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Machine operators set up, load, run, and monitor production machinery that cuts, forms, fills, or finishes material. Much of the skill is in noticing when a machine drifts off settings and correcting it before a batch goes wrong. Operators usually run a defined set of machines and hand anything beyond routine adjustment to maintenance.
Short course or on-the-job trainingManufacturing, production and quality
CNC machinists produce precision metal and plastic parts on computer-controlled lathes, mills, and grinders. They read engineering drawings, set the machine and tooling, prove out the program, and inspect the result against tight tolerances. Much of the craft is in workholding, tool selection, and knowing how a material behaves as it is cut.
ApprenticeshipManufacturing, production and quality
CNC programmers turn a part drawing or CAD model into the toolpaths and machine code that will cut it. They choose cutting strategies, tooling, and speeds and feeds, then simulate the program to catch collisions before it reaches the shop floor. The role sits between design and production and usually involves close work with machinists.
Certificate or college diplomaManufacturing, production and quality
Tool and die makers build and repair the cutting tools, dies, moulds, jigs, and fixtures that other machines use to make parts. The tolerances are finer than most production work and the parts are usually one-offs, so a great deal of the job is fitting, hand-finishing, and problem-solving. They also diagnose why a tool is producing bad parts and put it right.
ApprenticeshipManufacturing, production and quality
Manufacturing technicians keep production equipment and processes running to specification, sitting between operators and engineering. They set up equipment, run trials, chase down faults, and implement small changes that improve yield or reliability. The work is diagnostic: much of it is figuring out why a process that worked yesterday is drifting today.
Certificate or college diplomaManufacturing, production and quality
Calibration technicians check and adjust measuring instruments and test equipment so that the numbers a plant relies on can be trusted. They work to documented procedures traceable to national measurement standards and record the as-found and as-left condition of every instrument. When equipment is found out of tolerance they help assess what work may have been affected.
Certificate or college diplomaManufacturing, production and quality
Process technicians run and monitor continuous or batch production processes, often from a control panel or system as well as at the equipment itself. They watch temperatures, pressures, flows, and yields, make controlled adjustments, and respond when a process alarms. The role carries real safety weight because process upsets can escalate quickly.
Certificate or college diplomaManufacturing, production and quality
Industrial maintenance technicians keep production machinery working, covering planned servicing as well as breakdown repair. The work spans mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and often electrical and control systems, so diagnosis is a core skill. Breakdown work can be pressured, because the line is usually stopped while the fault is found.
ApprenticeshipManufacturing, production and quality
Maintenance planners turn maintenance demand into an executable schedule: scoping jobs, ordering parts, booking access to equipment, and sequencing work so technicians are not waiting. They also maintain the asset records and preventive routines that the plan is built from. The role reduces reactive work by making planned work easy to do.
Varies by employer or jurisdictionManufacturing, production and quality
Printing press operators set up and run presses that print packaging, labels, publications, and commercial print. They mount plates, mix and control ink, set registration, and watch colour and quality through the run. Waste is expensive, so getting the press up to standard quickly and holding it there is the core of the job.
Varies by employer or jurisdictionManufacturing, production and quality
Injection moulding operators run machines that melt polymer and inject it into moulds to form plastic parts. They load material, monitor cycle settings, and inspect mouldings for short shots, flash, sink marks, and other defects. Because a small process drift can spoil a whole run, watching the cycle and reacting early is the main skill.
Short course or on-the-job trainingManufacturing, production and quality
Non-destructive testing technicians inspect welds, castings, and structures for internal and surface flaws without damaging the item, using methods such as ultrasonic, radiographic, magnetic particle, dye penetrant, and eddy current testing. They work to written procedures and certification levels that define what each technician may carry out and sign. Some methods, particularly industrial radiography, carry radiation safety obligations.
Certificate or college diplomaManufacturing, production and quality