Imagine a world without your car mechanic. Panic would set in waiting for the inevitable breakdown at a critical moment, or you’d frantically search YouTube for DIY videos.
Right now, CNC fleet operators are like the owners of a brand new electrical vehicle without a mechanic, as there is a startling shortage of technicians capable of servicing their machines. Desperate for CNC technicians, manufacturers in the metro Minneapolis took matters in the own hands.
Leaders from Northwest Machine, an integrated supplier of Mazak CNC machine tools located in Rogers, Minn., contacted nearby Anoka Technical College. Anoka Tech already had a strong CNC machinist program, so Northwest Machine inquired about adding a CNC service tech track. The idea bloomed and a steering committee of eight local manufacturers connected with Jesse Oldenburg, the machine trades instructor at Anoka Tech, to develop a curriculum.
“The committee drove the development of a two-year, 64-credit diploma program with classes in electronics, machining, and service,” Oldenburg says. “After 15 months of planning, the CNC Service Technician Program was approved by Minnesota State and we launched it in August 2020.”
Help Wanted – Now!
“We need field service engineers out of school that can become productive in less time,” Hoskins says. “We want them to come to us with all the skill sets they need to perform the job quickly because we need the help now.”
“This job requires a person to be electrician, a mechanic, and a competent diagnostic person that can think on their feet, thus supplying the industry with a greatly needed commodity,” Focht says. “We want them to have the ability to program and make parts on CNC machines, possess a good understanding of electrical systems, and the ability to troubleshoot PLCs. The Anoka Tech program has all of this, making it an extremely interesting and career developing course of study.”
Class of 2022
All current students have paid on-the-job training at local manufacturing companies. Northwest Machine and Productivity each have one first-year Anoka Tech student. Graco has three students in the Anoka Tech service tech program: one first-year student intern and two second-year students working in preventive maintenance who will be hired when they graduate.
These future CNC technicians have a good-paying job waiting and will graduate without a mountain of student debt, which comes as a surprise to too many parents who still assume that a four-year liberal arts degree is always the best option.
“At a job fair a few years ago, parents were shocked at what I was telling them,” Focht says. “They couldn’t believe that their kids could attend a two-year college and hit the ground making nearly $60,000 a year. I mentioned to them that a CNC Maintenance Technician position is probably one of the highest paid jobs in most factories, along with being another option for a postsecondary education.”
Attention Tech Schools
“In the Upper Midwest, we have a lot of manufacturers using CNC machine tools, so we need support networks to keep those machines running,” Hoskins says. “We need more schools to offer CNC service tech programs to satisfy industry needs. I estimate we will need 50 to 100 of these individuals per year in the Upper Midwest alone. One school can't do it alone.”
To become involved with the AMT committees that address these needs and others, visit the AMT website. In the meantime, if you need CNC service help, step away from the DIY YouTube videos and contact your local technical college to take the first steps toward a service tech program in your region.
