The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Martin P. Durkin, Secretary BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS Ewan Clague, Com m issioner in cooperation with VETERANS ADMINISTRATION Occupational Outlook Series Bulletin No. 1131 Employment Outlook For Technicians A Report on Draftsmen, Engineering Aids, Laboratory Technicians, and Electronic Technicians Bulletin No. 1131 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Martin P. Durkin, Secretary BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS Ewan Clague, Com m issioner in cooperation with VETERANS ADMINISTRATION For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. - Price 25 cents Cover picture— Technician operating vacuum distillation equipment. Letter of Transmittal U nited S tates D epartm ent of L abor , B u r ea u of L abor S tatistics , Washington, D. C., April 15, 1953. The S ecretary of L abo r : I have the honor to transmit herewith a report on the employment outlook for technicians. This is one of a series of reports made available through the Bureau’s Occupational Outlook Service for use in the vocational counseling of young people in school, veterans, and others interested in selecting an occu pation. The study was financed largely by the Veterans Administration, and the report was originally published as a Veterans Administration pamphlet for use in vocational rehabilitation and education activities. In view of the shortage of scientific manpower and the essential contribu tions technicians make to the national defense and welfare, it is important that information on employment opportunities in these occupations be made available to young people possessing the necessary aptitudes for and interest in such work. This study was conducted in the Bureau’s Division of Manpower and Employment Statistics. The report was prepared by Howard Rosen under the immediate supervision of Cora E. Taylor. Sylvia K. Lawrence assisted in the library research. The Bureau wishes to acknowledge generous assistance and cooperation from the various organizations and individuals interested in the education and employment of technicians. E wan C lague , Commissioner. Hon. M artin P. D u r k in , Secretary of Labor. m Contents Introduction________________________________________________________________ Nature of work______________________________________________________________ Draftsmen______________________________________________________________ Engineering aids________________________________________________________ Laboratory technicians and physical-science aids___________________________ Electronic technicians____________________________________________________ Related technician occupations______________________________________ Where employed____________________________________________________________ Private industry_________________________________________________________ Federal Government_____________________________________________________ How to become a technician__________________________________________________ Technical institutes______________________________________________________ Junior colleges__________________________________________________________ Training in industry_____________________________________________________ Other training_____________________ _____________________________________ Entrance requirements___________________________________________________ Selection of school_______________________________________________________ Employment experience of technician graduates___________________________ Employment prospects_______________________________________________________ Past trends________________________________ Outlook________________________________________________________________ Earnings____________________________________________________________________ Private industry_________________________________________________________ Draftsmen__________________________________________________________ Laboratory assistants in the industrial chemicals industry______________ Broadcasting engineers and technicians_______________________________ Technical institute and junior collegegraduates________________________ Federal Government_____________________________________________________ Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 14 14 14 18 18 18 18 19 19 20 TABLES 1. —Employment of selected occupational groups in 102 industrial chemical plants in 6 regions, October 1951______________________________________________ 2. —Distribution of personnel in selected technician occupations in Federal Govern ment, by agency, June 30, 1951_________________________________________ 3. —Average straight-time weekly earnings for male draftsmen, in selected metro politan areas, June 1951-January 1952__________________________________ 4. —Average weekly hours and earnings of selected full-time employees in radio and television stations with 15 or more employees, October 1950_______________ 5. —Percent distribution of 501 technical institute graduates, by weekly salary, December 1950________________________________________________________ 6. —Percent distribution by grade, and average annual salary of Federal Government employees in selected technician occupations, June 30, 1951_______________ 7 8 19 19 20 20 CHART Employment of technicians in industrial laboratories is rising rapidly____________ 15 APPENDIXES A—Sources of information on training opportunities____________________________ B—Examples of curricula offered by schools training technicians________________ C—Job-cluster and promotion sequence_______________________________________ D—Technical occupations listed as critical_____________________________________ E—Samples of Federal civil service requirements for selected technical occupations. 22 22 24 26 27 Photographs are by courtesy of Rochester Institute of Technology, Capitol Radio Engineering Institute, American Association of Junior Colleges, General Foods Corporation, and U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. v Employment Outlook for Technicians Introduction Technicians who work with professional en gineers and scientists are a relatively new occupa tional group emerging from the growing complexity of this country's industrial processes and the great expansion in industrial research and development work. The past half century has seen a tremen dous increase in the application of science and engineering to industrial and military problems. This growing reliance on scientific principles and techniques has resulted in a sharp increase in the employment of engineers, chemists, and, more recently, physicists. In addition, an increasing number of workers with a combination of basic scientific knowledge and manual skill are being employed as assistants to professional personnel. These workers, often referred to as technicians, are the subject of this report.1 Technicians work as members of an engineering or scientific team in research and production plan ning, and in designing, constructing, and main taining the materials and machines of our massproduction economy. Approximately 2 years of post-high-school training are needed usually. In addition to basic mathematics and science, they must have specialized education in some branch of engineering or other technical fields such as electricity or industrial chemistry. Some of the main technician occupations covered by this report are those of the electronic technician, draftsman, laboratory technician, physical-science aid, and engineering aid. It was not possible to include in the present study all the many kinds of jobs held by technicians. The report is concerned only with the types of workers who work with engineers, physicists, and chemists.2 The current international crisis has greatly intensified America's need for engineers and scientists. These professional workers can improve their efficiency and increase their total output by having technicians perform some of the more routine tasks. Thus, technicians have an impor tant part in strengthening America's technical and military position. Demand for their services has been rising sharply since the current defense pro gram began and will probably continue to mount in the near future. Furthermore, the long-term outlook is for expansion in their employment. This report describes the nature of the work performed by technicians and the fields in which they are employed. Information is given also on how one can become a technician and on future employment prospects. The concluding chapter summarizes the available data on technicians' earnings. Nature of Work Technicians work alongside engineers and scien tists in a great variety of industries and at all stages of production—from the origin of a product on the drawing board to its sale to the customer. When a new product is being developed, drafts men assist the engineers in translating their design ideas into production. As the time for actual production approaches, other technicians aid in working out specifications regarding needed materials and methods of manufacture. During the production process, still other technically trained workers serve as inspectors and supervisors. Furthermore, manufacturers often depend on salesmen with a technical background to sell machinery or other specialized products, especially if these are to be used in industry. Though many technical salesmen have professional engineering degrees, others with less professional training often can sell equally well. 2 The medical field is another important area in which technicians are em ployed. For information on medical laboratory technicians, medical X-ray 1 The occupations covered in this report fall within the semiprofessional technicians, and dental hygienists, see Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin No. 998, XI. S. Government Printing classification of the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, vol. II, 2d ed. Codes Office, Washington 25, D. C., 1951. assigned are in the 0-4. through 0-6. series. 1 2 EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR TECHNICIANS Laboratory technicians assist scientists in re search and development work or perform functions related to production control or testing. They may perform simple tests or do highly technical analytical work depending on their training and experience. Some technicians supervise other workers in a particular department of the labora tory. The work of technicians, whether in research or production, varies greatly among industries and among plants in the same industry. Even within a single plant, workers classed as technicians may perform duties ranging from simple routine tasks to those of a highly technical nature. Because of wide variation in the types of work of technicians, it is difficult to give an over-all description of the nature of their work. However, the following definition, which applies particularly to the work ers closely associated with professional engineers (draftsmen, tool designers, engineering aids, and assistants), seems to capture the “flavor” of the work involved in many technician occupations.3 “The technician is a person who works at a job which requires applied technical knowledge and applied technical skill. His work, in this respect, is somewhat akin to that of the engineer, but usually the scope is narrower. His job also requires some manipulative skills—those necessary to handle prop erly the tools and instruments needed to perform the technical tasks. “In his special field, he has considerable technical knowledge of industrial processes, and in this field he knows how to apply the necessary principles of the physical sciences and of mathematics. In general, he uses instruments, in contrast with tools. His contribution is mainly through mental effort, in con trast with muscular exertion. “The job of the technician is not easy to define. On the one hand, it has many of the characteristics of engineering, on the other, many of the qualities associated with the skilled trades. Some technician jobs lean toward the engineering type, jobs which consist mainly of drafting, computations, and labora tory testing. Others border on the skilled crafts, such as those which deal with repair of mechanical or electrical equipment where much technical ‘know how* is demanded but which also require consider able manual skill. It hardly seems practical to set up clearly defined boundaries within which lie all technician jobs. “We also find great differences in the ‘levels’ of jobs of technician type. A job may be definitely technical in character, yet be extremely limited in 3 Unpublished definition by Dr. Lynn A. Emerson, Director, Instruc tional Materials Laboratory, New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. scope and of a repetitive type. Certain simple inspection jobs are in this category. Yet other technician jobs may require a high quality of tech nical knowledge and technical skill, such as all-round tool and gage inspection, which requires the use of many types of instruments. “The kinds of technical ability found in the various technician jobs are of considerable variety. Some jobs emphasize analysis and diagnosis. Some require visualization of drawings, or a flair for creative design. Some demand a high degree of applied mathematical ability. Some require a knowledge of practices in the skilled trades, but not the ability to perform the skilled tasks. Some require extensive understanding of industrial equipment and processes. Sometimes the job involves supervisory responsibilities, and com bines skill in handling people with skill in dealing with technological matters.” Although all jobs held by technicians who work with engineers and scientists have some common characteristics—notably, that they require a knowl edge and practical application of mathematics and physical science—the nature of the work performed differs considerably among occupations. The kind of work done by some of the larger groups of tech nicians is described in the following sections. Draftsmen Draftsmen prepare exact detailed drawings from sketches or specifications furnished by engineers or designers. Their work involves the use of small instruments such as compasses, protractors, tri angles, dividers, scales, T-squares, special drafting pencils, and lettering pens. They may have to make calculations not only with respect to the dimensions of an object but also with respect to its weight and tensile strength. Draftsmen use their knowledge of mathematics in these calculations and in referring to engineering handbooks for information on tolerances, tensile strength, gear ratios, typas of threads, sizes of bolts, metal finishes and composition, and related matters. They use descriptive geometry in por traying objects in their correct relationships, according to distance and size. In drawing plans for machine parts, a draftsman may also use his knowledge of physics and engineering. Most of the draftsmen in an engineering team are mechanical draftsmen who specialize in the drawing of machines or parts. Others are spe cialists in aeronautical, marine, electrical, geolog ical, topographical, and similar fields. NATURE OF WORK 3 Draftsman specialized in map making. Draftsmen usually begin their careers as copy ists or tracers. At this level, their work is routine and requires relatively little knowledge and skill. With additional experience and training, workers may advance to detailers, junior draftsmen, senior draftsmen, and chief draftsmen. Engineering Aids Engineering aids assist engineers in production planning and research. In general they work under the supervision of an engineer and perform specialized functions requiring less cultural and theoretical training than is provided by a profes sional engineering course. Their work usually 239645— 53-------2 requires a knowledge of some specialized field— for example, electrical, mechanical, or some other branch of engineering, or an industry such as petroleum, ship construction, or aircraft manu facturing. The aid may* assist the engineer in production planning by designing and analyzing layouts. When production begins, he may make tests, record data, make computations, work on produc tion methods, or check materials. He may also act as the liaison or contact man between the engineering department and the drafting depart ment, tool room, and production department. In the field of research, engineering aids perform tests with regard to such matters as stress, strain, 4 EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR TECHNICIANS motion, and impact. They may set up, calibrate, and operate instruments such as revolution coun ters or torsion meters. They may also test and calibrate electrical control devices employing vacu um-tube circuits. And they may make calcu lations with respect to weight, centers of gravity, and a variety of other problems. Many of the jobs performed b}7 engineering aids require them to make rough drawings. Two of their basic tools are slide rules, used in making quick mathematical calculations, and micrometers, used in making exact measurements. Entry jobs for engineering aids often require only the performance of routine tasks under close supervision. With additional experience, the aids, because of their technical background, may be given more responsible jobs which require greater use of judgment. In the more advanced jobs, they will usually be expected to make the fullest utiliza tion of their educational preparation by perform ing highly technical work with a minimum of supervision. Laboratory Technicians and Physical-Science Aids These workers assist chemists, physicists, and engineers in laboratories. Much of their work involves conducting routine tests and recording the Testing gelatin in a food products laboratory. NATURE OF WORK results—often in the form of reports, charts, or graphs—for interpretation by the professional workers. Laboratory technicians and physical-science aids must be familiar with a wide range of testing equipment and apparatus such as dilatometers, temperature control instruments, interferometers, analytical balances, burettes, pipettes, centrifuges, and furnaces. Technicians who assist physicists may prepare samples for testing—performing tasks like marking, measuring, drying, and weighing materials or items. Some of the more common tests are: liquid limit, plastic limit, shrinkage limit, expansion and contraction, tensile strength, and compression strength. Those technicians who work with chemists may do both qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses. Some of the common analyses are: analysis of steel for carbon phosphorous and sulphur content, analysis of oil for viscosity and flash point, and mineral analysis of water for amount of silicia, iron, and calcium present. Laboratory technicians and physical-science aids may, like the engineering aids, begin their work in routine jobs and advance to positions of greater responsibility after they have acquired additional experience and demonstrated their ability to work without close supervision. Electronic Technicians The electronic technicians considered within the scope of this report have a background of electronic theory, physical science, and mathematics which enables them to perform jobs above the routine operating, maintenance, and repair level. Their work usually requires them to make practical application of their theoretical knowledge. The practical part of their job may call for the use of such basic tools as pliers, screw drivers, wrenches, soldering irons, and metal punches, whereas the theoretical part of their job may call for the use, understanding, and interpretation of results ob tained from instruments such as oscilloscopes, signal generators, ohmmeters, ammeters, volt meters, multitesters, and Q-meters. Their work often calls for a combination of manual skills in handling simple tools and a knowledge of complex testing equipment. They must be able to read and interpret layout and other diagrams, use mathematical formulas for circuit work, and wire O intricate electronic units. The electronic technicians working in labora tories construct, test, install, modify, operate, and under certain conditions, design experimental electronic apparatus. They may be called upon to offer ideas and suggestions, devise practical solu tions to problems of design, select suitable mate rials and methods of construction, evaluate the operating characteristics of the equipment, and in other ways contribute to the research and develop ment process. In industry, electronic technicians may perform “trouble-shooting” functions or do the more complicated types of testing and inspection work. An important function of electronic technicians associated with production is the building of testing equipment. They apply their technical knowledge principally to communications equip ment. Some of the devices with which electronic technicians work are in radio, television, facsimile, and telephony operations. The more specialized applications in the field include radar, sonar, radio navigational equipment, and radiosonde. Related Technician Occupations In addition to the occupations described above, a wide range of related jobs are open to persons trained as technicians. For example, persons trained as electronic technicians can often qualify also as broadcasting engineers and technicians in the radio and television industry, or as in spectors, draftsmen, or estimators in the electric light and power or telephone and telegraph in dustries.4 Technicians can move not only from one industry to another, but into many different jobs within the same industry. A list of related jobs into which technicians with the same basic training may move is given in appendix C (p. 24). The wide range of jobs open to technicians is illustrated by the following list of occupations, requiring vocational-technical training, found on the payrolls of four industries.5 Air transportation: engineering assistant, flight engineer, instrument technician, and technical assistant. 4 Further information on many related occupations and industries may be found in the Occupational Outlook publications listed at the end of this bulletin. 5 Vocational Technical Training for Industrial Occupations, Vocational Division Bulletin No. 228, U. S. Office of Education, Federal Security Agency, Washington, D. C., U. S. Government Printing Office, 1944. 6 EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR TECHNICIANS Aircraft manufacturing: time study analyst, tool designer, engineering draftsman, engineering technician, laboratory technician, and junior aerodynamics engineer.6 Automobile manufacturing: chemical analyst, die designer, dynamometer technician, experi mental technician, chemical laboratory assistant, physics laboratory assistant, metallurgical tech nician, and production supervisor. Communications equipment manufacturing: detailer draftsman, engineering assistant, instrument maker, material specification writer, production supervisor, and test maintenance man. Some of the job titles listed above, as well as many others used by employers in referring to technicians, do not accurately describe the duties performed nor the requirements for a job. Fur thermore, job titles overlap and differ greatly among companies. Trained technicians doing the same type of work may be given titles as engineering aid, junior engineer, physical-science aid, or laboratory assistant.7 Where Employed Private Industry Technicians are employed in a wide range of industries, in both large and small companies. In general, large companies employing many engineers and scientists are the greatest source of employment for technicians. Technicians, how ever, are used also by smaller establishments, when the technology of the industry makes it advantageous to employ them. The variety of industries in which technicians find jobs is indicated by a study of selected estab lishments in the following 22 industries:8 Air transportation Aircraft manufacturing Automobile manufacturing Building construction Communications equip ment manufacturing Electric power production and distribution Electrical equipment man ufacturing Hydroelectric development Industrial chemistry Industrial electronics Iron and steel production Lumbering and wood proc essing Machine tool manufactur ing Metal mining Metal products manufac turing Oil refining Petroleum and butadiene production Pulp and paper manufac turing Rail transportation Shipbuilding Telegraph and telephone communications service Textile and garment man ufacturing All these industries were found to employ technicians. Altogether, several hundred differ 6 This payroll designation, like all others in the list, referred to a job not requiring 4-year college training. 7 In an effort to standardize the terminology used in referring to persons performing technician-type jobs, the Technical Institute Division of the American Society for Engineering Education recently adopted a resolution to advocate use of the title “engineering technician.” 8 See footnote 5. ent job titles referring to positions requiring vocational-technical training were listed on the payrolls of the companies surveyed. Widespread employment of technicians is also indicated by studies made in New York, Califor nia, Texas, and Louisiana. According to a 1945-46 survey in New York City and up-State New York, an estimated total of about 25,000 technicians were employed in the metal products manufacturing industries, 10,000 in printing, 6,000 in electric light and power, and 5,000 in the chemical manufacturing industries.9 Other indus tries employing more than a thousand technicians at the time of the New York survey were optical goods manufacturing; subway and water trans portation; construction; and steel, paper, and aircraft manufacturing. A 1950 California study indicated that aircraft manufacturers and utility companies employed many of these workers.10 Similarly, a 1951 survey in the Dallas-Fort Worth area disclosed many technicians employed by five companies engaged in the manufacture of air planes, airplane engines, aircraft parts, and guided missiles.11 In Louisiana, a significant number of technicians were employed in each of the follow ing eight manufacturing industries, according to a 1950 study.12 9 Beach, C. Kenneth and Associates, Technical Occupations in the State of New York, The University of the State of New York, the State Educa tion Department, Albany, March 30,1946, pt. IV, p. 6, and pt. V, p. 6. 70 Rodes, Harold P., A Report on a Preliminary Survey of the Needs of California Industries and Governmental Agencies for Personnel with Train ing of Technical Institute Type (mimeographed), University of California, Los Angeles, 1950. 71 Regional Defense Manpower Administration, Report of Training Need Survey and Costs—Engineering and Subprofessional, Dallas-Fort Worth area, September 1951. 12 Hampton, Thomas Edgar, A Study of Technical Occupations in Louisiana Industry, Department of Commerce and Industry, State of Louisiana, 1950. WHERE EMPLOYED Chemical and allied prod ucts Petroleum and coal prod ucts Sawmills and planing mills Paper and allied products Printing, publishing, and allied products Ship- and boatbuilding and repair Rice cleaning and polishing Malt liquors The two industries employing the largest num bers of technicians were those producing chemical and allied products and petroleum and coal products. The fact that companies manufacturing aircraft engines depend on technicians to assist their engineers and scientists is also indicated by data received in the early part of 1952. Technicians constituted 3.6 percent of the 65,851 employees of the 6 reporting companies. Professional personnel consisting mainly of physicists, mathematicians, engineers, and chemists, represented about the same proportion (3.8 percent) of the total number of workers. The use of technicians in chemical production varies considerably with the type of plant or product. However, in 102 industrial chemical plants manufacturing a variety of products 3.6 percent of all the employees were draftsmen and laboratory assistants, according to a 1951 survey (table 1). In these plants there were, on the average, 10 laboratory assistants for every 28 professional workers. 1.— Employment of selected occupational groups in 102 industrial chemical plants in 6 regions, October 19511 T able Occupational group All employees___________________________ Professional employees________________________ Laboratory assistants________ _______ _________ All other employees___________________________ Number 79, 751 2 6,209 3 2, 242 676 70, 624 Percent 100.0 7.8 2.8 .8 88.6 1 Data for the following regions: Southwest, Border States, New England, Southeast, Pacific, and Middle Atlantic. 2 Includes 65 women chemists. 3 Includes 463 women. S o u rc e : Unpublished data of U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although technicians are to be found in many different departments of factories, a large number are employed in laboratories. In 1950, more than 40,000 technicians were in the Nation’s industrial research laboratories (see chart). These techni cians carried on research and testing activities, thus enabling the professional scientists to devote more of their time to work requiring greater 7 Operating a vacuum evaporator in an industrial chemistry laboratory. scientific training. For every 17 professional workers an average of 10 technicians were em ployed in the industrial laboratories. Federal Government The Federal Government is an important employer of technicians in times of both peace and emergency. Most Government technicians of the types covered in this report are in jobs classified in the following categories or series: engineering aid, engineering drafting, surveying and cartog raphy, physical-science aid, and electronic tech nician. The jobs in each of these categories are classified according to grade level. The lower grade jobs may be entered by persons without post-high-school education.13 Furthermore, some of the highest grade jobs are primarily adminis trative rather than technical.14 On the other hand, some occupations in the Government which are not included in table 2 are open to persons with training and experience as technicians; such occupations are chiefly classified with various mechanics groups and are not easily identified. 13 See appendix E for Civil Service requirements for some technician occu pations. Further information on job qualifications and procedures in apply ing for Government positions may be obtained from the U. S. Civil Service Commission, Washington 25, D. C., and from State and local governments. » For the distribution of Federal Government employees by grade level, see table 6, p. 20. 8 EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR TECHNICIANS T able 2.— D is tr ib u tio n of person n el in selected tech n icia n o ccu p a tio n s in F ederal G overn m en t, b y agen cy, J u n e 3 0, 1951 Total, selected occupations Agency Number Total. _____________________________________ Army____________________________________________ N avy_____________________________________________ Interior................................ ---------------------------------Commerce________________________________________ Air Force____ __________________ _________________ Agriculture------------------------------------------------------------Tennessee Valley Authority________ _ . _________ Federal Security Agency___________________________ State_____ ____ _______________ ________________ Treasury_________________________________ ______ Veterans Administration________ _______ __________ Atomic Energy Commission________________________ Justice. __________________________________________ General Services Administration. __________________ All other agencies............................ .......... ............................ Surveying Engineering PhysicalEngineering and drafting science aid aid series * raphycartog series2 series3 series * Percent 28,436 8,793 6,417 4,727 3,092 1,813 1,534 623 213 180 109 69 48 40 36 742 Percent distribution of workers in jobs classified in— 100.0 31.0 22.6 16.6 10.9 6.4 5.4 2.2 .7 .6 .4 .2 .2 .1 .1 2.6 100.0 32.3 16.8 26.0 5.0 4.1 8.7 3.7 1.0 .5 (6) .2 .2 .1 .1 1.3 100.0 36.1 9.6 18.2 16.3 14.6 3.4 1.4 .1 .1 100.0 33.9 38.3 8.4 3.4 8.6 1.5 1.5 .1 .1 .5 (6) .2 .4 .3 .3 2.7 100.0 24.0 23.4 13.1 10.0 1.7 7.1 1.5 2.9 2.2 .5 .2 .8 .2 12.4 Electronic technician series 5 100.0 17.5 26.9 .4 45.3 2.3 2.6 .3 4.0 .1 .1 .1 .4 1 Includes engineering aid and student-aid trainee. 2 Includes cartographer, cartographic aid, and student-aid trainee. 3 Includes draftsman (patent) and engineering draftsman. < Includes scientific aid (cotton), scientific aid (nautical), student-aid trainee, computer, and physical-science aid. 6Includes electronic technician and laboratory electronic mechanic. 6 Less than 0.05 percent. S o u r c e : Bureau of Labor Statistics and Civil Service Commission, BLS Bulletin No. 1117, Federal White-Collar Workers, Their Occupations and Salaries, June 1951, in process. As of June 30, 1951, the Federal Government had 28,436 employees in the 5 selected technician groups (table 2). About 17,000 or 60 percent of these technicians were working in the Department of Defense—in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The Department of the Interior was the largest employer of technicians among the civilian agen cies, with the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture ranking next. The Department of the Army employed more than 32 percent of the workers in jobs classed in the engineering aid series, and the Department of the Interior was the second largest employer of these workers. More than 50 percent of the persons in surveying and cartography jobs15 were working for the Departments of the Army and the Interior. The Department of the Navy was the largest em ployer of workers in engineering drafting jobs; the Army and Navy together employed over 72 per cent of these workers. The Departments of Com merce, the Interior, Army, and Navy had more than 70 percent of the physical-science aids on their payrolls. Of the electronic technician group, 45 percent were employed chiefly in the Depart ment of Commerce, where large numbers are needed by the Civil Aeronautics Administration and the National Bureau of Standards. The re search laboratories and other units of the Depart ment of the Navy employed over one-fourth of the electronic technicians. How To Become a Technician Not all persons who work as technicians are specifically trained for their occupations. Engi neering college dropouts, graduates and dropouts of liberal arts colleges, and other persons who have received some post-high-school education often take technical positions. Some workers qualify as technicians through experience only. Young » For a detailed description of the field of cartography in the Federal Gov ernment, see Cartographic Work in the Federal Civil Service, Pamphlet No. 40, U. S. Civil Service Commission, Washington, D . C., February 1950. men and women who wish to prepare specifically for careers as technicians can, however, obtain formal education for this work from at least eight sources; namely, technical institutes, junior col leges, extension divisions of universities, colleges offering 2-year special programs, technical high schools, training programs operated by industry and business, correspondence schools, and voca tional-technical training given by trade schools, primarily in their evening classes. HOW TO BECOME A TECHNICIAN Technicians need a good basic knowledge of mathematics and science. The type of education given prospective tech nicians is often described as “vocational-techni cal,” i. e., vocational in objective and technical in content. The education is designed to enable the technician to become productive immediately upon entering industry; it is expected that only a minimum of on-tlie-job training will be necessary to make him useful to his employer. Schools pre paring students for technician jobs give courses in applied science, applied mathematics, and applied engineering, with subject-matter related to the practical problems students will face on the job (for examples of curricula, see appendix B). Students are also taught basic skills in the use of instruments, machinery, and tools. This training, however, is designed to familiarize the student with equipment rather than to develop manual skill. In contrast to the skilled craftsman whose job depends primarily upon his manipulative ability, a technician often uses instruments and machinery merely as an aid in applying his scien tific knowledge to a particular problem. A brief discussion of some of the types of educa tional institutions and other sources where young people can obtain training as technicians follows. Technical Institutes These schools offer 1, 2, or 3 years of training above the high-school level, 2 years being the most usual training period. 9 The programs of technical institutes are specifi cally designed to give prospective technicians a vocational-technical background. A student is prepared for some specific job or cluster of related jobs. In general the student receives less theoreti cal and general education than is provided by 4year engineering and academic colleges. Some schools offer cooperative programs, under which a student spends part of his time in school and part in employment related to the occupation for which he is preparing himself. It may take more than 2 years to complete the course at the technical institute with a cooperative program, but this type of program gives students valuable expe rience in industrial situations, which often out weighs the disadvantage of a longer training period. In addition, students participating in cooperative plans are able to pay for at least a part of their educational expenses from income derived from their work. Most technical institutes conduct both day and evening sessions. Evening classes are of particular importance to students who, for financial reasons, must have full-time jobs. Often, employed workers can up-grade themselves to higher level technician jobs or obtain sufficient training to shift from one field of work to a technician’s job by attending evening classes. Almost half of all the students attending technical institutes in 1951 were enrolled in evening and special courses. Some technical institutes offer associate degrees which signify that the student has completed at least 2 years of college-level work. However, if a prospective student desires eventually to obtain a degree from a 4-year college, he should investigate in advance whether his technical institute credits are transferable to the college of his choice. Although some colleges will give full credit for work taken at technical institutes, others will give either partial or no credit. The amount of general education offered at tech nical institutes varies greatly. Some schools offer intensive training for technical occupations but almost no general education, whereas other schools require their students to devote as much as 25 percent of their time to such courses as English and history, and 75 percent to specific courses in their vocational field. In selecting a school, the advantages and disadvantages of both types of 10 EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR TECHNICIANS curricula must be considered by the prospective student in the light of his future needs as a citizen and a worker. The direct method of teaching used in many technical institutes does not emphasize homework and “book study” as much as academic colleges. In many cases, the emphasis is on teaching job techniques rather than theory. To familiarize the students with instruments and equipment found in industry, considerable laboratory work is re quired. However, manual skills are not stressed as much as in vocational schools which prepare students for skilled jobs. Technical institutes offering similar programs are operated under a variety of types of control which may be categorized as State and municipal, privately endowed, extension divisions of colleges and universities, proprietary, and YMCA schools. Altogether, there were about 64 technical insti tutes with a total of more than 46,000 students in 1951-52.16 Eleven 2-year institutes in New York, a leading State in the education of technicians, offer a wide choice of curricula under the auspices of the State University. There is no tuition charge to residents of New York State. The schools are strategically located throughout the State, for the convenience of both students and industry. A close working relationship exists between the schools and local advisory groups who examine the curricula and make suggestions affecting the preparation of students for technical occupations. In October 1951, 7,333 students were enrolled in the 11 New York State technical institutes; about 3,150 of these students were preparing for work as tech nicians of the types covered in this report. This latter figure included students enrolled for tech nical study in chemistry, electricity, industrial instrumentation, metallurgy, aircraft instruments, construction, and many other occupational fields open to the technician. The New York State institutes, like many other schools, prepare stu dents for “job clusters.” This type of preparation enables graduates to qualify for a wide range of jobs (appendix C). All graduates of these insti tutes are awarded the associate in applied science degree.10* 10 Smith, Leo F., “Annual Survey of Technical Institutes, 1951-52,” Technical Education News, vol. XL, No. 4, June 1952. 17 A list of junior colleges offering technician training is available from the American Association of Junior Colleges, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW., Washington 6, D. C. Junior Colleges Some of the approximately 500 junior or “com munity” colleges in the country also prepare stu dents for technician occupations in industry and Government.17 These schools usually offer 2 years of post-high-school education. It is common practice to award the degree of associate in arts upon completion of the 2-year program. Not all junior colleges are equipped to give technical training of the type described in this report, nor do most of them consider this their primary purpose. Many of them do not have the shop and laboratory facilities required for thorough technical training. Furthermore, in contrast with the technical institutes which concentrate upon terminal education (after which the student is not ordinarily expected to take advanced work else where), junior colleges also give academic courses equivalent to those offered in the freshman and sophomore years of 4-year colleges, so that stu dents can begin with the junior year in such colleges. Junior college courses in technical fields are usually planned around the employment needs of the industries in the community where the college is located. The training programs for prospective technicians therefore vary and may be highly specialized. In some cases, the courses are de signed to meet the specifications of one or two industries or even of a single plant. For example, in California, where the junior college movement has made great progress, several of the colleges in the southern part of the State offer technical training for jobs in the aircraft industry (appen dix B). Many junior colleges are important adult educa tion centers and offer extensive part-time courses at night. Through appropriate courses at junior colleges, as at technical institutes, workers may prepare themselves for higher grade jobs. Adult and special students accounted for more than half the total enrollment in junior colleges in 1950-51.18 Training in Industry Some large corporations conduct training pro grams for technicians. This type of training is primarily technical and rarely includes any general studies. Instruction is given either through for mal classes or through training on the job. is American Association of Junior Colleges, Junior College Directory, 19 HOW TO BECOME A TECHNICIAN Workers who receive their training on the job onlydo not usually get as much theory as those who receive classroom instruction. Other employers who do not have training pro grams but are aware of the need for technically trained workers often encourage their employees to attend classes in local schools. Employers sometimes ask the schools to arrange special edu cational programs which will expand the technical background of their employees. Some large cor porations reimburse their employees for tuition after they have completed the course satisfactorily. The workers are usually expected to take courses directly related to their work assignment, and are often allowed to attend classes on the employers’ time. 11 improve their job status by acquiring a technical background. Other technical high schools give an additional year of schooling above the regular fourth year. This extra year is at the vocationaltechnical level and is offered to students who are interested in becoming technicians. Other Training Training for some occupations in the technician category may be obtained through a formal ap prenticeship lasting more than 2 years. Occupa tions of which this is true include those of tool and die designer and draftsman. Supplementary edu cation in mathematics and science may be neces sary in some cases. Persons interested in appren tice training can obtain further information from the local office of their State Employment Service, directly from employers, or from the local labor union concerned with the occupation they wish to learn (appendix A). High-school graduates are given preference for openings. During normal times, the age of apprentices at the start of train ing is generally from 17 to 22 years. However, World War II veterans who were older have been admitted for training. Although most of the jobs considered in this re port require post-high-school education or the equivalent in experience, a few technical high schools offer programs which qualify their gradu ates for entry jobs as technicians. These high schools have high admission requirements and offer more thorough and advanced courses in mathe matics, science, drawing, and laboratory work than either an academic high school or a vocational school. Some schools have evening programs which may be organized as formal technical pro grams to prepare technicians or which may merely consist of selected subjects for a particular area of work. These programs, like other evening courses, appeal especially to employed persons who wish to 239645—53----- 3 Laboratory technicians must be familiar with a variety of equipment. Correspondence schools and home study courses constitute additional sources of preparation for technicians. Persons who wish to learn more about their jobs or who wish to advance to a better job in the same field derive the most benefit from such courses. But those who do not have considerable theoretical background in mathe matics and science and do not understand their practical application may find these courses of limited value in preparing for technician positions. Success in such courses depends greatly on the ability of the student to study by himself without the benefit of an instructor or of laboratory equip ment. Furthermore, the quality and extent of the courses offered by correspondence schools vary greatly. Entrance Requirements The entrance requirements of most schools specializing in education for technician jobs are not as rigid or standardized as those of 4-year colleges. A study of the entrance requirements 12 EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR TECHNICIANS of 20 technical institutes indicated that all these schools preferred high-school graduates.19 Eight of them, however, would admit students who could show the “equivalent” of a full high-school course, and another eight schools would admit persons without a high-school diploma if they satisfied age requirements, could pass special examinations, or could demonstrate that they were “adult, mature individuals.” A study of the entrance requirements of 88 junior colleges, not affiliated with 4-year colleges, showed that more than 93 percent preferred their applicants to be high-school graduates. Seventyone schools, however, would admit nongraduates if they could meet one of the following requirements: Be over 18 years of age, pass entrance examina tions, or indicate that they would “profit by train ing offered.” An examination of the entrance requirements of thirty-five 4-year colleges with technical institute or junior college divisions indicated that the majority preferred their applicants be high-school graduates. However, more than half the schools would admit applicants without high-school diplo mas if the applicants were above specified ages, could demonstrate their ability to perform work above the high-school level, or were veterans. The flexible entrance requirements of many of the schools offering education to prospective tech nicians make possible a career in the technical field for many persons who could not gain admis sion to regular 4-year colleges. At the same time, young people should realize that the technical and scientific courses in many of these schools are of college level. For all the occupations consid ered in this report, basic training in mathematics and science is essential, and students who expect to prepare for the technician field should, therefore, obtain a good background in these subjects in high school. 19 References to admission requirements and length of training are based upon an examination by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in February 1952 of 143 catalogues of educational institutions offering post-high-school vocational technical programs of less than 4 years. The schools included 88 junior colleges, 20 technical institutes, and 35 degree-granting institutions having 2-year programs which prepared students for immediate employment as semiprofessional workers. Curricula were examined which would primarily apply to the preparation of technicians who could assist engineers, chemists, and physicists in industry and government. Such courses as those in medical and health service, agriculture, photography, homemaking fields, skilled trades, and maintenance and repair work were excluded from this study. The 143 institutions whose catalogues were reviewed offered training in 291 vocational-technical subject fields. Selection of School Although most schools in the field of vocationaltechnical education try to give their students good technical preparation, other institutions seem to have been created primarily for the per sonal profit of the proprietors. Through mislead ing advertisements and misrepresentation, dis honest technical, vocational, and correspondence schools have fooled students into believing that the educational background necessary to qualify for the job of a technician could be gained through shortcut methods. The abuses found in the area of technical and vocational training have been examined by agen cies of the Federal Government and Congress. A congressional committee investigating all educa tional training under the GI bill for veterans of World War II concluded: “There was a rapid uncontrolled expansion of private profit schools during the first several years of the veterans’ training programs. Many of these schools were without educational background and experience and offered training of doubtful quality.” 20* A student seeking a technical education should use more than ordinary care in selecting a school. (See appendix A for sources of information on schools.) If possible, information should be secured about State accreditation, professional recognition, the length of time the school has been in operation, instructional facilities, faculty qualifi cations, and the success of the school’s graduates. Above all, a student should realize that there is no quick and easy method of acquiring the back ground in mathematics, chemistry, and other physical sciences which will enable him to qualify as a technician. Employment Experience of Technician Graduates As has already been indicated, technicians obtain their education from widely differing sources. This naturally raises a question as to the types of jobs in which the various students find employment. A wide range of jobs are available, according to the follow-up studies of their graduates made by some of the training institutions. 2®U. S. Congress, House of Representatives, House Select Committee to Investigate Educational, Training, and Loan Guaranty Programs Under GI Bill, 82d Cong., H. Rept. No. 1375, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., 1952, p. 3. 13 HOW TO BECOME A TECHNICIAN The short- and long-term studies made by a privately endowed technical institute provide information concerning the opportunities for employment and advancement of its graduates.21 A survey of the mechanical department graduates, including only those who were out of school 5 or more years, showed that only percent of the graduates were employed in fields unrelated to those for which they had been trained. The following list of jobs serves as an example of the types of employment found by the graduates of the mechanical department. They were working as draftsman, tool designer, machine designer, instrument maker, tool and die maker, production planner, inspector, mechanical engineer, engineer ing salesman, and foreman. Those persons who graduated from the elec trical department between 1925 and 1947 were working as technical salesman, administrator, engineer, circuit engineer, technician, power plant and substation operator, electrician, and inspec tor and tester. Some of the graduates of the chemistry depart ment from 1927-48 were employed as apprentice draftsman, processing assistant, assistant fore man, tester, laboratory technician and assistant, junior chemist, and chemist. Placement surveys by the New York State technical institutes showed that their recent grad uates have taken jobs in industry as architectural draftsman, construction estimator and layout man, research assistant, control chemist, instru ment mechanic and tester, laboratory technician, sales engineer, purchasing agent, junior engineer ing aid, and technical assistant to metallurgists.22 The same surveys also indicate that an extremely high percentage of the graduates are employed in the specific fields for which they were prepared. Because the New York State schools have been in existence only a short time, it is impossible to know how far their graduates will advance eventually. Another technical institute offering courses in all technical branches of radio and television com munication examined the job placements of its advanced technology graduates for the school year 1949-50. Of the graduates available for 21 Unpublished reports, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, N. Y. 22 State University of New York, Long Island Agricultural and Technical Institute, Report on Placement and Progress of Graduates, IndustrialTechnical Division, Farmingdale, N. Y„ 1951; Buffalo Technical Institute, Technical Careers in Eight Fields, Buffalo, N. Y., 1951. Electronic technician checking vertical sweep voltage generator in television receiver. placement, more than 98 percent were employed. The following is a partial list of the jobs obtained by the graduates of the advanced course. The titles were given by the employers.23 Position T o ta l e m p lo y e d Junior engineer______________________________ Laboratory technician________________________ Instructor___________________________________ Transmitter engineer (radio)__________________ Television technician (production)_____________ Television final tester (production)____________ 13 55 14 19 36 11 An eastern junior college studied the work careers of its graduates and reported that they secured jobs specifically related to their education, such as field service engineer, draftsman (design), junior engineer, designer, shop superintendent, and production manager.24 The school’s survey revealed that, within 5 years after graduation, 64 percent of the graduates held technical-professional, supervisory, or executive positions related to their education; and 82 percent of those who graduated 10 or more years earlier were holding such posi tions. These studies of the types of jobs obtained by those who have technical training indicate a wide range of occupational opportunity for technicians. Graduates of vocational-technical educational pro grams have a good chance to obtain employment in the occupations of their choice. 23 RCA Institutes Inc., Report on Job Placement of Graduates for School Year 1949-1950, New York, N. Y., p. 6. 24 New Haven YMCA Junior College, Our Graduates and What They Do—A Follow-Up Study, New Haven, Conn., March 1947. 14 EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR TECHNICIANS Employment Prospects The short-run outlook is good for well-trained technicians, and employment of technicians will probably tend to rise over the long run. Use of technicians has increased sharply since the out break of hostilities in Korea, as it did during World War II. In both these periods, a great expansion occurred in research and development activity and in types of production which employ the largest number of engineers. This has led to an acute shortage of engineers and scientists and, therefore, to an increased demand for technicians who can handle the more routine tasks thus enabling the professional personnel to concentrate on more advanced aspects of the work. Because a con tinued shortage of engineers and scientists is expected during the next several years, the demand for technicians will probably remain high, and the prospect is that not enough well-trained people will be available to meet this need. The general advance of scientific knowledge and of its pract ical application to industry should further expand the employment of technicians over the long run. Past Trends Employment of technicians has increased mark edly over the past four decades. Among the technicians allied with engineers and scientists, draftsmen were the first group to be come established as a separate occupation, and they still outnumber every other group of tech nicians. The number of draftsmen in the country rose from 12,000 in 1910 to 88,000 in 1940. In addition, the 1940 Census included 67,000 labo ratory technicians and assistants and 8,000 tech nicians of other types, but in both these groups there were large numbers of workers (for example, medical technicians) not covered by this report. Before 1940, these occupations were not considered important enough to be reported separately by the Census. A further sharp increase in employment of technicians has taken place since 1940. One reason for this conclusion is the rise in the number of employed professional engineers (from 245,000 in 1940 to more than 400,000 in 1952). Employ ment of chemists, the largest group of natural scientists; likewise increased greatly (from 55,000 in 1940 to nearly 100,000 in 1952). It is probable that the number of technicians working with these engineers and scientists also has increased rapidly, although no nationwide statistics are yet avail able on the number in the field since 1940 nor on the average number of technicians employed per engineer or scientist.25 The best evidence of the increasing use of tech nicians during the last decade is from the National Research Council's Directories of Industrial Re search Laboratories. (See chart.) These studies show a greater relative growth from 1940 to 1950 in employment of technical workers than of pro fessional personnel or in the total staff of industrial research laboratories. Over the decade, the num ber of technical workers in these laboratories in creased by nearly 150 percent (from 16,400 to 40,800), whereas professional personnel increased only 93 percent (from 36,550 to 70,570) and the total number of laboratory workers rose by 136 percent (from 70,000 to 165,000). One technical worker was employed for every 2.2 professional workers in 1940, but the ratio was 1 to 1.7 by 1950. Most of the rise in employment of technicians oc curred during the World War II period, from 1940 to 1946. In the last 4 years of the decade, em ployment of technicians increased by only 18 per cent (compared with an increase of 111 percent from 1940 to 1946) and professional personnel in creased 30 percent (compared with a 49-percent increase over the earlier period). Outlook The need for engineers, scientists, and other per sons with technical knowledge and specialized skills is great as a result of defense activities and 25 Several studies have been made by different organizations of the relative numbers of technicians, engineers, and scientists employed in certain indus tries. These studies indicate an extremely wide variation in the ratio of technicians to engineers and scientists, due in part to the lack of uniform definitions of technical and other related jobs. The ratio was found to vary from 20 technicians for each engineer to 1.7 per engineer in different industries. It also differed considerably among plants in the same industry. The studies examined include the following: Wickenden, W. E. and Spahr, R. H., A Study of Technical Institutes, Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, Lancaster, Pa., The Lancaster Press, 1931. Federal Security Agency, U. S. Office of Education, VocationalTechnical Training for Industrial Occupations, Report of the Consulting Committee on Vocational-Technical Training Appointed by the U. S. Commissioner of Education, U. S. Government Printing Office, Wash ington, D. C., 1944 (Vocational Division Bulletin No. 228). Anthony, Robert N., Selected Operating Data for Industrial Research Laboratories, Harvard Business School, Division of Research, Boston, Mass., 1951. Hampton, Thomas Edgar, A Survey of Technical Occupations in Louisiana Industry, Department of Commerce and Industry, State of Louisiana, 1950. Beach, C. Kenneth and Associates, Technical Occupations in the State of New York, State Education Department, Albany, N. Y., 1946. EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS EMPLOYMENT OF TECHNICIANS IN INDUSTRIAL LABORATORIES IS RISING RAPIDLY UNITED STATES. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS Source: Notional Research Council, National Academ y of Sciences, Industrial Research Laboratories of the United States. 15 16 EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR TECHNICIANS the generally high level of production in late 1952. The heavy demand for such personnel has created shortages of technicians in some fields and is ex pected to bring increasing employment opportuni ties for all technicians as long as the mobilization program continues. An indication of the shortage of certain types of technicians is the inclusion of three types—elec tronic technicians, tool and die designers, and de sign engineer draftsmen—in the List of Critical Occupations issued by the United States Depart ment of Labor. (See appendix D.) Workers in occupations on the List may receive special con sideration in connection with military deferments if they are employed in essential industries or activities. The current shortage of experienced mechanical draftsmen is evidenced by numerous listings in the “help wanted” sections of newspapers, especially those in large industrial cities. The United States Employment Service of the Department of Labor also lists draftsmen among the occupations in short supply in some localities. The demand for drafts men began to increase shortly after the outbreak of hostilities in Korea. From July 1950 to March 1952, the number of draftsman jobs for which an effort was made to recruit workers outside the local labor market rose from about 150 to more than 3,000. This latter figure by no means represents the total number of openings for draftsmen be cause not all employers report their job needs to the United States Employment Service and its Making precision measurements on a crankshaft in a quality control laboratory. EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS affiliated State employment services. The figures do, however, indicate a continually rising demand for draftsmen. In addition to recruiting experienced draftsmen, some employers are instituting their own programs to train urgently needed draftsmen for their en gineering departments. The aircraft and elec tronics industries are making special efforts to secure draftsmen. At least one large aircraft company has been advertising for student drafts men whom it will pay while they are learning.26 Although some companies will hire inexperienced draftsmen, the greatest demand is for mechanical draftsmen who have had experience in particular industries. Women are in demand for many types of drafting jobs, employment experience during World War II showed women to be well suited to drafting work in many industries.27 Current announcements by the United States Civil Service Commission of job opportunities emphasize the Federal Government’s need for additional technicians. In May 1952, the Com mission listed engineering aid, engineering drafts man, junior scientist, tool designer, electronic equipment repairer, and electronic mechanic among the personnel for whom there was urgent need in specified localities.28 The demand for technicians will probably be great as long as the defense program continues. Because shortages of engineers, chemists, phys icists, and other scientific personnel are expected to continue for some years,29 the need for tech nicians to work with them will probably rise further. The current shortage of scientists and engineers has given renewed impetus to the trend, notable during World War II, toward greater use of technicians. In some cases scien tific jobs are being “diluted” and “broken-down” so that technicians may be used for some special ized activity. If the shortage of scientific person nel continues, alert management will probably 26 Business Week, Feb. 9,1952, pp. 46-48. 27 For information concerning opportunities for women in scientific and re lated occupations, see The Outlook for Women in Science, Bulletin No. 223, vols. 1-8, U. S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau, 1948-49. (Available from the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C.) 28 See Civil Service Commission, Federal Job Opportunities Throughout the United States, Announcement No. 2280, May 1952. Information on job openings in the Government may be obtained from State and local gov ernments and from the U. S. Civil Service Commission, Washington 25, D. C. Announcements of Federal job openings are often posted in local post offices. See Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bulletin No. 998, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor, 1951, pp. 79-83. Available from Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D . C. Price $3. 17 employ additional technicians in order to make more efficient use of their professional employees. The need for better utilization of fully trained professional personnel is receiving recognition from many sources, and, to this end, the employ ment of greater numbers of technicians is recom mended. In line with this trend a writer has noted: “It seems to me that we have been giving thousands and thousands of young men a 4-year training in the fundamentals of engineering at considerable expense to them, and then putting a great many of them in jobs that could be done as well by people with a fraction of their train ing.” 30 It has also been suggested that we could expand our research programs if we adopted the European method of research which employs many more assistants as aids to the professionals.31 It is expected that the greatest demand for technicians in the next few years will be in the defense-related industries. The electronics in dustry, for example, will need more technicians to aid in the manufacture and servicing of elec tronic equipment important in military operations. Employment in aircraft manufacturing, where draftsmen and many other technicians are already reported to be in short supply, is still expanding. Current production schedules call for a continued increase in defense output through the middle of 1953 and for a very high level of production for several years thereafter. Other industries im portant in defense-connected research and pro duction, such as the machine tool, industrial chemicals, and petroleum industries, are therefore expected to need additional technicians. The announcement in April 1952, by the Federal Communications Commission, that 2,053 new television stations would be allowed to open will further intensify shortages of trained electronic technicians, because sizable numbers will be needed to maintain and service the additional stations when they are established. The supply of well-trained or experienced tech nicians available in the near future will probably not be sufficient to meet the above-described demands. Because of the wide variety of sources from which industrial technicians may be recruited, it is impossible to estimate the supply of workers 30 Mitchell, Don C., ‘'Engineering Manpower for Industry,” The Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 42, No. 3, (November 1951), p. 134. 31 Morris, H. E., “Problems in Utilizing Technical Personnel,” Journal of College Placement, vol. 12, No. 3, (March 1952), p. 34. 18 EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR TECHNICIANS available at any time or likely to become available in the future. However, placement officers of technical institutes and junior colleges report that they have many more calls for their graduates than can be filled. Also, there probably will be fewer new entrants from other sources than in times when the general employment situation is less favorable. Employment of technicians is likely to continue to expand over the long run. Some of the factors which are expected to affect favorably the long term employment for technicians are the general advance of scientific knowledge and its practical application in industrial operations, and the in creasing use of technically trained personnel in sales jobs, supervisory jobs, and other types of work. Further, it is probable that high levels of expenditures for research and development will persist over the long run. More and more com panies are establishing research programs and existing programs are being expanded to meet the strong competition in developing new products and processes. Furthermore, in view of the long period of defense mobilization which appears to lie ahead of us, it is probable that expenditures for this purpose will continue at a high level. The demand for research personnel therefore will be high. If the trend toward greater use of technical workers continues (see chart), employment pros pects for technicians in laboratories will be good. In addition to new positions created by growth in the field, many employment opportunities for technicians will occur each year because of deaths, retirements, or transfer of experienced workers. The number of job openings available to tech nicians over the long run, however, will reflect the general economic situation. If international conditions should improve and the defense pro gram should be cut, the demand for technicians would be reduced. Furthermore, technicians face special competitive problems when jobs become scarce, because they are in occupations which can be filled by persons with a wide variety of backgrounds. In the past, during periods of considerable unemployment, the most serious contenders for technician jobs have been the pro fessional workers. In such periods, employers are more selective because they can hire highly trained employees at the salaries of lesser trained workers. The possibility of greater flexibility and broader background from the 4-year college graduate may influence the employer’s preference. The technician, then, would be well advised to consider taking additional courses of a general nature, as well as specialized courses in his field, to better prepare himself to meet competition, Earnings Private Industry Information on the earnings of some types of technicians, including draftsmen, is available from a number of surveys in different industries and localities, though no nationwide studies have been made of technicians’ pay. Draftsmen.—The job of tracer is the usual en trance position in the draftsman category. In 12 cities covered by Bureau surveys in 1951-52, tracers had average straight-time weekly earnings ranging from $47.00 in the Newark-Jersey City area to $63.50 in Detroit (table 3). Junior draftsmen, the group at the next higher level of skill, tend to earn considerably more than tracers in the same city. In the Newark-Jersey City area, for example, their average straighttime weekly pay was $63.00; in Detroit, it was $72.50. Altogether, information on earnings of junior draftsmen was collected in 26 cities, many more than were covered by the data for tracers. In these cities, the range in average earnings for workers in junior positions was from $48.00 in Richmond to $72.50 in Detroit. The higher earnings received by more highly skilled workers who are classed as draftsmen and chief draftsmen, are shown in table 3. Laboratory assistants in the industrial chemicals industry .—Male laboratory assistants in this in dustry had average straight-time hourly earnings of $1.77 in late 1951 (or $70.80 for the 40-hour workweek customary in industry), according to a survey of 244 plants.32 The much smaller number 32 U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wage Struc ture-Industrial Chemicals, Series 2, No. 87, October-November 1951. Avail able upon request as long as supply lasts. 19 EARNINGS T able 3. — A vera ge stra ig h t-tim e w eekly e a rn in g s f o r male draftsm en i n selected m e trop o lita n areas, J u n e 1 9 5 1 J a n u a r y 1952 Region and area Junior Chief Tracers drafts Drafts drafts men men men New England: Worcester, Mass________________ Providence, R. I ______ ________ Bridgeport, Conn _______ . Hartford, Conn___ _____________ $48.50 Middle Atlantic: Buffalo, N. Y __________________ Rochester, N . Y.__ ___ _______ Newark-Jersey City, N . J_____ 47.00 Philadelphia, Pa.-Camden, N . J. 48.50 Pittsburgh, Pa_________________ 61.00 East North Central: Cleveland, Ohio________________ Dayton, O h io _________ _ _____ Indianapolis, Ind___________ 56.00 Detroit, M ich__________________ 63.50 West North Central: Minneapolis-St. Paul, M inn____ Kansas City, M o___ __ _____ 56.50 St. Louis, M o__________________ 49. 50 South Atlantic: Baltimore, M d______ _____ _ _. 48.00 Richmond, Va_________________ East South Central: Memphis, Tenn_______________ West South Central: New Orleans, La_____ _______ Oklahoma City, Okla. - _____ Dallas, Tex____________________ Houston, Tex__________________ 52.00 Mountain: Salt Lake City, U tah_________ _ Pacific: Seattle, W a sh _________________ 62.50 Portland, Oreg _ __ __ ________ Los Angeles, C alif._______ _____ 57.50 $58.50 58.00 62.50 58.50 $73.50 72.00 83.50 77.50 $116.00 84. 50 112. 50 97.00 66.50 69.50 63.00 68.00 71.50 86.50 81.50 85.50 86.50 90.50 104.50 103.50 113.00 113.50 139.50 68.50 67.50 64.00 72.50 84.50 89. 00 85.00 98.50 105.00 109.50 101.00 129. 00 54.00 65.50 58.50 72.50 74.00 78.50 92.50 90.00 103.00 49.50 48.00 76.50 75.50 109. 50 60.00 65.50 95.00 62.50 49.50 56.00 74.50 76.00 72.50 80.50 90.50 97. 00 65.00 78.00 70.50 60.00 68.00 82.50 78.00 92.50 98.50 102. 50 123. 50 S o u r c e : U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Com munity Wage Surveys. of women laboratory assistants had average earn ings of $1.58. Average earnings for men varied from $1.48 in New England to $1.87 in the South west. Laboratory assistants in large plants (more than 500 workers) earned 28 cents more an hour, on the average, than workers in smaller establishments. Broadcasting engineers and technicians.'—Radio and television broadcasting stations represent one of the employment fields for men trained as elec tronic technicians. In this field, the highest paid men are those employed by the networks and their key stations. Their average full-time earnings were more than $120 a week in October 1950, according to a study made by the Bureau in co operation with the Federal Communications Com mission (table 4). In other stations with 15 or more employees, the studio engineers and tech nicians with first-class radio-telephone licenses were the best paid group; their average pay was $88 a week. Studio engineers without such li censes averaged $79.50 a week in the stations not operated by networks; and transmitter engineers and technicians with first-class licenses had aver age earnings of $74 a week in independent stations. T able 4. — A verage w eekly h o u rs a n d e a rn in g s o f selected f u ll-tim e em ployees i n ra d io a n d television stations w ith 15 or more em ployees, October 1950 Occupation and employer Studio engineers and technicians: With first-class radio-telephone licenses. In network stations 1 ______ ____ _ In independent stations_______ _ Without first-class radio-telephone li censes. _ _ _ ____ _ ______ _ _ _ In network stations 1____ ___ _ In independent stations____ _____ Transmitter engineers and technicians: With first-class radio-telephone licenses . In network stations 1_____________ In independent stations..................... Without first-class radio-telephone li censes. . _________ _ ____________ .. In network stations 1___ _______ . In independent stations___________ Number Average Average of em weekly weekly ployees hours earnings 3,218 729 2,489 1,378 624 754 3,404 231 3,173 41 6 35 42.5 44.0 42.0 43.5 44.5 43.0 42.0 41.5 42.0 41.0 (2) 41.0 $95.50 121.00 88.00 100.00 124.50 79.50 77.50 122.00 74.00 67.00 (2) 62.50 1 Includes networks and their owned and operated stations. 2 Insufficient data to warrant presentation. S o u r c e : U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics in cooper ation with Federal Communications Commission, Average Hours, Earnings, and Em ploym ent, Radio and TV Broadcasting Industry, October 1950, table 4, p. 4. Engineers in stations with fewer than 15 em ployees are known to have lower earnings, though recent figures are not available on their pay. In examining the earnings figures in table 4, prospec tive technicians should realize that inexperienced men ordinarily must first attain experience in small stations before they can qualify for employ ment in the larger ones. Technical institute and junior college graduates.— Further information on technicians’ pay is avail able from studies of the earnings records of grad uates of several technical institutes and the tech nical divisions of junior colleges. Nearly two-thirds of the reporting 1950 grad uates of the Long Island Agricultural and Techni cal Institute were making $50 or more a week within 6 months after graduation, according to a survey conducted by the Institute as of December 1, 1950.33* One out of every four members of this graduating class reported a weekly wage of $60 or more. Among the reporting graduates of the class of 1948, the large majority (71 percent) were making $60 or more a week at the time of the survey (table 5). 33 State University of New York, Long Island Agricultural and Technical Institute, Report on Placement and Progress of Graduates, IndustrialTechnical Division, Farmingdale, N . Y., 1951. EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR TECHNICIANS 20 suggested by a 1947 survey by the New Haven YMCA Junior College.35 The median annual salary of graduates who had specialized in me chanical and electrical technology and who had been out of college more than 10 years was $4,830. This figure was nearly two-thirds higher than the median salary figure for graduates in electrical technology from 5 through 9 years after gradua tion, and about one-third higher than that for graduates in mechanical technology at this earlier period in their careers. T able 5. — P ercen t d istrib u tio n of 501 tech n ical in stitu te g radu ates, by w eekly sa la ry, D ecem ber 1 95 0 Percent of graduates in— Weekly salary Class of Class of Class of 1949 1948 1950 $30-$39___________________________________ 40-49____________________________ _____ 50-59____________________________ 60-69________________________ . . _ 70 and over____ _ _ Total________ ______ Number reporting L. - ____ _____ _______ 1 5 23 36 35 100 167 2 16 40 24 18 100 149 4 32 40 19 5 100 185 1 Seventy-five percent of the class of 1948,88 percent of those who graduated in 1949, and 90 percent of the graduates of 1950 reported their wage group as of December 1,1950. S o u r c e : State University of New York, Long Island Agricultural and Technical Institute, Report on Placement and Progress of Graduates, Indus trial-Technical Division, Farmingdale, N . Y., 1951. Federal Government The Federal Government classifies technician jobs, as it does other positions, according to the kind of work performed and in grades based on the qualifications required and the difficulty and responsibility of the work. In general, techni cians with 2 years of appropriate post-high-school training or experience can begin in jobs classified in grades 3 or 4 and may progress through grade 7 (appendix E). A few, who advance to super visory positions, may attain higher grades. Scheduled gross annual salary rates for grades 3 through 7, which have been in effect since July 1951, follow: Graduates of the 1949-50 class in advanced technology at the RCA Institutes of New York City had an average weekly salary of approximately $59 as of September 30, 1950.34 About 70 percent of these graduates were in the following six occupations which are included among or closely related to those covered by this study: junior engineer, laboratory technician, transmitter engineer (radio), TY technician (production), TV final tester (production), and instructor. These graduates had approximately the same average weekly salary as all members of their class. The increase in earnings enjoyed by many technicians as they gain experience, as indicated in other follow-up studies (see table 5), is also Grade to to to to to $3,430 3,655 4,160 4,545 4,955 35 New Haven YM CA Junior College, Our Graduates and What They Do—A Follow-Up Study, New Haven, Conn., March 1947. 34RCA Institutes, Inc., Report on Job Placement of Graduates for School Year 1949-50, New York, N . Y., October 31,1950. T able 6. — Salary range GS-3___________________________ $2,950 GS-4__________________________ 3,175 GS-5__________________________ 3,410 GS-6__________________________ 3,795 GS-7__________________________ 4,205 P e rce nt d is trib u tio n by grade, a n d average a n n u a l s a la ry o f F e d e ra l G overnm ent em ployees i n selected te c h n ic ia n occu p a tion s J u n e 30, 1951 Occupational group , Grade Total all grades Number Percent Total________ __________________ i 27,813 Engineering a id 2_____________________ 10,812 4,434 Surveying and cartography 3__________ Engineering drafting *________________ 6, 750 Physical-science aid 5_________________ 3,061 Electronic technician 6_______________ 2,756 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1.9 1.7 3.9 1.9 1.3 .1 8.0 9.7 9.3 7.0 9.0 .4 12.5 14.2 16.9 8.8 18.5 1.1 18.7 24.1 14.1 13.6 31.8 2.7 19.3 19.1 19.8 22.4 22.8 7.7 15.8 15.4 9.4 22.7 8.0 19.0 16.5 14.6 11.4 18.7 7.7 36.3 8 9 0.7 .2 2.7 .6 .2 .9 5.0 .7 8.9 3.8 .4 24.3 10-13 1.6 .3 3.6 .5 .3 7.5 Average annual salary $3, 315 3,489 3,509 3,198 4,255 1 Excludes 623 employees for whom grade is not given. 2 Includes engineering aids and student-aid trainees. 3 Includes cartographic aids, student-aid trainees, and some professional cartographers in grades 9 and above. ♦ Includes draftsmen (patent! and engineering draftsmen. 5 Includes scientific aids (cotton), scientific aids, (nautical), student-aid trainees, computers, and physical-science aids. 6 Includes electronic technicians and laboratory electronic mechanics. S o u r c e : Bureau of Labor Statistics and Civil Service Commission, BLS Bulletin No. 1117, Federal White-Collar Workers, Their Occupations and Salaries, June 1951, in process. EARNINGS Employees generally start at the minimum rates. Those who perform their jobs satisfactorily are given annual increases of $80 in the lower grades and $125 in grades 5 through 7, up to the indicated maximum rates. Employees with many years of service receive additional “longevity” increases. Table 6 shows the distribution of Federal employees by grade, for the occupational groups most closely related to those covered in this report. Although the table shows employees in grades 1 through 13 for these occupations, the lower grades (1 and 2) and the grades above 7 generally are considered to apply to job levels outside the scope of this report. More than 80 percent of all the workers in the five selected occupational groups were classified in grades 3 through 7. The salary rates in effect on June 30, 1951 (the date of the survey on which table 6 is based) were about 10 percent lower than the rates given above, which became effective July 8, 1951.36 The largest percentage (24.1) of all engineering aids were in grade 4 as of June 1951 and were earning between $2,875 and $3,355 a year, de pending mainly on length of service. In the sur 36 The change in rates provided for a minimum increase of $300 and a maxi mum of $800. 21 veying and cartography group, the greatest con centration of workers (about 20 percent) was in grade 5, where annual salaries ranged from $3,100 to $3,850. About 22 percent of the engineering drafting group were classified in grade 5 and a similar proportion in grade 6. More than 31 percent of the physical-science aids were classified in grade 4. Employees in the electronic technician group, composed of laboratory electronic mechan ics and electronic technicians, had the highest grade level; over one-half were in grades 6 and 7 (beginning salaries $3,450 and $3,825) and nearly a quarter in grade 9 (beginning salary, $4,600). The average salary for all Federal white-collar employees in the United States as of June 30, 1951, was $3,700. This was higher than the average salary in any of the technician groups studied, with the exception of the electronic technicians. However, average salaries for the various occu pational groups reflect differences in entrance sal aries, as well as differences in length of service of individual employees. Although it is impossible, from the data avail able, to trace the advancement in Federal employ ment of technicians, it is obvious that some persons in these classifications are able to advance to the higher grades (above grade 5) usually filled by professional and administrative personnel. Appendix A Sources of Information on Training Opportunities 1. The State Department of Education at each State Capitol has information about approved technical insti tutes, junior colleges, and other educational institutions offering post-high-school training for specific technical occupations. 2. The American Association of Junior Colleges, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW., Washington, 6, D. C. A junior college directory is available from the associa tion (price, $1) and in many libraries. The association will furnish a free list of its member-schools which offer training for technicians. 3. Bureau of Apprenticeship, United States Department of Labor, Washington 25, D. C. To obtain information regarding apprenticeship oppor tunities in technician occupations, inquiries should be addressed to the Washington Office of the Bureau of Apprenticeship, or to one of the regional offices of the Bureau or to State apprenticeship agencies. 4. Engineers’ Council for Professional Development, 29 West 39th Street, New York 18, N. Y. This is the national accrediting agency for technical institute programs. A current list of schools and their approved programs is available (price, 50 cents). 5. National Council of Technical Schools, 910 17th Street, NW., Washington, D. C. 6. National Home Study Council, 1420 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, D. C. This organization publishes “Home Study Blue Book and Directory of Accredited Private Home Study Schools and Courses—1952.” 7. Technical Education News (published periodically), McGraw Hill Book Co., Inc., 330 West 42d Street, New York 18, N. Y. This publication, available in many libraries, provides information on various technical schools and new infor mation in the field of technical education. The May or June issue includes technical institute enrollment data and a list of schools. Appendix B Examples of Curricula Offered by Schools Training Technicians37 Aircraft Construction and Manufacturing Curriculum San Diego Junior College, San Diego, Calif., 1951-52 First semester FIRST YEAR Aircraft Construction and Manufacturing, including tech nical related subjects 38 Psychology Mathematics Physical Education Third semester SECOND YEAR Aircraft Construction and Manufacturing, including tech nical related subjects 38 Industrial Science English Health Education Physical Education Second semester Aircraft Construction and Manufacturing, including tech nical related subjects 38 Industrial Science Mathematics English Physical Education Fourth semester Aircraft Construction and Manufacturing, including tech nical related subjects 38 Industrial Science Political Science Industrial Organization Physical Education 37 Students enrolling in a particular curriculum must take all of the listed courses, except where otherwise indicated. ss Technical related subjects required of aircraft construction and manufacturing majors are: mechanical drafting, industrial mathematics, materials and processes, welding and machine shop. 22 23 APPENDIX Industrial Electronics Curriculum Wentworth Institute, Boston, Mass., 1950-52 FIRST YEAR Mathematics Mechanical Drawing Applied Physics Electrical Circuits Electron Tubes and Circuits Shop Techniques Mathematics Electrical Machinery Electrical Machinery Laboratory Wiring Practice and Laboratory English Composition SECOND YEAR Electron Tubes and Circuits Special Tubes and Circuits Testing and Measurements Systems Shop Techniques Mechanical Curriculum (Cooperative Program)39 With Majors in General Mechanical, Instrument Making, Tool Engineering, and Screw Machine Technology Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, N. Y., 1952-53 First semester FIRST YEAR Algebra and TrigonometryPhysics Engineering Drawing Psychology of Human Relations English Communications Machine Shop Screw Machine Shop (For Screw Machine Technology students only—Scheduled in place of Machine Shop) Integral Calculus Strength of Materials Engineering Drawing Electricity Economics Second semester Analytic Geometry and Differential Calculus Applied Mechanics Engineering Drawing Psychology of Human Relations English Communications Machine Shop Screw Machine Shop (For Screw Machine Technology students only—Scheduled in place of Machine Shop) SECOND YEAR Effective Speaking Cooperative Employment Power and Heating Equipment (General Mechanical Major) Tool Making (Tool Engineering Major) Instrument Making (Instrument Making Major) Screw Machine Operation and Set-Up (Screw Machine Technology Major) THIRD YEAR Social Problems Current Events Metallurgy Production and Quality Control Cooperative Employment Machine Design (General Mechanical Major) Screw Machine Cam and Tool Design (Screw Machine Technology Major) Screw Machine Estimating and Processing (Screw Machine Technology Major) Screw Machine Research and Technical Problems (Screw Machine Technology Major) Power and Heating Equipment (General Mechanical Major) Tool Design (Tool Engineering Major) Manufacturing Analysis (Tool Engineering Major) Tool Design (Instrument Making Major) Instrument Making (Instrument Making Major) 39 Cooperative program requiring 3 years’ attendance for completion, Work on co operative jobs begins after completion of first years’ program. The second and third-year programs are not organized on a semester basis. EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR TECHNICIANS 24 Chemical Technology Curriculum Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences, State University of New York, Brooklyn, N. Y., 1952 First semester FIRST YEAR Organic Chemistry Quantitative Analysis Effective Speaking Industrial Electricity Industrial Relations Third semester Second semester Organic Chemistry Qualitative Analysis Chemical Mathematics Writing and Thinking Techniques Psychology of Human Relations Applied Physics General Chemistry Basic Communication Methods Sociology Technical Mathematics SECOND YEAR Fourth semester Instrumental Analysis Industrial Chemistry Industrial Analysis Applied Communication Procedures American Government Appendix C Job-Cluster and Promotion Sequence Technical institutes aim to prepare their students for any of the basic positions in a particular field rather than for one specific type of job. The purpose of a job-cluster chart, such as the one given below, is to show a technical institute graduate how his training enables him to apply for a wide area of related jobs. The chart and the example of a promotion sequence indicate how one can go up the employment ladder with additional experience. Some technical institutes advise their students that they probably will find their first jobs at the “entry or training” level. It is believed that most of the graduates will probably advance to the “intermediate” jobs. The “terminal” positions represent the highest level of respon sibility for technicians, because they are jobs to which graduates may advance only if they have demonstrated their personal ability and acquired greater experience. The positions classified as “basic” in the job-cluster chart are those closest to the field of training. The “supple mentary” and “related” jobs illustrate some of the other types of work for which the training institutions consider their graduates qualified. Job-Cluster Chart for Graduates of Mechanical Technology Curriculum40 BASIC 1. E n t r y or T r a i n i n g : Stock clerk Assistant inspector Machine tool operator Tracer Tool crib attendant Maintenance man Time study assistant Laboratory assistant Foundry worker Heat treater Patternmaker Tool grinder See footnote on page 25. SUPPLEMENTARY Meter testman Meter adjuster Power test assistant Toolroom assistant Time study observer Parts inspector Tool draftsman RELATED 25 APPENDIX Job-Cluster Chart for Graduates of Mechanical Technology Curriculum40—Continued BASIC 2. In te rm e d ia te : 3. T e r m in a l: Checker or inspector Layout man Detailer Process technician Time study man Toolmaker Assembler Draftsman Powerplant operator Foreman Test engineer Toolroom foreman Operation planner Cost estimator Tool estimator Expediter Machine designer Tool designer Powerplant supervisor Production supervisor Field engineer Process engineer Consultant on power work Building equipment supervisor Consultant on air-conditioning SUPPLEMENTARY RELATED Technical correspondent Order clerk Assistant foreman Draftsman Steamfitter Job setter Cost analyzer Instrument maker Chief of standards Chief draftsman Technical supervisor Foreman of experimentation Chief of testing Chief of inspection Chief of maintenance Chief of installation Designer of powerplant equipment Refrigeration plant supervisor Chief engineer Catalog and instruction book illus trator Calculator Chief of stockroom Technical salesman Product engineer Serviceman Superintendent of buildings Demonstrator Maintenance supervisor and com parable positions « Adapted from New York State Institutes of Applied Arts and Sciences, N ew York State Agriculture and Technical Institutes, “Technical Careers and Y ou/' Albany, N. Y. Further information on some of these occupations may be found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin No. 998, Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D . C., 1951. Probable Promotion Sequence in Radio and Electronics Field41 Training Level Jobs: Laboratory Assistant Assistant Draftsman Tester or Inspector Assemblyman Machine Operator Intermediate Level Jobs: Assistant Laboratory Engineer Draftsman Foreman of Radio and Electronic Manufacturing Department Tester or Inspector Final Assemblyman Upper Level Jobs: Radio or Electronic Engineer Radio or Electronic Laboratory Engineer Supervisor of Radio or Electronic Manufacturing Department 41 Adapted from, If You Are Considering a Career in the Electrical Field, Vocational Guidance Series, Pamphlet No. 7, Rochester, N . Y ., Rochester Insti tute of Technology, 1948. 26 EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR TECHNICIANS Appendix D Technical Occupations Listed as Critical Criteria for Inclusion on List of Critical Occupations*42 (1) Under the foreseeable mobilization program an over-all shortage of workers in the occupation exists or is developing which will significantly interfere with effective functioning of essential industries and activities;43 (2) A minimum accelerated training time of 2 years (or the equivalent in work experience) is necessary to the satis factory performance of all the major tasks found in the occupation; (3) The occupation is indispensable to the functioning of the industries or activities in which it occurs. Definitions of Technical Occupations Appearing on List of Critical Occupations E le c tro n ic T e c h n ic ia n .—Fabricates, installs, maintains, and repairs intricate electronic apparatus and equipment used in communication, detection, measurement, and control systems, such as: aid-to-navigation systems, in cluding radar and sonar; proximity fuses; guided missiles; fire-sighting and control systems; electronic computers; complex X-ray equipment; and electronic instrument and control devices, including those for special application in meteorological, geophysical, medical, and industrialprocess fields. Constructs and modifies complex electronic assemblies and components, following engineering draw ings, sketches, or verbal instructions and using a compre hensive knowledge of complex and varied test, assembly, and repair procedures to insure proper diagnosis, adjust ment, and operation of such equipment. Tests, calibrates, adjusts, and repairs complex electronic equipment, replac ing and interchanging component parts with precision machinist's and electrician's tools and electronic testing and auxiliary equipment. This title excludes those concerned with service and repair of radio and television broadcasting equipment and receivers, public-address systems, dia thermy devices, electric organs, and similar equipment. 42 Release of M ay 7, 1951, Defense Manpower Administration, IT. S. De partment of Labor. 42 For List of Essential Activities, see release of April 8,1951, U. S. Depart ment of Commerce. E n g in e e r D ra fts m a n , D e s ig n (General Definition).— Makes design drawings of machines, products, processes, instruments, or structures, to assist in developing experi mental ideas evolved by Design Engineers. Prepares working plans and detail drawings, working from rough or detail sketches and specifications and employing his knowledge of engineering methods and practice to solve fabrication or construction problems. Designs lesser parts and assemblies or limited structures in harmony with over all engineering plans and designs. Verifies dimensions of parts and materials, and relationship of one part to another as well as of the various parts to the whole structure, using an extensive knowledge of the various machines, products, or processes peculiar to the specialized activity in which the work occurs. T o o l a n d D ie D e s ig n e r. —Plans, sketches, and makes detailed drawings of tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, and gages. Determines type and kind of tool or die required. This definition includes only: Die Designer and Tool Designer, defined as follows: D ie D e sig n e r 44 (Die Designer, 0-48.42, D. O. T. p. 385). Makes drawings of dies necessary to form a complete stamping, forging, or other part. Decides on the number of sets of dies (each set representing a stage of development of the part to be made) necessary to change the metal blank into the finished piece, basing his decisions on a blueprint of the finished part and on his knowledge of dies and machines, and of their possibilities and limita tions. Compares blueprints with wooden patterns of dies to determine if corrections, changes, or improvements should be made in patterns. This title includes only those related titles with the same Dictionary of Occupational Titles Code number (0-48-42). T o o l D e sig n e r 44 (Tool Designer, 0-48.41, D. O. T. p. 1391). Designs special tools and fixtures, such as boring bars and milling-machine tools. (Frequently is a Machinist, using types of machines for which he is designing tools.) This title includes only those related titles with the same Dictionary of Occupa tional Titles code number (0-48.41), 44 Code numbers are from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (D. O. T .), 2d ed., U. S. Department of Labor, 1949. The expression “related title” refers specifically to the uncoded titles listed in vol. II, D . O. T., which appear in capital letters, under a coded job title. Corresponding definitions for such titles appear in vol. I of the D . O. T. 27 APPENDIX Appendix E Federal Civil Service Requirements for Selected Technical Occupations 45 Engineering Aid, GS-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 746 Physical-Science Aid, GS-1, 247 Experience in engineering as specified below is required: For GS-1, no experience is required. For GS-2, appli cants must have had 1 year of experience in the physical sciences or engineering. A written test is required for both GS-1 and GS-2. S u b s titu tio n .—The successful completion of a full 4-year or senior high-school curriculum which has included six half-year courses in any combination of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or drafting may be substituted for the 1 year of experience required for the GS-2 grade. Pertinent resident study completed in schools above high-school level may be substituted for the required ex perience. Such study will receive appropriate credit in accordance with the length and content of the course. Pertinent training acquired while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States will be accepted on the same basis as civilian training and will be evaluated according to the actual time spent in training and the subject matter of the courses completed. Grade GS-1*_______________ ____ GS-2*_______________ _____ GS-3________________ _____ GS-4__ _____________ _____ GS-5________________ _____ GS-6________________ -------GS-7________________ _____ *A written test required for GS-1 and 2. Specialized ex Total experi perience ence (years) (months) None 1 2 3 4 4H 5 None None 3 6 9 12 12 The specialized experience, which may be included in the total experience required for GS-3 and above, must have been in the specialized branch of engineering in which eligibility is assigned, and must have been at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of the next lower grade in this series. S u b s titu tio n .—For any grade, experience in the physical sciences (chemistry, physics, metallurgy, geology, mathe matics) may be substituted to the extent of 1 year for the general, but not for the specialized experience. The successful completion of a full 4-year or senior high-school curriculum which included six half-year courses in any combination of mathematics, (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, etc.) chemistry, physics, or drafting may be substituted for 1 year of the total experience required for GS-2 and GS-3 or for 6 months of the total experience required for GS-4. High-school duty may not be sub stituted for any experience required for GS-5, 6, or 7 nor for any part of the specialized engineering experience re quired for GS-3 and above. Pertinent resident study successfully completed in a school or institution above high-school level, which in cluded one or more courses in drafting, mathematics, applied engineering sciences, or in engineering, may be substituted for the required experience up to a maximum of 4 years. The amount of experience for which this type of education may be substituted will be determined by the type of institution attended, the content of the courses, and the applicability of such study to the duties of the position. Education may not be substituted for the specialized experience required for GS-6 or 7. Pertinent specialized training or experience acquired while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States will be accepted on the same basis as civilian training or experience and will be evaluated according to the actual time spent in training and the subject matter of the courses completed. 45 U. S. Civil Service Commission, Civil Service Handbook X-118, Quali fication Standards Governing Noncompetitive Actions and Agency Recruit ing, Government Printing Office, Washington, D . C. 40 As of April 1951. For more complete and later information, see an nouncements of the Civil Service Commission in local first- or second-class post offices. Physical-Science Aid, GS-3, 4, 5, 6, 748 The experience specified below is required: Grade GS-3_______________________________ GS-4_______________________________ GS-5_______________________________ GS-6_______________________________ GS-7_______________________________ Total Specialized experience experience {years) (months) 2 3 4 0 5 3 6 9 12 12 The total experience must have been in one or more of the physical sciences; for example, physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, and metallurgy. The specialized experience must have been in a specific branch of physical science and must have been at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of the next lower grade in this series. Experience gained in such positions as meteorological aid, observer in meteorology, cotton textile technologist, inspector, laboratory mechanic, medical technician, scien tific aid in the biological sciences, or statistical clerk will not be considered qualifying experience in full in this examination. If, however, the exact nature of the duties in any of the above positions is such that it affords the applicant opportunity to acquire knowledge of the prin ciples and concepts of a physical science pertinent to the duties of the position, partial or full credit may be given toward meeting the general nonspecialized experience re quirements for any grade. 47 As of April 1951. 48 As of April 1951. 28 EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOB TECHNICIANS S u b s titu tio n .—One year of engineering experience may be substituted for only 1 year of the required experience, but not for any part of the specialized experience. The successful completion of a full 4-year or senior high-school curriculum which included six half-year courses in any combination of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or drafting, may be substituted for 1 year of the experience for GS-3 and for 6 months of the experience for GS-4. High-school study may not be substituted for any part of the experience required for GS-5, 6, or 7, nor for any part of the specialized experience required for any grade. Pertinent undergraduate or graduate study in physical sciences or mathematics completed in an accredited college or university may be substituted year for year for the required experience, provided that such education may not be substituted for the specialized experience required for GS-6 or 7. Pertinent study completed in other resi dent schools above high-school level will receive appro priate credit in accordance with the courses shown in the application. Pertinent training acquired while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States will be accepted on the same basis as civilian training and will be evaluated according to the actual time spent in training and the subject matter of the courses completed. Computer, GS-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Applicants must have had experience in mathematics as follows: Total GS-1 GS-2 GS-3 GS-4 GS-5 GS-6 GS-7 A written test is required. Grade experience (years) None 1 2 3 4 0i 5 For GS-3, 6 months specialized experience, for GS-4 and 5, 9 months; and for GS-6 and 7, 12 months; or the experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to work of the next lower grade in this series. S u b s titu tio n .—The successful completion of a full 4-year or senior high-school course which included 2-year units of mathematics (algebra, geometry, or trigonometry) may be substituted for 1 year of the experience required for GS-2, 3, and 4. High-school study may not be substi tuted for any part of the experience required for GS-5, 6, and 7. Full-time study successfully completed in a resi dent school above high-school level may be substituted year for year for the required experience up to a maximum of 4 years, provided that each year of such study has in cluded or been supplemented by six semester hours in college mathematics in such courses as algebra, trigonom etry, analytic geometry, and calculus. Graduate study with major work in mathematics may be substituted year for year for the required experience. Pertinent resident study on a part-time basis successfully completed in an institution above high-school level will receive appropriate credit in accordance with the courses shown in an application. Pertinent training acquired while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States will be accepted on the same basis as civilian training and will be evaluated accord ing to the actual time spent in training and the courses completed. Engineering Draftsman, GS-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 1149 Drafting samples: The applicant must submit one or more samples to show his knowledge of the techniques used and his proficiency in the branch of drafting for which he is applying. All samples must be originals in ink. Applicants must have had experience in engineering drafting as follows: Grade Total Specialized experience experience (years) (months) yi None GS-1---------------------------------------GS-2---------------------------------------1 None 2 None GS-3---------------------------------------GS-4___________________________ 3 3 GS-5___________________________ 4 6 GS-6___________________________ 4% 9 GS-7___________________________ 5 12 The specialized experience must have been in one of the following: aeronautical, architectural, civil, electrical, heating and ventilating, mechanical, patent, ship, struc tural, or general engineering drafting. It must have been comparable in difficulty and responsibility to work usually performed in the next lower grade in this series. The specialized experience shown by the applicant will deter mine for which option he is qualified. No specialized experience is required for grades GS-1, 2, or 3. Specialized experience exceeding the required amount may be sub stituted for general experience. For eligibility under more than one option, the applicant must show the required specialized experience for each option, because the same period may not be used as specialized experience in more than one option. S u b s titu tio n .—For eligibility in grade GS-6 and above, education may not be substituted for any of the specialized drafting experience. Pertinent resident study may be substituted as follows: A — F o r G S -1 G rad e O n ly .—The successful completion of a half-year high-school course in mathematics, drafting, mechanical drawing, or art, will satisfy the requirement for GS—1. B — H ig h -S c h o o l E d u c a tio n .—The successful completion of a full 4-year or senior high-school curriculum which included four half-year courses, two of them in drafting, and the others in mathematics and/or art, will satisfy the GS-2 requirement in full, and will be acceptable for 1 year of the “total” time required for the GS-3 grade and 49 As of January 1952. 29 APPENDIX all higher grades, regardless of whether experience or fur ther education is offered to meet the remainder of the re quirement. No part of the required “specialized” time may be satisfied by high-school education. C — Above H ig h -S c h o o l L e v e l .—Resident study success fully completed in a school or institution above high-school level (not to exceed 4 years of education) may be given credit as follows: (a) For a curriculum leading to a bachelor’s degree with a major in architecture, engineering, forestry, geology, landscape architecture, mathematics, or physics, and p ro vided at least 1 year of college-level mathematics a n d 1 year of college-level drafting are included, credit will be given as follows: One year of such education qualifies for the GS-3 grade or may be substituted for 2 years of experience. Two and one-half years of such education qualifies for the GS-4 grade or may be substituted for 3 years of experience. Four years of such education qualifies for the GS-5 grade or may be substituted for 4 years of experience.50 (b) For a curriculum leading to a bachelor’s degree in fields other than those listed in (a) immediately above, and which included at least six semester hours in one or more of the following subjects per credited year of study, all of which involved drawing with instruments using pencil or ink, accurate measurements and careful lettering, either so Full-time academic years, comprising 2 semesters, 3 quarters, or the equivalent. freehand or by use of mechanical lettering guides; art design, drafting, or illustrating, credit will be given as follows: Two years of such education qualifies for the GS-3 grade or may be substituted for 2 years of experience. Four years of such education qualifies for the GS-4 grade or may be substituted for 3 years of experience. (c) For pertinent study which included at least one 1-year course in college-level drafting at a college or uni versity, a technical institute, or a school specializing in drafting, credit will be given at the rate of one full-time academic year of education for 1 year of experience, not to exceed 2 years of experience for such training. If appropri ate high-school credit also is shown, this will correspond to the GS-4 level. To permit such maximum credit, it must be evident that the education was pertinent and progres sively difficult, and that the specialization was appropriate for the field of engineering drafting being considered. Credit for education permitted as above specified may be applied also as a part of the total experience needed for the higher grades, but may not be used in lieu of “specialized” experience in grades above the upper limits indicated in the respective paragraphs above. Pertinent specialized training or experience acquired while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States will be accepted on the same basis as civilian training or experience and will be evaluated according to the actual time spent in training and the subject matter of the courses completed. U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1953