Careers In American Trades

[Music] [Music] well what do you know here comes good old george sure doesn't seem to be in any hurry does he [Music] i wonder where good old george is headed [Music] oh now i see he's headed to his favorite pastime holding down a drink crate at his favorite hangout would you believe george will be graduating next year i wonder if he's given any thought to his future if he has he doesn't seem to be doing anything about it [Music] say it appears that george does have something going for him after all he just might have a natural aptitude for mechanical work [Music] you know george might find a future for himself in the machine trades [Music] well there goes george again he sure is in a hurry for someone who doesn't know where he's headed there must be some way to show george what kind of future he could have in the machine trades [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] george probably doesn't even realize that he could play an important part in making this space shot possible [Music] or help make it possible for this train to carry its cargo swiftly and safely throughout the nation that's right the machine operator the machinist and the tool and die maker make it possible for this train to carry its cargo safely and more efficiently because of their work [Music] the creative talents of skilled workers designed and built the tools necessary to manufacture this machine [Music] skilled craftsmen are men with mechanical abilities and interests very similar to charges this machine does the work required of 30 or more men keeping the track in good condition at the press of a button the tamper will align and raise the track to a level position it's not necessary anymore for men to work long hours packing rock and gravel under cross ties to keep the track in place as you can see this operation must be exact and that same exactness must be used in the manufacture of this equipment an outstanding example of modern equipment used in the manufacture of the tamper is this tape programmed drilling machine it drills taps and mills all under the control of a programmed tape instructions normally given on a blueprint to the machine operator are reduced to a number code which is punched into the paper tape [Music] the rolling tape operates the machine on a principle much like that of the old type player piano the result is a part with all necessary holes drilled tapped and milled in precisely the correct places to precisely the correct diameters to precisely correct tolerances and finished smoothness american industry depends on the skills of both machinists and machine operators to mass-produce thousands of products which we americans take for granted including this equipment used in every part of the united states and all over the world to remain in operation this company employs many machinists who constantly repair and maintain the production machinery which finishes approximately fifteen hundred of the four thousand parts required to manufacture their railroad maintenance equipment in the process of manufacturing this equipment a variety of jobs are performed rough castings such as these heavy railroad wheels are finished to precise specifications by machine operators accuracy is stressed in every step in the manufacturing process and the machine operators who ensure this accuracy are respected and well rewarded individuals it's very likely that many of these machine operators started out just like george with a mechanical ability and felt the need to develop it through further training in many plants machine operators advanced through several levels of salary responsibility and capability [Music] a beginning operator needs instruction performs the comparatively least skilled jobs and is not expected to set up the machine the intermediate level operator needs less help can do machine setups and performs the higher level tasks the advanced operator can do machine setups perform exacting tasks with little or no supervision and rarely causes scrapping of work pieces due to error on his part a craftsman who can get along with his fellow workers and gain their cooperation under his leadership can look forward to promotion to supervisory responsibility and more money so [Music] there are probably thousands of young people with a problem just like george's yet can look pretty dark for those who let unseen opportunity pass them by like most of us george would probably like to improve and better himself but hasn't given a thought to doing anything about it good old george seems to be content with just thinking about bettering himself without making any effort to bring it about [Music] george has no plans for college and yet he doesn't seem to be worried about how he's going to make a living i wonder if anyone has told george how difficult it is for an unskilled person to find a good paying job these days a guy with george's ability should start developing that talent while he's still in school not only does george seem to have the aptitude for this kind of work but he also gets along well with other people and that's important in all kinds of jobs and it's especially true in the machine shop i know sounds like more school and george thinks it's just another drag well maybe george doesn't know what it's really like or maybe he doesn't even know he can start developing this talent while he's still in high school yes a guy like george can start developing his mechanical abilities before he graduates [Music] i wish we could show george it's not really a drag and that the opportunity is right under his nose that's right there's probably a trade school right in george's neighborhood [Music] can you think of a better way for george to spend his time at trade schools students can attend part-time while still in high school or they can attend full-time after graduation here they receive the training basic for employment in industry where the additional experience necessary to become a skilled machinist can be gained while earning a living after a few short days at the trade school this student is beginning a project that will acquaint him with many of the machines that are commonly found in industry the first machine with which the student becomes familiar is the lathe the major job of a lathe is to change the size shape or finish of a turning object with attachments and adjustments a lathe can also drill finish drilled holes to exact size and cut internal and external threads the last three operations are called reaming tapping and threading another machine is the milling machine it produces machined surfaces by gradually removing small amounts of metal from a raw stock which is fed to a rotating milling cutter one of the most often used machines is the drill press its main job is to cut round holes and to or through materials on this particular project the student will make a highly precise gear after making this gear the student will then turn it into a useful household item the student begins by cutting the raw metal to the desired dimensions next he finds the exact center and through the center the student will drill a hole this hole is needed in order for the unfinished block of steel to be attached to the lathe [Music] at the lathe the cutting tool starts to eat away at the square edges of the block causing it to take the desired form trade school students are taught to keep a constant check for accuracy and the usefulness of the finished product will depend on the skill [Music] now we find the student at the horizontal milling machine after being properly set up the milling machine will cut the intricate teeth of the gear as you can see each cut must be exact in order for the gear to be a perfect machine part [Music] after plugging up the hole in the center of the gear we find the student at another horizontal lathe he's cutting out the entire center of the gear [Music] perhaps by now you've guessed that he's making a simple ash tray simple not really for this ashtray could have been used as a gear a gear similar to the one housed in the transmission of your family car yes and as you can see the results are most rewarding trade schools like this one are constantly building futures for those who see the need to develop their skills while still in high school and after graduation [Music] [Music] well it looks like george still hasn't caught on to the idea that he needs to start making plans for his future maybe he feels as if he's too close to graduation and doesn't have a chance to start any more courses well that's entirely possible but he shouldn't give up he can always develop his mechanical abilities after graduation [Music] i wonder if george knows about another training opportunity the technical education center [Music] technical education centers were designed to give the high school graduate a well-rounded technical education in many different fields and the tool and die profession is no exception this multi-million dollar complex is designed to educate and train its students to satisfy the demands of modern industry [Music] [Applause] here at tech the student has an opportunity to obtain the education which will be the foundation for his future in the machine trades at tech the student starts his education with simple and basic practices that familiarize him with the general operation of the tool and die shot this beginning student is using a surface grinder to reduce a part to precise dimensions there is also a certain amount of classroom instruction required to give the student a good start toward becoming a tool and die maker the most highly trained and skilled of all craftsmen in the machine trades here's where the student will find a need for all that math that he learned in school classroom is only a part of the process of becoming a precision tool and eye maker the student will be able to put that knowledge to work in operations like this where a tool is disassembled and then made over using exactly the same specifications there are operations that involve the use of machines just like those machines found in many industrial machine shops machines like this horizontal lathe where the student not only learns to use the lathe but also learns to use vital measuring devices such as the micrometer the word precision keeps coming up and that's because it's a requirement that is a must in the machine trade tech students learn the importance of precision and learn to use those devices that measure precision a basic knowledge of the making of metal is required of the tool and eye maker and at the metallurgy lab at tech the student learns basic knowledge of the properties of various metals he learns what changes take place when metal is heated and when metal is treated in other ways tech offers its students the opportunity to learn the use of the latest modern machinery this student is preparing a tape which will be used in a numerical control machine the machine takes its commands from this punched tape and as the information is given the machine carries out the operations more and more devices of this kind are being developed and introduced into modern industry to speed up the production of machine parts and vine operator of this type machine must know the operations of all the machines commonly found in industry as well as computer type operations the tech student becomes deeply involved in this chosen profession and his work becomes a part of his life he learns why the machinist is a highly skilled highly respected and highly rewarded individual [Music] we've proven that the opportunity is there if george would only take advantage of it surely george can't be content with just dreaming of the things he would like to have [Music] all george needs to do is start developing his skills now and someday soon those dreams will become a reality maybe it sounds too simple to be true but it's happening all around him every day george can't really afford to miss the opportunity that can have such a great effect on his life [Music] maybe george doesn't know how important the machinist's job really is maybe george doesn't know that industry is in desperate need of trained machinists one such place is the tool and die shop where skilled craftsmen are in constant demand [Music] skilled individuals who are capable of supplying the precision parts and tools demanded by industry to meet the ever increasing standard of living skilled individuals who make precision tools for the tool and eye industry [Music] machinery that transports people to all parts of the world [Music] machinery that builds the highways and skyscrapers [Music] machinists are in demand in almost every american industry machinists play an essential part of the operation of this plant a plant operated for the purpose of manufacturing capacitors that's right capacitors machinists design build and maintain the machinery needed to mass-produce capacitors skilled men like ed sheeley mr sheely is a method specialist and his job is to solve the mechanical problems which might arise here mr sheeley is discussing the creation of a new part to replace one that has caused problems in production after deciding the course of action to follow the machinist employs his skills and knowledge to perfect the new and improved part starting at the lathe the machinist turns the raw metal to the desired specifications [Music] the part a shaft must be precise in every way [Music] next he uses the familiar milling machine where finishing touches are made this operation is also performed to exact specifications [Music] so [Applause] [Music] [Applause] this machine can perform its job with unbelievable accuracy but a skilled craftsman always makes the necessary measurements to ensure perfection [Applause] [Music] now with the finished shaft complete mr sheeley is assured that the production problems will not arise problems that could mean a delay in the manufacture of the capacitors capacitors that are used in the electrical circuits of the giant rockets that are exploring the universe television and radio receivers [Music] the work of the machinist machine operator and the tool and die maker affects each of us every day yes we depend on their skills to provide us with the new and intricate mechanical devices that our modern society has become so dependent upon [Music] skill that is now being learned in trade schools all over the state [Music] skill that is being developed and expanded in the many technical education centers now provided skill that is being well rewarded with high incomes skill that demands a professional pride by those who have chosen the machine grades as their profession [Music] hey [Music] you know a guy like george sure is lucky in a way i mean just think with his mechanical ability his interests and his way of getting along with people he could be a part of all this but he is the one who must make the decision a decision that can change his entire future a decision that can determine the kind of car he'll drive the size home he'll buy the kind of life he'll be able to offer his wife and children [Music] this is a decision that he must make now and it could very well be the most important decision that he will ever make of course george hasn't even thought about it if someone would just tell george say do you know george why don't you tell him [Music] [Music] [Music] you