It’s time to start thinking about the 2008 National Apprentice Competition sponsored by the National Tooling and Machining Association and the National Institute for Metalworking Skills.
While the start for the competition is several months away, planning and applications should be done in advance.
The NTMA National Apprentice Competition focuses on standards and evaluation criteria identified in the Duties and Standards for Machining Skills, Levels I, II, and III published by NTMA and approved by the National Institute for Metalworking Skills.
The competition includes hands-on machining on manual equipment in turning, milling and surface grinding, and written and hands-on testing for related theory and knowledge, including manufacturing processes, print interpretation, quality assurance and inspection and other knowledge as identified in the referenced skill standard duty areas and included in the technical standards for the NTMA National Apprentice Competition. The written exam also includes a CNC programming problem.
The NTMA represents approximately 1,700 member companies and includes 50 chapters throughout the United States. Members design and manufacture tools, dies, fixtures, molds, special machines, and precision machined components as well as providing a wide range of engineering, fabrication, and assembly services for global customers.
For additional information visit the NTMA homepage at www.ntma.org or contact the NTMA Education Department at (301) 248-6200.
Hardinge Inc. opened its 15,000-sq.-ft. Canadian Technical Center in Mississauga, Ont., on Sept. 12. The company, now based in Elmira, N.Y., was founded in 1890 by Franklin and Henry Hardinge, two Canadian brothers.
| Working with schools to advance technical education The software is used primarily by 11th and 12th grade students attending the Engineering and Emerging Technologies program at the Oakland Schools’ Technical Campuses. Nearly 400 students attend the program at four campuses to get hands-on technical training in multiple facets of manufacturing, production, engineering and design taught by certified instructors with significant industry experience. Students acquire a range of skills that enable them to either continue their technical education at a college-level engineering program or find a technical job. In a separate model for public school design education, the Clover Park School District of Lakewood, Wash., is immersing students as young as elementary school in advanced technologies that span the entire design lifecycle, including 3D scanning, 3D modeling, and 3D printing, all on a foundation of SolidWorks Education Edition 3D CAD software. Other companies working with schools to promote technical education include BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc. (www.bigkaiser.com), which is working with the Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove, Ill. |