Randy Johnson, an instructor in the program, noticed that machine tool sales were on the rise again and that is a positive indicator for technical job seekers nationwide. Locally, he noticed that one company in particular, the GE Energy Division, was actively hiring experienced machinists. This has created a competitive skilled labor market.
Instead of one Machining Technology teacher losing his job because of lack of interest in the program, all three instructors are now in an overload situation, teaching extra courses and answering requests for training from local manufacturers. “Everyone wants CNC qualified people,” says Johnson.
CFCC has shifted the emphasis of its program from manual machining to CNC based on the demand. Students are still given a solid foundation in manual machining, however, 60% of the work centers are on CNC machining. “For students who take a 2nd year, it’s all CNC. By the 3rd semester,” Johnson says, “they have a very good understanding of what computer controlled machining is all about. That’s when we introduce them to off-line computer automated programming with 160 hours of training in Mastercam level 1 and 2, a popular CAM program. This is when all of the students experience total immersion in the world of CNC machining.”
The practical focus of Mastercam training is to program and produce a finished product using one or more CNC machine tools. “We go over the basics of geometry construction and modification, contour milling, drilling, and the like. Then they take the CAM programs they have written and manufacture the part. We inspect it for close tolerances and good quality surface finish, just like they would in the industry. If they can’t hold their tolerances on machining, we back up, regroup, and have them manufacture the part again.”
The students of the certificate program are not finished until they pass the NOCTI (National Occupational Competency Testing Institute) exam, which determines the level of their machining skill. This is a course requirement. The students also have to sit for the 6-hour Mastercam Certification exam that includes writing a program for manufacturing a three-dimensional, six-sided object. The goal of the Certification program is not only to produce skilled programmers, but also to give Certification holders the ability to adapt their talents to the ever-changing technologies in the manufacturing world.
Both Johnson and his teaching colleague Ben Bowie have met the stringent academic and hands-on requirements to be certified Mastercam instructors and administer the national Mastercam exam to their students. While passing the national Mastercam exam is not a Machining Technology Certificate requirement, it is a bonus, since certified Mastercam programmers are frequently offered high paying jobs right out of school.
“I’m thankful that Mastercam has this Certification program,” Johnson said. “This training sets our students apart from the average CAD/CAM user. And, passing the exam documents that difference. An employer can look up on Mastercam’s Web site to see what goals the student has achieved to become Mastercam certified.” In 2005, two students graduated with Mastercam Certification and both landed excellent jobs immediately.
Recently, the College announced a contract with the GE Energy Division and its technical manpower subcontractor Penpower to provide technical training to students who will eventually go on to become nuclear power technicians. After completing the classes on-campus, students will travel to San Jose, California for hands-on training at a mock nuclear reactor and work with trained technicians at utility companies around the country. The whole program will take two years for students to complete. Currently there are 20 students from this program enrolled in Machining Technology classes. In the future, there could be as many as 100 at any given time.
CFCC has encouraged its students to test their creative and technical skills by entering national competitions over the last several years. For example, ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicles) designed and manufactured by students in the Machining Technology and Engineering programs placed first, second, and fourth in three successive years against increasingly stiffer competition.
Today, the spirit of competition is still intact but the bar has been raised in terms of the importance and visibility of the goal. Students are engaged in a project to design and build a self-sustaining, energy efficient house that could become a model for the future. The 1200 sq. ft. house, ultimately designed and built by students, will incorporate innovative systems allowing it to be completely independent of the energy grid.
Johnson said that CFCC is in the early stages of development and all sorts of technologies are being considered including solar panels, wind power, and hydrogen fuel cells to name a few. CFCC Machining Technology students will use their CNC skills to program and manufacture the designs ultimately chosen. The college realizes the need to reduce the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels will result in a tremendous growth industry in the near future. Its goal is to become a resource center for alternative energy manufacturing and to provide this new industry with workers who not only have appropriate knowledge and skill sets, but also hands-on experience.
Overall, Johnson feels hopeful about the sustainable career outlook for CFCCs Machining Technology students. He recently did a simple search on Monster.com using the words ‘CNC programmers Mastercam’. He got 300 hits. Next year, CFCC will graduate 15 to 20 second-year students who will be qualified to compete for those jobs. |