Training programs address machinist shortage

By GAIL McCARTHY
Essex County Newspapers

Machine shops from Lynn to Newburyport find themselves faced with a dearth of qualified machinists.

This is not a new problem, but one that ebbs and flows with the rhythms of the economy.

"It's almost impossible to find machinists," said O.C. Theriault, owner of Tempco, a company of 60 machinists based in Danvers. "On average, we have numerous openings. I used to have more than 100 people but I'm not going to do it anymore."

Tempco, which primarily makes digital equipment for manufacturing silicon chips, advertises for part-time, full-time and night-time jobs just to get people to apply.

One problem might be that the image of a machinist has not been a particularly glamorous one. But like so much else in the Information Age, computers have improved the machinist's lot.

Mary Sarris, executive director of the Southern Essex Regional Employment Board, said she believes that the job lost its attractiveness to students as the computer age began because they did not realize that manufacturing had similar options.

"We need to rebuild the trade into what it is now. It's a clean shop and a computer-driven one," she said. "But moves are afoot to fill the gaps."

Gus Surrette, a machine shop instructor at North Shore Technical High School, said enrollment has been rising.

He attributes the increasing enrollment to parents _ the decision makers on the student's curriculum _ who are better educated about the industry and what a machine shop represents.

"I think the image of the worker going off with a metal lunch box, going into the dungeon of a machine shop, doesn't exist anymore. It's high-tech and high-quality," he said.

Surrette said a machinist with at least 10 years experience can make from $45,000 to $70,000. He defined machinists as those who manufacture metal products that are assembled into machinery.

New trainees can't come fast enough for some local companies.

"We need people now," said Steve Amaral, production manager of Dynisco HotRunners, based in Gloucester. "In the past few years, there has been a lack of qualified people."

Part of the problem, said Ron Ross, vice president of Gloucester Engineering, stems from the bust of the Massachusetts Miracle, when 500,000 people left the state, including many skilled workers such as machinists.

"So when our economy kicked into gear, these people were gone," he said.

Dynisco's personnel director, Gail Warren, said the company, like others on the North Shore, uses all avenues to find workers.

"We've tried everything we can think of. We go to headhunters, word of mouth, and advertising," she said.

The company also gives bonuses to employees who recommend a friend who is later hired.

One company that does not have trouble filling its jobs is Middleton Aerospace Corp.

General Manager Robert Segal said its 80 machinists are well-paid and the company offers a clean, computer-driven and professional employment opportunity. The shop is air-conditioned, well-lit and spotless.

The company's two plants, in Middleton and in Peabody, manufacture jet engine components.

"All our equipment is computer controlled, state-of-the-art," said Segal. "Our machinists _ we refer to them more as technicians _ are integral to the whole process as opposed to hourly workers who run machines."

Arwood Machine Corp. in Newburyport has also had success in training and retaining its machinists.

Daniel Sedler, Arwood's sales manager, said although it is always a challenge to find machinists, the company promotes its machinists from within and crosstrains its workers, some of whom have been there 30 years.

Arwood, which employs 120 machinists, manufactures precision machine components for the medical, aerospace and communications industries.

Sedler said the location in Newburyport is an attraction to some workers because of its proximity to the train and highway routes. The company also boasts a fitness, another benefit to its employees.

Regional consortium

Anthony Cotoia, executive assistant to the president of Salem State College, said Gloucester in particular has a shortage of machinists. "They can't get enough skill people," he said.

While there is a general demand for machinists in the region, the problem is more acute on Cape Ann. Some point to its more remote geographic location and rising real estate prices as part of the difficultly in attracting machinists.

To meet Cape Ann's need, a consortium of machine shops from Cape Ann and Ipswich was formed last August to offer a training program that began this fall.

Salem State will offer a machine operators training program and the shops will pick up tab. The candidates for the program would be guaranteed a job following their training.

Cotoia has offered a similar program several times before on the North Shore that companies found successful.

This fall North Shore Community College also began a nationally certified program to meet the need of the growing number of companies seeking machinists or for companies that want to upgrade the skills of their workers.

Sharing prospective machinists is not unheard of. At times, Dynisco and Gloucester Engineering may pass along an employee application to the other.

Vance Delisle, an oftentimes one-man shop at Bybon Co. in Gloucester, said small shops network with other little shops.

"Sharing of machinists is what it has come to," he said.