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Sshire

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Saw this on the 4x6 Bandsaw group

On the Job Hunt: Machinists in High Demand
<http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/15/on-job-hunt-machinists-in-high-demand/?test=latestnews>
*
By Claudia Cowan
Published December 15, 2011 | FoxNews.com

America's economy was forged by machinists. But today, a quarter of the
nation's welders, engineers and steelworkers are getting ready to
retire. And as budget-strapped school districts cut shop classes, fewer
young people are entering the trade.

The result is a shortage of skilled workers to build and run the
machines that run our lives.

"There's a huge demand for machinists," says veteran machinist Louis
Quindlin." They're needed both in manufacturing, and the industrial
maintenance side, which is repairing equipment, either pumps or valves,
for refineries, water companies, waste water companies..."

The list goes on and on, which is why machinist trade schools like the
one we visited Laney College in Oakland are booming. Here in the large,
noisy classroom, Quindlen and other trade experts teach students how to
think with their hands and work safely around heavy machinery.

Once they gain the skills, these students know a good paying job is
virtually guaranteed.

"It's not hard work, its precision work," says 25-year old Joseph
Henderson, who hopes to have his own machine shop someday. "If you can
pay attention to detail, then this might be the move for you."

From refineries to manufacturing plants, companies are hiring-- with
starting pay as high as $30.00 an hour.

"A good, top level machinist can actually earn more than a manufacturing
engineer these days," says Don Castillo, a manufacturing manager at FM
Industries in Fremont, California.

Others looking at their second or third career -- are hoping a job as a
skilled laborer carries them through to retirement.

"This is definitely something I can see where I can be challenged for a
long time and have a career that will last for a long time," says
28-year old Michah Chong.

Students aren't just learning how to repair and maintain machines,
they're designing and manufacturing parts and prototypes that will give
them the skills to advance America's manufacturing industry -- and keep
the nation competitive."

"If we fill the gap," says Castillo, "we keep jobs here we can compete
with the rest of the world and maintain a good level of manufacturing
here in the U.S."

A study done by the National Association of Manufacturers concluded the
largest impediment to future growth is a skilled workforce. That's why
training the next generation of machinists is critical to ensuring
America remains a nation of builders
 
I can relate to this our company is having a hard time filling machinist positions I think they have around 20 open requisitions right now.
 
We're lookin' too but all we get are CNC operators that have no idea how to take 1 rough casting and make a good part. We have mostly "big iron" and do no production type work.
 
Same issues here.

The company I used to work for is begging for skilled machinists to apply.

Rick




 
Good tradesmen are seldom out of work. The unemployed are the "never was a tradesman" or the ones who skipped class because 'I will never use that math or if they want a gear cut they can send it out'.
 
Just out of curiousity....and please no naming names....but what's the going rate for a "skilled machinist"?

And to qualify...I'm talking a guy who can set up and run jobs on CNC as well as manual machines for one offs and repair...you know the "Hey Joe I need a 3DP 14 tooth pinion to this print and deal with the heat treat vendor to make sure it's right....I'll be by next Wednesday to pick it up" kinda guy. Knows his stuff and is willing to mentor the "youngins"......

I think he should be payed very well...on par with lots of traditional "white" collar jobs....but I am curious if that is the case.....
I'm hoping that someone like that is being appreciated.

Dave
 
This is a very depressed area where the average blue collar wage is $10/hr.
A machinist working for one of the top job shops here is earning exactly double that.

It all depends on the area.

Rick

 
Here in Australia, Melbourne, CNC setters/programmers are getting anything between AU$25 an hour to over AU$40 an hour if you are in a supervisory roll. There is a massive shortage of setters/machinists in this country on the whole. I blame the machine shops, most apprentices here get used as slave labour and most don't even finish their apprenticeship. Machine shops in the past paid crappy wages so kids were encouraged to go to uni and skip the trades jobs which caused a shortage of trades people which in turn drove the wages up.....I for one am not complaining. My wife went to uni for 5 years, she is now a high school teacher with a hex debt. I finished school at 15 and went into a machine shop and now supervise a CNC machine shop and I make about 30% more than she does.
 
Just to stick my tuppence worth in.

These bankers/accountants and such like, don't seem to realise that without the machinists, fitters and not forgetting the workshop labourers, there wouldn't be anything to sell. Yes I have a jaded view on things, I was made redundant twice last year, and when I saw my old shop foreman he told me revalation, one of the MD's had gotten himself a mercedes sl on the savings he'd made after making 2 of us redundant.

Rich
 
Only the other day, i filled out an 'online assessment' for an australian working visa putting my occupation down as a 'machinist'. I failed the assessment :eek: :eek: :eek:

Maybe someone should tell the australian bureau that they need machinists ;) ;) then i can get my butt over there ::)

Regards
 
People in this area say there's a shortage of machinists willing to work for what the whinging companies are offering...

 
shred said:
People in this area say there's a shortage of machinists willing to work for what the whinging companies are offering...

An ex Navy colleague of mine went to work for the local bus company as a diesel fitter. Some time later I, (for some strange reason), boarded a bus and there in the drivers seat was my ex Navy colleague. Naturally I asked him why he was driving the bus.

"Well, I'm clean, nicely dressed and I earn around 30% more than I did maintaining the bloody things."

Need I say more.

Boxfordian said:
Only the other day, i filled out an 'online assessment' for an australian working visa putting my occupation down as a 'machinist'. I failed the assessment :eek: :eek: :eek:

Maybe someone should tell the australian bureau that they need machinists ;) ;) then i can get my butt over there ::)

Regards

This is a list of Occupations in Demand.

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/transitional/occupations-in-demand.htm

There are also penalties on your points score for every year you are over 34.

Hope this helps

Best Regards
Bob


 
I find this thread interesting as I peruse the local and provincial on-line want adds for a "lathe" as my only search word and up pops tens of listings for machinist wanted / cnc programmer / etc.

As Bob points out - unfortunately these occupations are no longer valued in our society - we want you to have X years experience and do years at school and apprenticeship but you get to earn 15-20 bucks an hour after all that.
to quote Sshire's article:
Once they gain the skills, these students know a good paying job is virtually guaranteed.
I think "good paying" is relative if your comparing it to working in fast food, but as far as a skilled trade or blue collar job,

drop out of high school after you have a drivers license, get a bus driving job and start at 25 an hour and with a few years on the job, overtime and bad management you can earn $100k a year here in my town driving a bus.
(similar story for delivering mail, selling liquor at the provincially run liquor store, clearing the ice at the local rink, etc)

As a machinist you might be able to earn the respect of the people you work for / with but you won't earn much money doing it around here...

Mike

 
When I first started out, an old machinist told me, "Being a machinist will always put bread on the table. It won't put cake, but it will always put bread on the table."
 
Mike: You are comparing civil service jobs to private industry. In Canada, wages, benefits and pensions in all levels of government are way above private company rates. I expect a machinist working for the government would be earning more than the bus driver.
 
There are also penalties on your points score for every year you are over 34.

Aarrgh Thanks Bob :mad: :mad: Thats me 12 points down then before i even try and sell myself ::)

Interesting thread though to see the different views from around the world.

Ray





 
Money isn't everything.

I have 35 years of machining experience and I'm not making the top machinist's wage these days.
I'm still doing machinist work but in a different element.

I'm no longer jumping up and down with both feet on a 3/4 drive ratchet to indicate a 15 ton piece to within
.001 TIR. An average tolerance now is .004". No more +0.0000 -.0002" over a 20" length.
No more lifting 100 pound boring bars and ram extensions.

I still love machining, I'm just too old for the heavy industry type of work.
I'm willing to work for a few dollars less and save what is left of my back.

It's a young mans venue. Too bad the young men are not interested in doing it.

Rick
 
rake60 said:
Money isn't everything.

I have 35 years of machining experience and I'm not making the top machinist's wage these days.
I'm still doing machinist work but in a different element.

I'm no longer jumping up and down with both feet on a 3/4 drive ratchet to indicate a 15 ton piece to within
.001 TIR. An average tolerance now is .004". No more +0.0000 -.0002" over a 20" length.
No more lifting 100 pound boring bars and ram extensions.

I still love machining, I'm just too old for the heavy industry type of work.
I'm willing to work for a few dollars less and save what is left of my back.

It's a young mans venue. Too bad the young men are not interested in doing it.

Rick

Amen to that, no more heavy lifting for me. I dont think changing a 10" chuck would be wise for myself without some light Crane system over the lathe.

I have to work smart and not hard or my next job could be my last.

As you get older you have to humble yourself and dont by shy about asking a stronger younger man for help. he learns tricks from the old man and you can get on with what you do best, In the long run you live better and longer and later you can pass the micrometer down to the next generation. :)
 
rake60 said:
Too bad the young men are not interested in doing it.
I'm interested! ;D but no one will take me on as an apprentice ??? Nz is a wee bit smaller than most place tho
 
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