me. Istart...."

"What is a blueprint?" interrupted the voice."A blueprint is a drawing of the part I have to make.

By looking at it I know what the fmal product will looklike. The blueprint also has the specifications. They tellme how long and wide to make the-part and what kindof metal to use. Usually the specifications also give anestimate of how much time I have to make the part."

"Thank you, we understand what a blueprint is. Pleasecontinue," said the voice, as the sphere blinked.

"First I gather the metal stock. I'd better explain that."Metal stock" is a term for all the different pieces ofmetal I'll be working with: Steel rods, brass tubing, barsof aluminum, whatever. Then I do the layout. I markthe metal to show where I should cut it, put holes in it,or shape it."

"How do you cut it or shape it? Isn't metal toohard?"

"I use machines," explained Joe. "There are all kindsof machines specially designed to work metallathes,milling machines, drill presses, planers, and grinders, forexample.

19

Exploring Careers

"I use saws to cut metal to the right length; drills toput holes in it; planers to shape it and grinders to smoothits surface. The milling machine and the lathe are themost versatile of all. They can do almost any job."

"So these machines do all your work," said the voice."No, no, no," Joe said hastily. "The machines are

useless without me. I have to set them up, so they runproperly."

"Oh, excuse us. Please go on.""Aftel I've done the layout, I start using the machines.

The first thing I do is decide which machines to use.Usually that depends on what I'm doing. For some jobsI have to use a certain size lathe or a milling machine.For others I can choose how I do the job. Take drillinga hole. I can use a drill press or a milling machine. Thedrill is a little faster, but the milling machine is moreaccurate.

"The next step is to set up the machine. The part ofthe machine that actually i;uts the metal I'm working onis called the tool. Tools come in all shapes and sizes.Some are round with teeth like a circular saw. Otherslook like chisels. Tools are made from different types ofmetal, usually very hard steel. Before I can cut the metal

workpiece, I have to select the tool that's the right shape,size, and hardness to make the cut I need.

"Then I mount the tool on the machine and set thespeed that determines how fast the tool will cut themetal. The speed is very important. If I make the cut toofast, the tool will wear out quickly or break. This couldruin the workpiece. Sometimes I set up a hose that spraysliquid on the tool and the metal. The liquid keeps themcool as the cutting is done.

"All of this may be hard to understand. Let me giveyou some examples. Say I had a bar of metal an inch indiameter and I wanted to make it thinnerjust half aninch in diameter. I would put the bar on a lathe. The barlies in the machine horizontally and spins very fast. Atool that looks like a chisel would be held in a clamp onthe side of the machine. By moving handles and gears atthe base of the lathe I can position the tool against thespinning bar, to cut it to the right size.

"If I wanted to put a hole in the same bar, I would usethe milling machine. The bar would be clamped on aflat table that moves up and down and sideways. Thetoolin this case a drillis held in an arm above thetable. The tool spins and the bar is positioned under it.

Machinists are among the most highly skilled manual workers.

20

"You're doing fuae," said the voice. The lights blinkedseveral times. "What do you do after you have cut themetal with the machines?"

"Well, after I've cut the metal, I measure it to makesure it meets the specifications. Sometimes I can do itwith a ruler, that thing I showed you before. Most jobsrequire more precision. A workpiece may have to bebetween 5.999 and 6.001 inches long. 'I use a micrometerto make really precise measurements. The precision isnecessary because the part I make usually goes into alarger machine. I have to make it just the right size, soit fits,

"When I'm sure all the pieces are aczeptable, I canassemble the part. That means a lot of hand work withfiles, hammers, and screwdriversand more measuring.And that's it," concluded Joe.

"Do all machinists do the same things you do?" askedthe voice.

"No, not at all. It depends on where you work. Somemachinists make the same part over and over again.Others make many different kinds of parts; that's whatI do. And some machinists work in factories repairingproduction machinery. Well, is there anything else youwant to know?" sighed Joe.

"Are you tired? You have been very helpful."

Machining requires concentration.

on your feet most of the day, and it's not just physicalwork. You have to be able to plan. You have to be goodat math to calculate the measurements, machine speeds.and such. You have to be able to concentrate and havethe patience to do really precise work. Besides all thatyou need a bit of imagination. Not everyone can makea three-dimensional object from a flat drawing."

"You are very proud of your skills.""I always have beenever since my apprenticeship.

There's something special about taking a piece of metaland turning it into something useful."

"What is an apprenticeship?""It's a traditional way of learning a craft or trade. You

learn by working with experienced workers. And bystudying. After I graduated from high school I wasaccepted in an apprenticeship program at the NavyYard. I learned to run the machines on the job andstudied math, blueprint reading, and the characteristicsof metals in evening classes."

"You have been most helpful," said the voice. "But ifwe don't return you now, you will be missed."

"Wait a minute," shouted Joe. "Who are you? Don'tyou think you owe me some explanations?"

"Whatever we tell you, you would forget in a shorttime. Goodbye and thank you." The sphere vanished.

"Wait! Wait!"As Joe shouted the grey haze grew more dense. Soon

he could not see anything. He felt very warm and thehaze was so thick he had trouble breathing. He thrashedwildly with his arms.

A hand firmly gripped his shoulder. "Joe, wake up!Wake up!"

Joe jumped up. He was in his bed and his wife wasshaking him.

"That must have been some dream," she said."Was it ever!""It's over now. Go to sleep."The next day Joe could not recall any of the details of

his dream nor could he find his steel ruler.

Exploring

Machinists make parts for factory machinery, cars, andother metal products.

Do you like to build things?Do you like to work with your hands?.Do you build models or make jewelry?Do you repair bicycles or customize automobiles?Do you enjoy woodworking?

21

Exploring Careers

Machinists use handtooLc and such machines as lathesand drill presses.

Do you use tools or machines for a hobby, for workaround the house, for gardening, for farming, or forrepairing cars, vans, or trucks?Do you like to learn how machines work?Do you like to learn how to use tools?Is it easy for you to learn how to use a tool you'venever used before?

Machinists follow blueprints and diagrams. They usemathematics to make measurements and set up theirmachines.

Can you read and understand graphs, diagrams, andcharts?Can you read road maps?Can you look at a drawing and picture the three-dimensional object in your mind'sDo you like to work with numbers?Do you like to solve written math problems?

Machinists must do accurate work.

If you are fixing or building something, do you try todo it just right?Have you ever done any detailed work?Do you build complicated models or embroider?Can you work on something for a long time withoutbnoming bored or careless?

Machinists usually work with little direct supervision.They must be responsible.

Do you usually get your school assignments done ontime?Can you work alone successfully?Do you have hobbies in which you work alone?


Spend time on hobbies and other activities in which youbuild or repair things. Build models. Do carpentry.Sculpt. Make metal jewelry. Make repairs around yourhome. Repair your bicycle.

Volunteer to repair toys for a nursery school or day carecenter, or for a community organization such as theSalvation Army.

22

Join a chapter of VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs ofAmerica), if your school has one. VICA chapters planprojects, take field trips, and hold competitions in suchskill areas as machine shop and machine drafting.

Join an Auto Mechanic or Skilled Trades Explorer Post,if there is one in your area. Exploring is open to youngmen and women aged 14 through 20. To find outabout Explorer posts in your area, call "Boy Scouts ofAmerica" listed in your phone book, and ask for the"Exploring Division."

If your school has a machine shop, ask the instructor totalk to your class. Arrange a tour of the shop.

If you are a Girl Scout, see if your local troop has theFrom Dreams to Reality program of career explora-tion. Troops may also offer opportunities to try outcareers through internships, service aide and commu-nity action projects, and proficiency badges in a num-ber of areas including Handywoman and Metal Arts.

If you are a Boy Scout, try for merit badges in Machinery,Metallurgy, Metalwork, and Model Design and Build-ing.

Investigate the properties of metal for a report for yourscience class or for a science fair project. Compare thecharacteristics of several metals. Gold, for example, isrelatively soft and easy to shape. Steel is harder andmore difficult to work with. The encyclopedia is agood place to start your research. Public and schoollibraries have books that explain how different metalsare made and used.

As a topic for a science or industrial arts class, report onmachine tools such as lathes, milling machines, anddrill presses. Illustrate your report with pictures anddiagrams. The encyclopedia is a good place to get anoverview of the topic. Library books will explain inmore detail how machine tools work and what theyare used for. Write for information to the NationalMachine Tool Builders Association, 7901 WestparkDrive, McLean, Virginia 22102.

Mathematics is an essential tool for machinists becauseprecision is so important in their work. Machinistsmay work within tolerances as fine as 1/1,000 of aninch. To achieve this sort of precision, they makemeasurements and do calculations. See if you cansolve the problems below. They are typical of some ofthe simpler problems machinists deal with every day.


A machinist must cut the following lengths from2-meter bars of steel: 156 centimeters, 176 centi-meters, 19 centimeters, 42 centimeters, and 117centimeters. How many 2-meter bars will that take?How much steel will be left over?In cutting gears for a piece of machinery, thenumber of teeth on a gear depends on the diameterof the wheel. A machinist has just made a gearwith 50 teeth and a diameter of 10 inches. Howmany teeth would be on a gear with a diameter of7 inches?A machinist has been assigned to cut a groove ina metal block so that the depth beneath the grooveis 2.5983 inches. The block is 2.7482 inches thick.After finishing the job, the machinist measures thegroove and finds it is .1498 inches deep. In orderto work, the part must have been machined towithin a-tolerance of 1/10,000 of an inch. Is thepart acceptable?


Because measurements are very important in machinists'work, the conversion to the metric system will affecttheir job in a number of ways. Use the topic of metricmeasurement in metalworking for a report in a math-ematics class. You might begin your research by writ-ing for information to the Office of Weights andMeasures, National Bureau of Standards, Washington,D.C. 20234. They also will supply a list, by State, ofspeakers to talk about the metric system.

Related Occupations

Machinists are not the only workers who deal withmetal and machines. Eight occupations in which thework is similar to a machinist's are listed below. Try tomatch the workers with their job titles.

a. Machine tool operatorb. Instrument makerc. Setup workerd. Tool-and-die makere. Mechanical engineerf. Industrial machinery repairerg. Jewelerh. Watch repairer

1. Dan makes machines that are used for mea-surement in industrial production and research. Hehas all the skills of a machinist and more.

2. Brenda sets the speed on drill presses used byless skilled workers.

Most machine tool operators learn their skills on thejob.

3. George works with precious metals. He canshape gold, silver, or platinum just as a machinistshapes steel or brass.

4. Jim makes or repairs parts for a machine usedby almost everyone. He uses a lathe just as a ma-chinist does. The parts in his machine are so smallthat Jim uses a magnifying glass and tweezers towork with them.

5. Sarah designs machinery. She had to attendcollege to get her job.

6. Beverly makes the cutting devices used in ma-chine tools. She learned many of her skills as amachinist.

7. Doug. operates a drill press and grinding ma-chine. He learned his skills on the job in a fewmonths.

8. Susan repairs and maintains machines used infactories. Sometimes she uses machine tools to makereplacement parts. Usually, however, she has thefactory's machinist do the work.


2.i23

MXplOring kareers

Photocompositor

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Bernard Petrocelli is setting type on a phototypesetter. This is like using atypewriter," he explains, "but there is a lot more to know."

24


Bernard Petrocelli plated into the parking lot of Broad-view Elementary School. Before getting out of his car,he glanced in the rear-view mirror to make sure that histie was on straight. "I'mglaifI dOift have to put on asuit and tie every morning," he thought to himself.

He checked in at the office, where Ms. Kawasaki, hisdaughter's sixth grade teacher, was waiting to greet him.

"It.certainly is nice to meet you, Mr. Petrocelli. We'veall been learning so much from the parents who comeand speak to the class about the work they do. I'm surethe children will be fascinated to hear about your job."

"Thank you very much," replied Mr. Petrocelli as thetwo walked down the hall.

Ms. Kawasaki continued, "I've been doing a bit ofresearch and I'm amazed at the changes that have takenplace in the printing industry in the last 20 years. In fact,I just finished reading about a process for storing infor-mation called micropublishing. It seems that they areworking on some equipment that can record an entiretextbook on an area the size of a postage stamp!"

"Yes, there have been some astounding changes inprinting technology. And, with the use of computers,things are changing more rapidly than ever. My work inthe composing room has come a long way from the daysbehind a noisy Linotype machine casting hot metal."

The two adults entered Ms. Kawasaki's classroom andtook seats in the back of the room, waiting quietly forthe music teacher to finish his lesson.

After music was over, Ms. Kawasaki went to the frontof the room to speak to the class. "As you all know, wehave a guest speaker today who is here to help us learnmore about the world of work. He is Maria's father, Mr.Petrocelli, and he is going to tell us about his job as aphotocompositor in a print shop. We already have dis-cussed how important printing is, as a means of bothcommunication and learning, so I think you will all beinterested in finding out more about the process. Now,without further delay, I'd like to introduce Mr. Petro-celli."

"Good morning, boys and girls," Mr. Petrocelli began."It's a pleasure to be here. As your teacher told you, I'ma photocompositor and I work for the Atlas PrintingCompanya large shop downtown. We print everythingthat's fit to be published, including magazines, brochures,advertisements, envelopes, and even labels for cans offood. This morning I'm going to talk to you briefly aboutthe history of printing and then IT tell you about myjob and what I do. Please feel free to ask questions atany time."

A boy who was sitting on the edge of his seat raisedhis hand and burst out, "Do you print money, too?"

Mr. Petrocelli smiled and replied, "Paper money isprinted, but that's one job we don't handle at Atlas. It's

illegal for anyone but the Federal Government to printits paper currency. That's done at the U.S. Bureau ofEngraving and Printing in Washington, D.C.

"Printing was first practiced by the Chinese over athousand years ago," Maria's father continued. "Theyused carved wooden blocks to print. I imagine you'vedone pretty much the same thing yourselves in art class.Those early Chinese printers carved pictures or wordson wooden blocks, inked or painted the blocks, thenpressed them against another surface to make a print.

"The wood block method of printing developed by theChinese was slow and painstaking. Most books and man-uscripts were handwritten until the 1400's. About thistime, people began experimenting, looking for a way toproduce books more quickly and cheaply. Around 1450,a German named Johann Gutenberg invented a processfor making movable type out of metal. The processallowed him to use the same type over and over again toprint different pages. He also invented the printing press,which he probably adapted from a wine or cheese press,and developed sticky ink to be used with the metal type."

A girl in the front row raised her hand. "We learnedthat Johann Gutenberg is called the Father of Printing."

Mr. Petrocelli replied, "Yes, he is often referred to asthe Father of Printing because his invention of movabletype revolutionized the printing process. Printing spreadrapidly in Western Europe, and by the early 1500's morethan a thousand print shops were operating."

"What has happened since then?" asked a small boyin the back of the room.

"Our story continues," said Mr. Petrocelli. "The firstbook was printed .in America less than 20 years after thePilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. The writings of twoearly pr'-iters, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine,strengthened the spirit of unrest in the 1700's that even-tually brought about the American Revolution. Theirinfluence kept up the will of the Colonies to win the war.

"Over the years, printers gradually introduced im-provements in the typesetting and design of books. Even-tually, the job of printing became specialized. Thatmeans the printerwho in the days of Benjamin Frank-lin was also the publisher, editor, type designer, andbook sellerno longer performed all those other duties."

"Are you a printer?" a girl in the third row wanted toknow.

"Well, not exactly...I was just getting to the partwhere I fit in," answered Mr. Petrocelli. "The 20thcentury has witnessed many changes in printing. Jobshave become much more specialized as the industry hasgrown. And the printing industry has grown tremen-dously! Well over a billion books are bought each yearin the United States alone. Furthermore, technology haschanged the way we do our jobs. Today's world is one

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Exploring Careers

of automation. Machines perform much of the work thatused to be done by hand. I think my job in the composingroom illustrates some important changes that have takenplace in the printing industry over the last 25 years.

"In the composing room, we set the type. We take the"copy"the material that is to be printedand fromthat we prepare pages of type. When I first started as acompositor 27 years ago, I operated a machine called aLinotype. I learned the work right on the job, as anapprentice. To make a line of type, I punched the lettersfrom the keyboard. The machine then made words froma hot metal mixture it had pressed into molds of theseletters. This cooled into a solid metal stripor 'lineo'type'." He reached into his pocket and pulled out asilver colored bar. "To give you a better idea, I broughtalong a line of type."

"Can we pass it around the room? I can't see it," camea voice from the back of the room. "We'll handle it verycarefully."

Mr. Petrocelli smiled. "That's a good idea, because themetal is a mixture of lead, tin, and antimony, and it willbend or scratch rather easily. It's not hard like steel orcoPPer."

He continued, "Operating the Linotype was hardwork. The machines were hot and noisy and my clothesoften got splashed with hot lead."

"Then why did you stay in that job?" a girl asked."There were lots of good things about the job," Mr.

Petrocelli replied, "For one thing, I've always been proudto work in the printing industry because it's so importantto all of us. And a job like mine takes skill. When I wasoperating the Linotype, I had to space all the words

Computers and electronics are changing printing methods. Hobbies and coursesin these areas provide a good background for printing.

26


properly to fit the column size and decide where to breakwords at the end of a line when necessaryall thoseihings require judgment.

"After I had been there about 10 years, the companyI was working for adopted a new method of setting type.

-Instead of the machine casting of molten metal, type isset by a photographic process that uses paper and chem-icals. Because photographyis such an important part ofthis process, it's called phototypesetting. Sometimes it'scalled photocomposition.

"To make the change, I had to go through a trainingprogram. I wasn't at all pleased about changing over tocold type at first, and complained about it to the unionrepresentative. I figured that I had mastered the Linotypeand I didn't want to start from the beginning with a newmachine. I was pretty upset for a while. But eventuallyI realized that the Linotype machine really was on theway out, and that I had no choice but to pick up newskills."

"Wasn't it hard to "relearn" your job after all thoseyears?" asked a boy sitting near the windows-

_ "Becoming a photocompositor did take some gettingused to," Mr. Petrocelli replied. "I had to learn to worka whole new machine. The keyboard was completelydifferent, so I had to block the old one from my mindAlso, this machine produced paper prints or film nega-tives instead of strips of metal."

"Why did the company change from hot metal tophototype?" a girl asked.

"Phdtotypesetting offers many advantagesover castingtype from hot Metal," answered Maria's father. "It's afast, flexible, relatively inexpensive method of settingtype.

"For example, in phototypesetting, the print will al-ways be clear and perfect, no matter how many copiesmust be produced. That's because it's photographed.When metal type is usedthe kind you're passingaround the class right nowthe metal letters must beinked to make print. However, the pressure of the metaltype against the paper causes "ink squeeze", which:tendsto make the edges of the printed letters irregular. Also,phototype is very convenient when different type sizesare needed for one job. A simple magnifying lens allowsthe machine to photograph correctly sized type."

Mr. Petrocelli went on. "My career took one moremajor twist when I went to work for Atlas about 4 yearsago. Being a large company, they had the most modernequipment. Once again I needed more training...becauseAtlas uses computers in their typesetting system."

An enthusiastic student burst out, "Wow, another"new career" for you!"

"In a way, yes," Mr. Petrocelli responded. "In thistypesetting operation, I type on a special keyboard just

like I did in the other phototype process. The keyboardhas many extra keys, however, and I had to learn themall. There are keys, for example, that indicate the sizeand style of type and the space between letters. Therealso are keys that give the machine directions such as"delete" or "store in memory". A screen that looks likea television screen has been added to the keyboard sonow I can see the characters as I set the manuscript. Thescreen is called a Visual Display Terminal.

"After the copy has been typed onto the keyboard, mymachine produces a tape that later is fed into a computer.The computer's job, basically, is to decide when tohyphenate words and how to space them properly sothat the margins will be even. The computer has beenprogrammed with a set of rules so that it knows, forexample, that hearing should be hyphenated hear-ing. Italso is instructed that ring should not be hyphenated r-ing, as that's a one-syllable word. When I handled theLinotype, I made all those decisions myself. The com-puter produces a tape that "drives" our phototypesettingmachine and prints out material much faster than anyperson could do it. Our system, for example, can print apage of type every 3 or 4 seconds!"

The students clearly were impressed. Maria beamed.Her father then asked for more questions.

One boy hesitated, then asked, "In the beginning, yousaid you learned your trade by apprenticeship. I'm notsure what that means."

"That's a good question," Mr. Petrocelli replied. "Inthe apprenticeship training program, I learned my tradeon the jobat first by watching others and then pickingup skills on my own. At the same time I had classroominstruction in related subjects, such as typography, print-ing, and English. The program was run jointly by theunion I belong to and the company. It lasted 4 years; Igradually gained more responsibility and earned moremoney."

Another pupil asked Mr. Petrocelli what advice he'dgive to students interested in printing.

"First of all, I would recommend that you finish highschool:There are courses you can take in school that willgive you a good backgroundtyping and English, forexample. Don't underestimate English! Grammar is a"must". And learn all you can about electronics, com-puters, and photographyfor that is where the futurelies in the printing industry."

Ms. Kawasaki walked up the aisle and joined thespeaker at the front of the room. "I'm afraid our time isup, but I'd like you to know how much we enjoyed yourtalk today."

"It was my pleasure to be here," replied Mr. Petrocelli.Just then the class broke out in loud and enthusiastic

applause.

3 327

Exploring Careers

Exploring

Photocompositors need finger and manual dexterity inorder to type copy on the keyboard of a composingmachine.

Do you knit, do needlework, or do macrame?Can you thread a needle quickly?Can you type?Are you good at games like slapjack and jacks?Can you shuffle and deal a hand of cards quickly?Do you enjoy leisure activities that involve workingwith your hands, such as making jewelry, buildingmodels, or refinishing furniture?

Photocompositors must have an eye for detail. They mustfollow the copy exactly and detect every single mark onmaterial that comes back for correction.

Can you read road maps easily? Can you find a placeon a road map quickly?Do you like to do word -finds and other games whereyou must find hidden objects in pictures?Are you good at following a recipe, sewing or doingneedlework from a pattern, building a model fromwritten instructions, assembling a radio from a kit, orpainting by numbers?

The work of photocompositors can be repetitious.

Do you enjoy needlework that involves a lot ofrepetition, such as knitting, crocheting, or quilting?Can you put up with the repetition involved in mow-ing grass, shoveling snow, painting a house, or putting,down tile?

Photocompositors work indoors. They are confined totheir work areas for long periods of time.

Can you sit still in the car during long trips?Can you sit still through your classes or an assemblyprogram?


Ask your teacher to arrange a field trip to view theprinting process at a local printing plant or newspaper.

Invite a compositor to speak to your class about his orher job. Ask the speaker to bring in galley proofs andexplain the proofreader's marks.

28

Try your hand at printing, using one of the inexpensiveprinting kits you can obtain at hobby shops or depart-ment stores.

Put your name or initials on greeting cards orstationery.Make business cards for the staff of your schoolnewspaper or yearbook.Print letterhead stationery for a school club.Print publicity far a school event such as a careerday, concert, science fair, or awards ceremony.Volunteer to print flyers, bulletins, and news re-leases for your church or temple, or for a commu-nity organization.

Use the silk-screen process to print a poster, greetingcard, or gift enclosure. Design and print holiday wrap-ping paper.

Set up a printing business as a class project under theJunior Achievement (JA) program. This program

41,

Mr. Petrocelli helps an assistant with layout work.


gives high school students a chance to operate anactual business. JA printing companies typically dojob printing or publish local newspapers or magazines.For information, write to Junior Achievement, Inc.,550 Summer Street, Stamford, Connecticut 06901.

Your school system, or a nearby community college ortechnical institute, may offer courses in printing orgraphic arts. If so, invite one of the instructors to speakto your class. Prepare questions in advance on thekinds of printing jobs there are in your community,and the training they require.

Join a chapter of VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs ofAmerica), if your school has one. VICA chapters planprojects, take field trips, and hold competitions in suchskill areas as offset printing.

Invite a local representative from the International Ty-pographical Union to speak to your class about ap-prenticeship opportunities in the printing industry inyour community.

If you are a Boy Scout, try for the merit badge inPrinting.

Computers and electronics are changing printing meth-ods. Hobbies in these areas provide a good backgroundfor a career in the printing industry.

Do a project on electronics or computers for ascience fair.Join an Electronics or Computer Explorer Post, ifthere is one in your area. Exploring is open toyoung men and women aged 14 through 20. Tofind out about Explorer posts in your area, call"Boy Scouts of America" listed in your phonebook, and ask for the "Exploring Division."

Knowledge of photography is increasingly important inthe printing industry.

Learn how to take pictures with a 35-mm camera.Join a Photography Explorer Post, if there is onein your area.If you are a Boy Scout, try for a merit badge inPhotography.If you are a Girl Scout, see if your local troop hasthe From Dreams to Reality program of careerexploration. Troops also offer proficiency badgesin a number of areas, including photography.

Artistic ability is necessary for the compositor in a smallshop who does layout work. Design a collage or posterfor a school activity or a community event.

As a project for an English or art class, set up a displayof different types of printed material: Books, maga-zines, newspapers, flyers, matchbook covers, labels oncontainers and packages. For each item in your dis-play, identify the type size and typeface. The libraryhas books on typography that will help.

Use the topic of metrics in the graphic arts and printingtrades for a report in a mathematics class. You mightbegin your research by writing for information to theOffice of Weights and Measures, National Bureau ofStandards, Washington, D.C. 20234. They also willsupply a list, by State, of speakers to talk about themetric system.

As a project for an English or social studies class, reporton the role of newspapers and the printing industryduring the American Revolution.

Write for information on careers in the printing industryto the American Newspaper Publishers Association,The Newspaper Center, Post Office Box 17407, DullesInternational Airport, Washington, D.C. 20041 and tothe Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, EducationCouncil of the Graphic Arts, 4615 Forbes Avenue,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213.

Related Occupations

The compositor handles only one step of a printingjob. The work of other people in printing and publishingoccupations is described below. If you need to, refer tothe list of job titles at the end.

1. I run the printing press, inserting print plates intothe machine and controlling the ink and paper. I alsomay have to clean or repair the machine. Who am I?

2. I check the type for all kinds of errors, such asspelling, grammar, punctuation, and margins. Who amI?

3. I make metal printing plates of pictures and othercopy that cannot be set in type. Who am I?

4. I make duplicate plates from the forms turned outby the composing room workers. These are used for jobsthat demand volume printing, such as books and maga-zines. Who am I?

5. I operate machinery that folds, sews, staples, andbinds printed items. Who am I?

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Exploring Careers

6. I deal with the public, trying to get new businessfoi the printing company. Selling this service requires aknowledge of printing technology and the ability toadvise customers about their particular needs. Who amI?

7. i take the manuscript and rough ideas from theclient and then plan the design of the job. I prepare thejob for the composing room workers. Who am I?

8. I oversee the entire production process, followingeach job from the planning stage to the delivery to thecustomer. I must see that we stick to the budget and time

schedule set up for every job we do. Who am I?

Bookbinder

Production manager

Electrotyper

Printing press operator

Proofreader

Layout artist

Photoengraver

Printing sales representative

See answers at the end of chapter.

30


Job Facts

There isn't room In this book for a story about every industrial production occupation.However, you'll find some important facts about 33 of these occupations in thefollowing section. If you want additional information about any of them, you mightbegin by consulting the Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook,which should be available in your school or public library.

Occupation Nature and Places of Work Training and Qualifications Other Information

FOUNDRY OCCUPATIONS

Patternmakers Foundry pattemmakers arehighly skilled craftworkers. Theymake the metal or wood patternsthat are used in producing indus-trial and household goods frommetal castings.

Most patternmakers work inshops that make and sell castings.The rest work in plants that makecastings to use in their final prod-ucts, such as plants operated bymanufacturers of automobiles ormachinery.

Precision, accuracy, and manualdexterity are very important. Pat-ternmakers work from blueprintsand check dimensions with in-struments such as micrometersand calipers. To read blueprints,they must be able to visualizeobjects in three dimensions.

Apprenfjceship, usually lasting 5years, is the best way of learningto be a pattemmaker. A few ap-prenticeships last only 3 or 4years. Although it is difficult tolearn the trade on the job, someskilled machinists transfer tometal pattemmaking with addi-tional on-the-job training andexperience.

Employers almost always requireapprentices to have a high schooleducadun. Vocational and tech-nical school training in pattern-making, metalworking, and ma-chining may be credited towardcompletion of the apprentice-ship.

Pattemmakers work indoors inwell-lighted, well-ventilatedareas and are not exposed to theheat and noise of the foundryfloor. Although not strenuous,patternmaking requires consid-erable standing and movingabout.

Because patternmakers learneither basic metalworking orwoodworking, they are qualifiedfor related jobsas machinistsor cabinetmakers, for example.

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Exploring Careers


Molders Molders make sand molds foruse in producing metal castings.Most are machine molders; theyoperate molding machines thatpack and ram the sand mechan-ically. Others are hand molders,and use manual methods andpower tools to construct sandmolds.

Molders work in shops that makeand sell castings, or in plants thatmake castings to use in their finalproducts.

People become skilled handmolders by completing a 4-yearapprenticeship program or learn-ing the work informally throughon-the-job training. Less skilledhand molding jobs and most ma-chine molding jobs can belearned with 2 to 6 months of on-the-job training, but employersprefer those with apprenticeshiptraining.

While an eighth grade z-incationusually is the minimum require-ment for apprenticeship, manyemployers prefer high schoolgraduates.

Working conditions vary. Inolder foundries, work is per-formed in a dusty, noisy, dirty,hot atmosphere. In foundrieswith improved ventilation andair-conditioning, there is muchless heat and dust.

The work is physically demand-ing and may be hazardous attimes. Molders must be careful toavoid burns from hot metal.

Coremakers

32

Coremakers prepare the "cores"that are placed in molds to formthe hollow sections in metal cast-ings. Cores are made either byhand or by machine. When handmethods are used, the coremakeruses mallets and other handtoolsto pack sand into the corebox.Machine coremakers operatemachines that pack the sand.

Coremakers work in shops thatmake and sell castings or inplants that make castings to usein their final products.

People become skilled handcoremakers by completing a 4-year apprenticeship program, orlearning the work informallythrough on-the-job training. Ap-prenticeships also are sometimesrequired for more difficult ma-chine coremaking jobs.

Apprenticeships in coremakingand molding often are combined.

While an eighth grade educationusually is the minimum require-ment for coremaking appren-tices, most employers prefer ap-prentices who are high schoolgraduates.

LV

Coremaking is one of the leasthazardous foundry jobs.



MACHINING OCCUPATIONS

All-round Machinists Machinists are skilled metal-workers. They use metalworkingmachines of various kinds tomake and repair metal parts,tools, and machines.

Most machinists work in facto-ries that produce metal productssuch as automobiles and machin-ery. Almost every factory usingsubstantial amounts of machin-ery employs all-round machiniststo maintain its mechanicalequipment. The Federal Govern-ment employs machinists inNavy Yards and other places.

Leading areas of employment areLos Angeles, Chicago, NewYork, Philadelphia, Boston, SanFrancisco, and Houston.

Precision and accuracy are veryimportant. Machinists consultblueprints before beginning tomake a machined product, andcheck the results with precisioninstruments such as micrometers.

A 4-year formal apprenticeshipis the best training, althoughmany machinists learn this tradeon the job. A high school or vo-cational school education is de-sirable.

All-round machinists can oper-ate most types of machine tools,whereas machine tool operatorsgenerally work with one kindonly.

Machinists must follow strictsafety regulations when workingaround high-speed machinetools. Short-sleeved shirts, safetyglasses, and other devices are re-quired to reduce accidents.

Opportunities for advancementare good. With additional train-ing, machinists can become tool-and-die makers. Skilled machin-ists can open their own shops.

Many machinists are members ofunions.

Instrument Makers(Mechanical)

Instrument makers work withscientists and engineers to trans-late designs and ideas into exper-imental or custom-built mechan-ical equipment. Most of themwork for firms that manufactureinstruments or for research anddevelopment laboratories thatmake special devices for scien-tific research. The Federal Gov-ernment also employs instrumentmakers.

The main centers of instrumentmaking are in and around NewYork, Chicago, Los Angeles,Boston, Philadelphia, Washing-ton: Detroit, Buffalo, and Cleve-land.

Precision and accuracy are im-portant, for instrument makersoften work to very fine toler-ances. They need spatial and rea-soning ability, plus imaginationand resourcefulness, for they of-ten work from rough sketches orideas rather than detailed blue-prints.

Some instrument makers ad-vance from the ranks of machin-ists or skilled machine tool op-erators by completing 1 or 2years or more of instrument shopexperience. Others learn theirtrade through 4-year apprentice-ships.

Employers generally prefer highschool graduates for apprentice-ship programs, and additionaltechnical school training is desir-able.

r

Instrument assembly rooms aresometimes known as "whiterooms" because almost sterileconditions are maintained.

Serious work accidents are notcommon, but safety rules requirethe wearing of =win apparatusand clothing.

Many instrument makers are un-ion members.

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Exploring Careers


Machine Tot...Operators

These workers use machine toolssuch as lathes, drill presses, mill-ing machines, grinding ma-chines, and punch presses toshape metal.

Most work in factories that pro.duce metal products, transporta-tion equipment, and machinery.Skilled machine tool operatorsalso work in production depart-ments, maintenance depart-ments, and toolrooms.

Employment is concentrated inmajor industrial areas includingthe Great Lakes region, Los An-geles, Philadelphia, St. Louis,and Indianapolis.

Machine tool operators usuallylearn their skills on the job. Mostare semiskilled operators; theyperform simple repetitive opera-tions that can be learned in justa few months. Becoming a skilledoperator often requires 1 to 2years of experience and on-the-job training. Some companieshave formal training programsfor new employees.

Although no special education isrequired, courses in mathematicsand blueprint reading are help-ful.

Most operators stand a great dealof the time and work in a rela-tively small space.

Machine tool operators have jobtitles that refer to the machinethey operate: Drill press opera-tor, milling machine operator,and the like.

Skilled machine tool operatorsmay become all-round machin-ists, tool-and-die makers, or ad-vance to machine maintenancejobs.

Most machine tool operators be-long to unions.

Setup Workers(Machine Tools)

34

These skilled workers, oftencalled machine tool job setters,prepare large complex tools suchas a drill press or lathe for use.They consult blueprints, writtenspecifications, or job layouts: se-lect and install proper cutting orother tools; and adjust guides,stops, and othei controls. Theyexplain to semiskilled operatorshow to run the machine.

They work in factories that man-ufacture fabricated metal prod-ucts, transportation equipment,and machinery.

Employment is concentrated inmajor industrial areas includingLos Angeles, Philadelphia, NewYork, Chicago, Detroit, andCleveland.

They must meet the same quali-fications as all-round machinists.Good judgment is needed to se-lect the sequence of operationsso that metal parts will be madeaccording to specifications. Theability to communicate clearly isimportant in explaining the ma-chinery operations to semiskilledworkers. Setup workers may ad-vance to shop supervisor ortransfer to other jobs such asparts programmer.

Because they work with high-speed machine tools that havesharp cutting edges, setup work-ers must follow certain safetypractices.

Many setup workers are mem-bers of unions.


Occupation

Tool-and-Die Makers

Nature and Places of Work Training and Qualifications Other Information

These highly skilled, creativeworkers produce tools, dies, andspecial guiding and holding de-vices used by other machiningworkers to mass-produce metalparts. They have a broad knowl-edge of machining operations,mathematics, and blueprint read-ing; use almost every type of ma-chine tool and precision measur-ing instrument; and do repairwork.

Most work in plants that producemanufacturing, construction,and farm machinery. Otherswork in automobile, aircraft, andother transportation equipmentindustries, small tool-and-dieshops, and electrical machineryand fabricated metal industries.

About one-fifth work in the De-troit and Flint, Chicago, and LosAngeles areas. Employment alsois concentrated in Cleveland,New York, Newark, Dayton, andBuffalo.

Mechanical ability, finger dex-terity, an aptitude for precisework, and a good workingknowledge of mathematics andphysics are important.

They obtain their skills in a va-riety of ways including formalapprenticeship. vocationalschool, and on-the-job training.A 4-year apprenticeship proba-bly is the best way to learn thetrade.

Most employers prefer personswith high school or trade schooleducation for apprenticeships.Several years of experience afterapprenticeship often are neces-sary to qualify for more difficultwork.

Some advance to supervisoryand administrative positions inindustry: many become tool de-signers; others open their ownshops.

Because of their extensive skillsand knowledge, tool-and-diemakers are able to change jobswithin machining occupationsmore easily than less skilledworkers.

As with other machining work-ers, they wear protective glasseswhen working around metal-cut-ting machines. Tool-and-dieshops usually are safer than sim-ilar operations in productionplants.

Many are members of unions.

PRINTING OCCUPATIONS

Compositors Compositors set type. Nearly allcompositors use machines andpress keys similar to a type-writer's. Type is set by hand onlyfor very special printing jobs.

Most compositors work for news-paper plants. or for commercialprinting plants, book and maga-zine printers, and printing plants.Some work for banks, insurancecompanies, advertising agencies,manufacturers. and other firmsthat do their own printing.

Skilled compositors usually learntheir trade through a 6-year ap-prenticeship. This period may beless for apprentices who have al-ready worked in the printing in-dustry. Shorter apprenticeshipsalso are customary for peoplewho have had courses in printingtechnology.

Applicants for apprenticeshipgenerally must be high schoolgraduates. Courses in mathemat-ics and English, especially spell-ing. are important, and a back-ground in electronics and pho-tography is increasingly useful.

Working conditions vary fromplant to plant. Some are hot andnoisy. In general. new plants arewell-lighted and clean.

Many compositors are unionmembers.

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Exploring Careers

Occ-u, ation Nature and Places of Work Training and Qualifications Other Information

Lithographers Lithography, also known as off-set printing, is a printing processin which the material to beprinted is either drawn or repro-duced photographically on a flatmetal plate. Then the plate istreated chemically so that theprinting areas will attract inkwhile the nonprinting areas repelit and stay blank.

Lithographic workers specializein different steps of the printingprocess. Some are camera oper-ators; others are artists, strippers,or platemakers.

Lithographers work for commer-cial printing plants, newspapers,and book and magazine printers.Some work for the U.S. Govern-ment Printing Office.

Lithographic craft workers usu-ally must complete a 4- or 5-yearapprenticeship program. Ap-prenticeship applicants usuallymust be high school graduatesand at least 18 years old.

Some lithographers learn thecraft by taking a 2-year programin printing technology at a tech-nical institute, junior college, orcollege.

High school courses in printing,photography, mathematics,chemistry, physics, and art arehelpful.

Although the work is not stren-uous, lithographers are on theirfeet much of the time. Theysometimes are under pressure tomeet publication deadlines.

Many lithographers are unionmembers.

Photoengravers Photoengravers make metalprinting plates of drawings, pho-tographs, and other copy thatcannot be set in type. Theseplates are then printed in the let-terpress process.

Over half work in shops thatmake photoengravings for otherprinting firms. Other employersinclude newspapers, photoen-graver shops, book and magazineprinters, and the Federal Gov-ernment. Some photoengravershave their own shops.

Most learn through a 5-year ap-prenticeship program. Appren-ticeship applicants must be atleast 18 years old and generallymust have a high school or vo-cational school education.

Although the work is not stren-uous, photoengravers stand upmuch of the time. Good eyesightis particularly important becauseof the close work and color dis-crimination involved.

Most photogravers are unionmembers.

Electrotypers andStereotypers

36

These workers make duplicatepress plates of metal, rubber, andplastic for letterpress printing.Duplicate plates are used whenthere is a large volume of print-ing to be done.

Electrotypers work mostly inplants that print books and mag-azines. Most stereotypers workfor newspaper plants. Electrotyp-ers and stereotypers also are em-ployed in shops that provide thisservice for printing firms.

Nearly all complete 5- to 6-yearapprenticeships. Electrotypingand stereotyping are separatecrafts and relatively few transferstake place between the two. Ap-prenticeship applicants must beat least 18 years old.

Although operations are highlymechanized, some lifting ofheavy press plates occasionally isrequired.

Nearly all electrotypers and ster-eotypers are union members.



Printing PressOperators

These workers set up, adjust, andoperate offset, letterpress, andgravure printing presses.

Over half work in commercialprinting plants or in the print-shops of book, newspaper, andmagazine publishers. Otherswork for banks, insurance com-panies, manufacturers, and otherorganizations that do their ownprinting.

Most press operators learnthrough apprenticeship, whilesome learn as helpers or pressassistants. Others obtain theirskills through a combination ofwork experience and vocationalor technical school training.

The length of apprenticeship andthe content of training dependlargely upon the kind of pressused in the plant. Apprentice-ships in commercial shops gen-erally last 2 years for press assist-ants and 4 to 5 years for pressoperators.

Mechanical aptitude is importantin making press adjustments andrepairs. The ability to visualizecolor is essential for work oncolor presses. Physical strengthand endurance are needed forwork on some kinds of presses,where operators lift heavy platesand stand for long. periods.

Pressrooms are noisy and work-ers in some areas wear ear pro-tectors. Press operators are sub-ject to hazards when workingnear machinery. They sometimeswork under pressure to meetdeadlines.

Many pressroom workers are un-ion members.

Bookbinders andBindery Workers

Bookbinders glue, sew, or staplethe pages and the covers togetherto produce a book. They operatemachines and do some of thework by hand.

Many work in shops that spe-cialize in bookbinding. Otherswork in bindery departments ofbook publishing firms, commer-cial printing plants, and large li-braries.

Some skilled bookbinders workin hand binderies. They designoriginal bindings for a limitednumber of copies of a large edi-tion, or restore and rebind rarebooks.

A 4- or 5-year apprenticeshipgenerally is required to qualifyas a skilled bookbinder. Appren-ticeship applicants usually musthave a high school education andbe at least 18 years old.

Although most bindery workerslearn their tasks through on-the-job training lasting from severalmonths to 2 years, many learnthrough formal apprenticeship.

Accuracy, patience, neatness,and good eyesight are qualitiesneeded by bookbinders. Goodfinger dexterity is necessary forworkers who count, insert, paste,and fold.

Bookbinding shops are noisywhen machinery is operating.Long periods of standing andconstant use of the arms can betiring.

Many bindery workers are unionmembers.

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Exploring Careers


OTHER INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION AND RELATED OCCUPATIONS

Assemblers Following instructions or dia-grams, assemblers put togetherthe parts of manufactured itemsusing hand and machine tools.Many perform a single operationon an assembly line. Others havemore complex jobs: Bench as-semblers may make steering col-umns for automobiles, build ri-fles, or put together the smallcomponents used in radios; floorassemblers put together largemachinery or equipment on shopfloors; highly skilled assemblersmay have to wire tubes for atelevision set or put together andtest a calculator.

All work inplants, almostplants that makemotor vehicles.

manufacturingtwo-thirds inmachinery and

Over half work in the heavilyindustrialized States of Califor-nia, New York, Michigan, Illi-nois. Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Speed and accuracy, manualdexterity, patience, good eye-sight, and physical fitness maybe important. Assemblers oftenwork with very small parts. Floorassemblers may have to lift andfit heavy objects. Skilled assem-blers use precision measuring in-struments and must know how toread blueprints and other engi-neering specifications.

Inexperienced people can betrained in a few days or weeks.Longer training is required forskilled assembly jobs.

High school graduation usuallyis not required. However, someemployers prefer applicants withmechanical aptitude and voca-tional school training.

Assembly jobs tend to be moremonotonous than other blue-col-lar jobs. Working conditions dif-fer, depending on the job per-formed. Some work in clean,well-lighted rooms while otherswork in noisy, dirty areas. Someare under pressure to keep upwith the speed of assembly lines.Work schedules may vary atplants with more than one shift.

Many assemblers are members ofunions.

Automobile Painters These skilled workers repaintolder vehicles that have lost theluster of their original paint andmake body repairs almost invis-ible. They remove old paint bysanding, fill nicks and scratcheswith body putty, and mix paintswhen necessary.

Almost two-thirds work in shopsthat specialize in automobile re-pairs. Most others work for au-tomobile and truck dealers.Some work for organizations thatmaintain and repair their ownfleets of vehicles, such as truck-ing companies and buslines.Many experienced painters opentheir own shops.

38

Good health, keen eyesight, anda good color sense are very im-portant. Agility also is vital asthey often bend and stoop toreach all parts of the car.

Most auto painters start ashelpers and gain skills by work-ing with experienced painters.Becoming highly skilled requires3 to 4 years of on-the-job train-ing. A few learn by completing3-year apprenticeship programs.

High school graduation is not re-quired, but may be an advantagesince it shows reliability and per-severance. Experienced paintersmay advance to shop supervisor,while those with the necessaryfunds open their own shops.

They may wear protective equip-ment because of fumes.

Many painters belong to unions.



Blacksmiths Blacksmiths make and repairequipment and other items madeof metal. Those who specialize inshoeing horses are called farriers.

Almost two-thirds work in fac-tories, railroads, and mines. Theremainder work in small shops,and most are self-employed.

Most farriers are self-employedand contract their services tohorse trainers at racetrack stablesand to owners of horses used forprivate or public recreation.

Good physical conditioning isimportant because poundingmetal and handling heavy toolsand parts require strength andstamina. Farriers must have thepatience to handle horses.

Many beginners enter the occu-pation by working as helpers.Others complete 3- or 4-year ap-prenticeship programs that teachblueprint reading, proper use oftools and equipment, heat-treat-ment of metal, and forging meth-ods.

Many farriers learn by assistingexperienced workers. Some takecourses in horseshoeing at a col-lege or private horseshoeingschool. At least 3 to 5 years ofexperience are required to obtainskills necessary to shoe race-horses. Farriers who wish towork at racetracks must pass alicensing exam.

A blacksmith's job may be haz-ardous. Blacksmiths are subjectto burns from forges and heatedmetals and cuts and bruises fromhandling tools. They often wearprotective devices.

Some farrilr jobs are seasonaland may involve long hours,weekend work and much travel.

Many blacksmiths belong to un-ions.

Blue-Collar WorkerSupervisors

These workers train new employ-ees, maintain employee and pro-duction records, plan and sched-ule work, and prepare reports onproduction, cost, personnel, andsafety.

Over half work in manufactur-ing, supervising the productionof cars, washing machines, or anyof thousands of other products.Most of the remainder work inthe construction industry, inwholesale and retail trade, and inpublic utilities.

Most. supervisors are promotedthrough the ranks. Experience,skill, and leadership qualities arevital. Employers place specialemphasis on the ability to moti-vate employees, maintain highmorale, command respect, andget along with people.

Completion of high school is theminimum educational require..ment. A college or technicalschool background can be help-ful, particularly in industrieswith highl: ' 'chnical productionprocesses.

Supervisors generally work morethan 40 hours a week and some-times do paperwork at home.They may receive overtime pay.Working conditions vary andsome are subjected to noisy, dirtyconditions. On the other hand,they have more challenging andprestigious jobs than most blue-collar workers.

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Exploring Careers

Occupation

BoilermakingOccupations


Boilerretakers assemble, erect,dismantle, and repair boilers andother pressure vessels. They usepower tools and devices such asoxyacetylene torches, weldingequipment, power shears, andrigging equipment. Layout work-ers follow blueprints in markingoff lines on metal plates andtubes. Fitters see that boiler partsfit together properly before as-sembly.

Boilermakers work in the con-struction industry, in iron andsteel plants, petroleum refineries,railroads, shipyards, and electricpowerplants. Some work in Navyshipyards and Federal power-plants. Layout workers and fit-ters work mainly in plants thatmake fire-tube and water-tubeboilers, heat exchangers, heavytanks, and similar products.

Physical strength and staminaare required to do the heavywork, and manual dexterity andmechanical aptitude are neededto handle tools.

Many people have become boil-ermakers by working for severalyears as helpers to experiencedboilermakers, but a 4-year ap-prenticeship is considered thebest way to learn this trade. Mostlayout workers and titters arehired as helpers to experiencedworkers, and they take about 2years to become highly skilled.Employers prefer high school orvocational school graduates asapprentices or helpers.

The work may be hazardous.Boilermakers often work indamp, poorly ventilated,cramped quarters and sometimesat great heights. Workers oftenwear protective equipment.

Most workers belong to unions.

Boiler Tenders

40

Boiler tenders operate and main-tain the steam boilers that powerindustrial machinery and heatfactories, offices, and otherbuildings. They also may operatewaste heat boilers that burn trashand other solid waste.

About half work in factories.Plants that manufacture lumber,iron and steel, paper, chemicals,and stone, clay, and glass prod-ucts are among leading employ-ers. Others work for public utili-ties and in hospitals, schools, andFederal, State, and local govern-ment.

Persons learn through on-the-jobtraining as a helper in a boilerroom. Some high school coursesare helpful. Applicants for helperjobs should be in good physicalcondition and have mechanicalaptitude and manual dexterity.

Some large cities and a few Statesrequire boiler tenders to be li-censed. Two types of licenses ex-istfor low pressure and highpressure boilers. Because of re-gional differences in licensing re-quirements, one who moves toanother city or State may have topass an exam for a new license.

They have to work in awkwardpositions and may be exposed tonoise, heat, grease, fumes, andsmoke. They also are subject toburns, falls, and injury from de-fective boilers or moving parts.Modern equipment and safetyprocedures, however, have re-duced accidents.

Some boiler tenders are unionmembers.


Occupation

.Electroplaters

Nature and Places of Work Training and Qualifications Other InformationElectroplaters use an electro-chemical process to give metalarticles such as silverware, jew-elry, and jet engine parts a pro-tective surface or an attractiveappearance.

About half work in shops thatspecialize in metal plating andpolishing. Other platers work inplants that make plumbing fix-tures, cooking utensils, house-hold appliances, electronic com-ponents, motor vehicles, andmetal products.

An eye for detail, patience, man-ual dexterity, and good eye-hand-arm coordination are im-portant. They must carefullystudy job specifications for eachitem to be plated and must ex-amine their work for defects. Inaddition, good physical condi-tion is important as workers mayhave to lift and carry heavy ob-jects at times.

Most learn by helping experi-enced workers, and it usuallytakes at least 3 years to becomean all-round plater. A small pro-portion work for 3 or 4 years asapprentices.

Some high school or vocationalschool courses are helpful, and afew people take a 1- or 2-yearelectroplating course in a juniorcollege, technical institute, or vo-cational high school.

The work may be hazardous.They are subject to burns fromsplashing acids and inhalation oftoxic fumes. Humidity and odorsalso are problems. Workers maywear protective clothing.

Some platers are members of un-ions.

FurnitureUpholsterers

Furniture upholsterers repair orreplace fabrics, springs, padding,and other parts of furniture thatare worn or damaged. They usetack and staple removers, pliers,hammers, hand or power shears,webbing stretchers, upholsteryneedles, and sewing machines.

Over three-fourths own and op-erate or work in small upholsteryshops. Some work in furniturestores and for businesses, such ashotels, that maintain their ownfurniture.

Manual dexterity, coordination,an eye for detail, good colorsense, patience, and a flair forcreative work are helpful. Occa-sional heavy lifting may be re-quired.

Most people complete about 3years of on-the-job training be-fore becoming fully skilled. Vo-cational or high school courses inupholstery are helpful.

Working conditions vary. Someshops are large and clean whileothers are small and dusty.Workers stand whale they workand do stooping, bending, andsome heavy lifting.

Some upholsterers are unionmembers.

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Exploring Careers

Occupation Nature and Places of Work Training and Qualcations Other Information

Forge ShopOccupations

42

Before metal can be shaped, itmust be heated in intensely hotfurnaces (forges) until it is soft.Forge shop workers place theheated metal between two metaldies that are attached to power-presses or In/enters. The ham-mers or presses pound or squeezethe metal into the desired shape.Hammersmiths direct the opera-tion of open die power hammers;hammer operators manipulateimpression die power hammers;press operators control hugepresses equipped with dies; up-setters operate machines thatshape hot metal; heaters controlfurnace temperatures; inspectorsexamine forged pieces for accu-racy, size, and quality; die sinkersmake impression dies for forginghammers and presses; trimmers,grinders, sandblasters or shot-blasters, picklers, and heattreaters are involved in cleaningand finishing operations.

About three-fourths work inshops that make and sell forg-ings. The remainder work inplants that use forgings in theirfinal products, such as plants op-erated by manufacturers of au-tomobiles, farm equipment, andhandtools.

Employment is concentrated inand around Detroit. Chicago,Cleveland, Los Angeles, andPittsburgh.

Forge shop workers must 6estrong enough to lift and moveheavy forgings and dies. Theyneed the stamina and enduranceto work in the heat and noise ofa forge shop.

Most learn their skills on the job.They generally join hammer orpress crews as helpers or heaters,and progress to other jobs as theygain experience. Some forgeshops offer 4-year apprenticeshipprograms for skilled jobs such asdie-sinker, heat treater, hammeroperator, hammersmith, andpress operator. Training require-ments for inspectors range froma few weeks to several months ofon-the-job training.

Employers usually do not requirea high school diploma, but grad-uates may be preferred.

The work is more hazardous thanmos' manufacturing occupa-tions. Workers are subject tonoise, vibration, heat, andsmoke. Workers may wear pro-tective equipment.

Most workers are union mem-bers.



Inspectors(Manufacturing)

Inspectors make certain thatproducts meet specifications. Forexample, they may taste-test softdrinks, use tools such as gaugesand magnifying glasses to makesure airplanes are assembledproperly, or examine a jacket forflaws.

Two-thirds work in plants thatproduce durable goods such asmachinery, transportation equip-ment, electronics equipment, andfurniture. Others work in plantsthat produce goods such as tex-tiles, apparel, and leather prod-ucts.

Almost two-thirds work in Ohio,New York, Michigan, Illinois,Pennsylvania, California, NewJersey, North Carolina, and In-diana.

Inspectors generally are trainedof the job for a brief periodfrom a few hours or days to sev-eral months, depending on theskill requirements. Preferences ofemployers vary widely with re-spect to education, experience,and qualifying aptitudes. Goodhealth and eyesight, accuracy,and the ability to pay attentionto detail, work with numbers,and get along with people maybe important.

Working conditions vary consid-erably. Some have well-lighted,air-conditioned workplaceswhile others are exposed to hightemperature, oil, grease, andnoise.

Many inspectors are members ofunions.

Millwrights Millwrights prepare machineryfor use in a plant. This may in-volve constructing concrete foun-dations or wooden platforms,dismantling existing equipment,and moving, assembling, andmaintaining machinery.

Most work for manufacturingcompanies. The majority are intransportation equipment, metal,paper, lumber, and chemicalproduct's industries. Others workfor contractors in the construc-tion industry; machinery manu-facturers employ a small num-ber.

Employment is concentrated inDetroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland,Buffalo. and the Chicago-Garyarea.

Mechanical aptitude is vital be-cause millwrights work with var-ious tools while putting togetherand taking apart complex ma-1;hinery. Strength and agility also;ire important because mill-wrights do much lifting andclimbing. The ability to give andcarry out instructions accuratelyand analyze and solve problemsalso is important.

Some spend 6 to 8 years learningthe trade informally on the jobas helpers to skilled workers.Others complete 4-year formalapprenticeship programs.

Applicants for apprentice orhelper jobs must be at least 17years old. Some employers preferhigh school or vocational schoolgraduates.

The work may be hazardous, andworkers wear protective devices.In addition to the dangers ofbeing struck by falling objects ormachinery or falling from highplaces, millwrights are subject tothe usual hazards of cuts andbruises.

Millwrights employed by facto-ries generally work year round.Those employed by some con-struction companies may experi-ence periods of unemployment.However, they usually earnhigher wages. Frequently thesemillwrights travel.

Most millwrights belong to un-ions.

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Exploring Careers


Motion PictureProjectionists

Motion picture projectionists op-erate and maintain movie projec-tors and sound equipment. Theymay inspect film, load and startthe machine, adjust light andsound, make the changeover toa second machine at the end ofa reel, rewind film, splice filmwhen required, and make re-pairs. Many of these functionsare automated in modern thea-ters.

The majority work for indoortheaters. Most of the remainderwork for drive-ins, while somework for large manufacturingcompanies, colleges, televisionstudios, and Federal, State, andlocal governments.

Good eyesight and normal colorperception, good hearing, man-ual dexterity, mechanical apti-tude, and a temperament for per-forming routine work alone areimportant.

Most theaters are unionized, andunion membership requirementsvary considerably among the lo-cals. Applicants often must workfor trial periods lasting severalweeks or complete union trainingprograms without compensation.They may have to pass a writtenexam before becoming a unionmember.

Urions prefer high school grad-:n a few cities and States,

projectionists must be licensed,often before applying for unionmembership.

Most work evenings on week-days, generally 4 to .6 hours, and10 hours or more on Saturdaysor Sundays. Some work at sev-eral theaters. In small towns, theyusually work only part time be-cause of the small number ofshows. Those at drive-ins, partic-ularly in northern States, may belaid off during the winter.

The work is not strenuous and isrelatively safe, but there is thedanger of electrical shock andacid burns from the projector'slamp.

OphthalmicLaboratoryTechnicians

44

Ophthalmic laboratory techni-cians (also called optical me-chanics) make eyeglasses. Thetwo types of technicians are sur-facer (lens grinder) and benchtechnician (finisher). In smalllaboratories, one person mayperform both functi'ns; in largelaboratories, these aties may beperformed by several people.

Most work in ophthalmic labo-ratories but some work for retailoptical dispensaries or otherstores that sell prescription len-ses. A few work for eye physi-cians or optometrists who dis-pense glasses directly to patients.

Because they work with ma-chines and small handtools, fin-ger dexterity, some mechanicalability, patience, and a liking forprecision work are important.

The vast majority learn theirskills on the job, usually taking3 years to become all-round me-chanics. High school graduatesmay learn by completing 3- to 4-year apprenticeship programs,and most authorities agree thatthis training leads to more op-portunities. Some technicians re-ceive training in the ArmedForces or complete 9-month vo-cational school programs andthen receive on-the-job training.

Employers prefer high schoolgraduates. Some States requirelicenses.

Work surroundings are noisy be-cause of power grinding and pol-ishing machines.

Some technicians are membersof unions.



PhotographicLaboratoryOccupations

Photographic laboratory workersdevelop film, make prints andslides, and perform related taskssuch as enlarging and retouchingphotographs. All-round dark-room technicians can perform allthe tasks necessary to developand print film. Color techniciansspecialize in processing colorfilm. Darkroom technicians areassisted by specialized workerssuch as developers, printers, andretouchers. Other workers in-clude film numberers, who sortfilm according to the type ofprocessing needed; film strippers,who unwind rolls of film andplace them in developing ma-chines; printer operators, whooperate machines that exposerolls of photographic paper tonegatives; machine print devel-opers, who operate machines thatdevelop these rolls; chemicalmixers, who combine chemicalsthat make up developing solu-tions; slide mounters, who oper-ate machines that cut, insert, andseal slides in mounts; and pho-tocheckers and assemblers, whoinspect finished slides and printsand package them for customers.

Most semiskilled workers areemployed by large photofinish-ing labs that specialize in proc-essing film for amateur photog-raphers. A large proportion ofdarkroom technicians work inlabs operated by portrait andcommercial studios, manufac-turers, newspaper and magazinepublishers, advertising agerand other organizations. somework in commercial labs special-izing in processing work ofprofessional photographers.

For many photography labora-tory jobs, manual dexterity, goodvision, including normal colorperception, and good hand-eyecoordination are important.

Most darkroom technicians learntheir skills on the job, takingabout 3 rars to become fullyqualified. Employers prefer highschool graduates. Training is of-fered in high schools, tradeschools, and the Armed Forces.A few colleges offer 2-year pro-grams in photographic technol-ogy.

Semiskilled photolab workerstrain on the job for a few weeksto several months.

Many darkroom technicianseventually become professionalphotographers.

In some labs, employees maywork much overtime during thesummer and other peak periods,and temporary workers may beemployed during these peaks.

In many semiskilled occupations,the work is repetitious and thepace is rapid. Some workers aresubject to eye fatigue.

45

Exploring Careers


Power TruckOperators

Power truck operators drivetrucks with lifting mechanisms tomove heavy materials. Operatorsmust follow special procedureswhen uswg a truck at a plant,warehouse, or construction site.They may manually load and un-load, keep records of materialsmoved, and maintain trucks ingood working condition.

About three-fourths work inmanufacturing industries. Manywork in plants that make auto-mobiles, machinery, fabricatedmetal products, paper, buildingmaterials, and iron and steel.Many also work in warehouses,depots, freight and marine ter-minals, and mines.

Operators need manual dexter-ity,, strength, and stamina todrive the truck and to load andunload goods. They need goodeyesight, including good depthperception, to pick up, move, anddeposit loads. They often needmechanical ability to performminor maintenance. Large firmsgenerally require applicants topass a physical examioation.

They train on the job for severaldays, but it usually takes severalweeks to reach maximum effi-ciency.

Work may be hazardous, and op-erators may be exposed to allkinds of weather. Operators aresubject to collisions and fallingobjects; some transport dirty ma-terial. However, working condi-tions are being improved.

Production Painters

46

Production painters apply var-nish, lacquer, paint, and otherfinishes to the surface of manu-factured items. Most painters usesprayguns while others use au-tomatic equipment such asspraying machines, dippingtanks, and tumbling barrels.They may use masking tape toprevent colors from overlapping,mix paint, and clean equipment.As production lines becomemore automated, painters mustlearn to use modern machinerysuch as electrostatic applicatorsand powder-type painting sys-tems.

About two-thirds work in plantsthat make automobiles, machin-ery, furniture and other woodproducts, or manufactured metalproducts such as cans, tinware,and handtools.

Production painters need goodeyesight to distinguish colors andcheck for even application ofpaint. The job also demands atolerance for repetitious workand good physical conditionsince painters stand for long pe-riods of time and often work inawkward and cramped positions.

No formal apprenticeship ortraining exists. Workers mayspend from a few days to severalmonths acquiring their skills onthe job. High school graduationmay be needed for advancement.A few painters become supervi-sors.

-""

The job may be hazardous aspainters are exposed to fumesand noises. Workers may wearprotective clothing and appara-tus.

Some painters are union mem-bers.

II IUtill,11t11 rruuuction uccupations

Occupation

Stationary Engineers

Nature and Place.; of Work

Stationary engineers operateboilers, generators, turbines, con-densers, and other equipmentthat provide power, heat, air-conditioning, and light. Theyregularly inspect equipment,check meters and gauges, andmake minor repairs. They maysupervise others.

Places of employment includepower stations, factories, sewageand water treatment plants, of-fices and apartment buildings,hotels, hospitals, and Federal,State, and local governments.

.....,..,...Training and Qualifications

Good physical condition is im-portant because these workersmay crawl inside boilers andwork in crouching or kneelingpositions. Mechanical aptitude,manual dexterity, and accuracyalso are important.

Other Information

Many start as helpers or oilersand acquire their skills on thejob. A good background can beobtained in the Navy or Mer-chant Marine. However, mosttraining authorities recommenda formal 4-year apprenticeship.High school or trade school grad-uates are preferred for appren-ticeship.

Many States and localities havelicensing requirements. Al-though licensing requirementsdiffer from place to place, appli-cants usually must be 18 yearsold, reside for a specified periodin the area in which the exam isgiven, meet experience require-ments, and pass a written exam.One who moves to another areamay have to obtain a new license.

Workers may be assigned to anyone of three shifts around theclock, and to weekend and holi-day work. In many plants, onlyone engineer works on each shift.

The work may be hazardous asworkers may be exposed to heat,dust, dirt, oil and grease, andfumes or smoke. They also aresubject to burns, electric shock,and injury from moving machin-ery;

Some stationary engineers areunion members.

WastewaterTreatmentPlant Operators

Wastwater treatment plant oper-ators control and maintainpumps, pipes, and valves thatsend harmful domestic and in-dustrial waste to treatment facil-ities. They may read and inter-pret meters and gauges to checkplant equipment; operate chemi-cal feeding devices to removepollutants; take samples of waterfor laboratory analysis; and testand adjust the level of chlorinein the water. They keep recordsand may make minor repairs us-ing a variety of tools.

Most work in municipal plantsand private industry while somework in Federal installations.

Mechanical aptitude and com-petence in basic mathematics areimportant. Operators also mustbe agile as they must climb lad-ders and move easily aroundheavy machinery.

Trainees start as helpers andlearn their skills on the job. Em-ployers prefer high school grad-uates and in some States this is aminimum requirement. Some 2-year associate degree programsin wastewater technology areavailable.

In many States, supervisors andcertain operators must pass anexam to certify that they are ca-pable of overseeing plant opera-tions. There are different classesof certification for different sizesof plants. These also may entaileducation and experience re-quirements.

Many operators in small townswork part time. They work dif-ferent shifts and may have towork overtime in an emergency.

They may be exposed to odors,as well as noise from the opera-tion of electrical motors andpumps.

47

txpionng careers

Occupation

Welders


Welders join two or more piecesof metal by applying intense heatand adding filler materials whennecessary. These permanentlyconnected metal parts are thenused in the construction of cars,ships, household appliances, andthousands of other products.Jobs vary from those of highlyskilled manual welders who canuse welding equipment in morethan one position and who ct:nplan their work from drawingsand other specifications to thoseof unskilled welding machinetenders who simply press a but-ton to start a machine.

Almost two-thirds help manufac-ture durable goods such as boil-ers. bulldozers, trucks, ships, andheavy machinery. Most of theremainder repair metal productsor help construct bridges. largebuildings. and pipelines.

Manual dexterity, good eyesight,and good eye-hand coordinationare important. Workers shouldbe able to concentrate on de-tailed work for long periods, andshould be in good physical con-dition since welders bend, stoop,and work in awkward positions.

It takes several years of trainingto become a skilled welder. Someof the less skilled jobs can belearned in a few months or less.A few companies offer appren-ticeship programs. Employersprefer applicants with highschool or vocational school train-ing in welding. Some weldersmay be required to pass certifi-cation exams.

Welding machine operators maylearn skilled welding jobs; skilledwelders may be promoted to in-spectors. technicians, or supervi-sors. Experienced workers withcollege training may becomewelding engineers, while a fewopen their own shops.

Welders work in the presence oftoxic gases. fumes, rust, grease.and dirt. They wear protectiveclothing and devices.

Many welders are union mem-bers.

Answers to Related Occupations

ASSEMBLER

I. Sewing machine operator, 2. Spray painter, 3. Machine cutter, 4. Automatic printdeveloper, 5. Machine packager. 6. Yarn winder, 7. Ampoule filler, 8. Canneryworker, 9. Knitting machine operator.

MACHINIST

1. b, 2. c, 3. g, 4. h. 5. e, 6. d, 7. a, 8. 11

PHOTOCOMPOSITOR

I. Printing press operator, 2. Proofreader, 3. Photoengraver, 4. Electrotyper, 5.Bookbinder, 6. Printing sales representative, 7. Layout artist, 8. Production manager.

Answers to math problems

MACHINIST

1. Three 2-meter bars with 90 centimeters of steel left over. 2. 35 teeth. 3. yes.

48 U.S. ,T.rf-C-PMMLNT PFINTIV, : 1980 - 1:6-::! : 3

Bureau of Labor StatisticsRegional Offices

Region I1603 JFK Federal BuildingGovernment CenterBoston, Mass. 02203Phone: (617) 223-6761

Region IISuite 34001515 BroadwayNew York, N.Y. 10036Phone: (212) 944-3121

Region III3535 Market StreetP.O. Box 13309Philadelphia, Pa. 19101Phone: (215) 596-1154

Region IV1371 Peachtree Street, N.E.Atlanta, Ga. 30309Phone: (404) 881-4418

Region V9th FloorFederal Office Building230 S. Dearborn StreetChicago, III. 60604Phone: (312) 353-1880

Region VISecond Floor555 Griffin Square BuildingDallas, Tex. 75202Phone: (214) 767-6971

Regions VII and VIII911 Walnut StreetKansas City, Mo. 64106Phone: (816) 374-2481

Regions IX and X450 Golden Gate AvenueBox 36017San Francisco, Calif. 94102Phone: (415) 556-4678