Northshore Technical Community College, Hammond, Ind., offers a machinist training program that it hopes will offset the gap in manufacturing job openings and qualified people to fill them, according to the school.
The 2-year program acts as an introduction to a machining career, with students getting an associate degree in applied science with a concentration in machine tool technology, said Bridget LaBorde, dean of the campus.
This spring, 15 students enrolled in the course, but the school is hoping to attract more to fix a shortage of skilled workers that manufacturing has faced for years, she said.
The studym from Deloitte, a financial consulting firm, and the Manufacturing Institute, said in the next 10 years, there will be 3.5 million manufacturing job openings in the United States, with 2 million going unfilled because there are not enough trained people for the positions.
The study pointed to baby boomer retirements and economic growth as the cause for the skills gap. LaBorde said the challenge facing the manufacturing industry is convincing young people to take an interest in operating the machines to replace those baby boomers.
According to Eddie Adams, a machinist instructor with NTCC, machining, saw a boom during World War II, as factories rushed to make war supplies.
During the 1960s and 1970s, machines became computerized, helping manufacturing grow even more, he said.
Robin Mizell was one of the first instructors when the Hammond campus started its machinist program about 2 years ago. He helped revamp the machine tool technology workshop, which now has a variety of both manual and computerized machines.
It is important for machinists to learn how to operate a manual machine to get a feel for how it works, before moving on to the computer numerical control grinders, mills, lathes and routers, he said.
The school plans to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for the expanded workshop on July 16 at 9 a.m., inviting businesses and the community to learn about the program.
LaBorde said she wants to change the perception of machining so that students will see it as a good career choice.
Related Glossary Terms
- computer numerical control ( CNC)
computer numerical control ( CNC)
Microprocessor-based controller dedicated to a machine tool that permits the creation or modification of parts. Programmed numerical control activates the machine’s servos and spindle drives and controls the various machining operations. See DNC, direct numerical control; NC, numerical control.
- numerical control ( NC)
numerical control ( NC)
Any controlled equipment that allows an operator to program its movement by entering a series of coded numbers and symbols. See CNC, computer numerical control; DNC, direct numerical control.
- sawing machine ( saw)
sawing machine ( saw)
Machine designed to use a serrated-tooth blade to cut metal or other material. Comes in a wide variety of styles but takes one of four basic forms: hacksaw (a simple, rugged machine that uses a reciprocating motion to part metal or other material); cold or circular saw (powers a circular blade that cuts structural materials); bandsaw (runs an endless band; the two basic types are cutoff and contour band machines, which cut intricate contours and shapes); and abrasive cutoff saw (similar in appearance to the cold saw, but uses an abrasive disc that rotates at high speeds rather than a blade with serrated teeth).
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