The future of CNC machining is people

The WordSkills competition brings together young competitors from all over the world in a timed event of programming and machining a part. WorldSkills

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not the future of CNC machining. Nor is digitalization, Industry 4.0, or automation. Not alone. Without the correctly educated human element, it all falls apart. The future of CNC machining is human. Custom Casting

Canada has a wonderful opportunity to grow its manufacturing sector by creating meaningful, skilled, and well-paying jobs. But this only happens if our students are introduced to the skilled trade of machining at an early age.

The Skills Canada competitions are a great help. They are held in each province and territory annually and the National Competition is held in a different city each year. WorldSkills is held every other year, and the best Canadian CNC milling and CNC turning machinist students first must qualify by winning at the Skills Canada National Competition.

Manufacturing still is very much alive in Canada, where the standard of living is high, where workers are highly skilled, and where the quality of manufactured goods is remarkable. In short, Made in Canada means something.

To keep this level of excellence, however, we need more skilled and semi-skilled workers for our manufacturing facilities. There is a shortage, but these are not your grandfather’s manufacturing jobs. They are highly paid positions that need employees with problem-solving skills and knowledge gained both in school and on the job so Canada can create some of the most highly advanced parts in the world.

Here we introduce you to the two young people gunning for the top spot in CNC milling and turning at WorldSkills, which will be held in Lyon, France in September 2024.

Part of the manufacturing skills pipeline in this country are the provincial and national Skills competitions, which are designed to test the skills of manufacturing students and to help create buzz around the trades in general.

They are a great way to engage students by creating awareness and exposure to skilled-trade career options.

At next year’s WorldSkills, the CNC milling competition includes Ethan McCallum of Orillia, Ont.

McCallum is enrolled in the mechanical technician - precision skills (MTPS) program at Georgian College, but his knowledge of machining began even earlier.

“My career as a machinist began at Orillia Secondary School when I took a manufacturing class in the 10th grade,” said McCallum. “This was my first time ever being exposed to machining equipment, and I began to take an interest in the trade after spending some time in the class.”

Now in his second year at Georgian College, he’s enjoying every aspect of the trade.

“My interest in programming and CNC work began in my first year of college when my eyes were opened to the accuracy, speed, and capability of CNC machines,” he said. “I really enjoy parts with unique challenges because they give me the opportunity to learn new operations and gain a more extensive understanding of the theory related to the trade.”

After initially feeling intimidated by the complex equipment, McCallum’s confidence grew as he started learning more and getting used to the change. It did more than change his opinion of manufacturing equipment, too. It changed his opinion on the trade.

“There is a lot more to this trade than meets the eye. Theory is a large part of the trade that I previously had not thought of much but is a critical part of learning,” he said. “My opinion on the trade has significantly changed over time. The initial impression was intimidation, and it has now expanded into a passion of mine that I work on daily.”

His story is a common one. Students often struggle in classes that require a paper to be written but excel in another area because they are simply interested in it more.

“The primary factor that brought me to the industry is being able to work using my hands. I struggled in high school sitting in many classes on a computer or writing a paper and knew very quickly that an office job was not the career path I wanted to follow,” he said. “Furthermore, I have an obsession with being meticulous and accurate in all of my projects, from motorcycles and cars to parts being made in the shop.”

The old saying goes that “it takes a village to raise a child.” Teaching a student is similar. And for McCallum, one particular educator stands out.

“There are many members of the faculty at Georgian College who have helped me navigate and learn the trade. One member of the faculty who stands out is Brett Austin. Brett has dedicated countless hours to help me learn the machines extensively,” he said.

Austin helped McCallum prepare for both the Skills Ontario regional competition and the Skills Canada National Competition, and he won gold at both events. Now Austin is helping him prepare for the 2024 WorldSkills Competition.

The WorldSkills competition raises the profile and recognition of skilled people and shows how important skills are in achieving economic growth. WorldSkills

McCallum was introduced to Skills competitions when a professor at the college took notice of some of the parts that he was producing in class. He was then asked if he’d like to try to make some parts based on new prints. After being selected to participate in the Skills Ontario regional competition alongside fellow student Ryle Reynolds, he began training to prepare for the competition.

To prepare for WorldSkills, McCallum has started working with prints from previous competitions.

“We have been increasing difficulty and slowly begun reducing the time required to accurately produce the part,” he explained. “I also have had the opportunity to network with In-House Solutions for a private instruction within programming to improve solid model creation. The parts will be a challenge for me, but I have already seen significant improvement in my abilities as my training progresses.”

Even though it’s his programming and machining abilities that will eventually be tested, the competition also is a timed event, which means pressures will mount.

“The skill I believe will help me most is my ability to stay cool and work under pressure, while maintaining focus regardless of distractions. This event will certainly be a different experience from the previous competitions, but I am looking forward it.”

Looking ahead, McCallum sees these events as a benefit to a future career in manufacturing.

“Skills/Compétences Canada is a widely known organization among companies in the trades, and being a competitor at its event certainly reflects your dedication, skill set, and commitment to your trade,” he said. “The additional training has helped me to become more efficient as a programmer and on the machine. Networking has also been a benefit to my career. I have had the ability to meet potential employers as well as communicate with others in the trade and learn information from them that I can apply to my work.”

Manufacturing is always changing. And new technology will certainly be a part of the change. But what will never change is the need for a good pair of hands … with a good mind attached, of course.

So what advice does a student have for the industry he wants to join? He wants more people to know about it.

“I would promote more advertisement for the industry and allow more people to see what processes are used to create the products people use on a daily basis,” said McCallum.

And just like that, the Thank a Machinist movement grows.

For CNC turning competitor Elliott Jacques of Montreal, the manufacturing industry is a family affair.

“I live in Montreal, which has one of the largest aerospace sectors in the world,” said Jacques. “My father is an aeronautic engineer, and my uncle is a machinist, so becoming an aeronautical machinist was natural. You can say that it runs in the family.”

When his high school days ended, Jacques, along with his friends, initially planned to enroll in Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) to obtain a college degree. However, when COVID-19 hit, those plans changed.

The new online courses made Jacques realize he was not cut out to be behind a desk all day.

“At that moment, I decided to enroll in a machinist course at the École des métiers de l’aérospatiale de Montréal (ÉMAM), where I could study while working with my hands,” he said.

With a detail-oriented mind, Jacques wanted a technical and self-motivating job. Becoming a machinist filled those needs because he manufactures extremely precise parts using both conventional and CNC machines. The learning didn’t stop at ÉMAM, either.

Jacques’ next step was into one of the largest and most well-known manufacturers in Canada.

“When I received my machinist degree, I chose to further improve my skills by completing a certificate of professional specialization (ASP) in machining on CNC machine tools that was offered as a work-study program with ÉMAM in collaboration with Pratt & Whitney Canada,” he said.

And, at the end of the training program, Jacques was offered a permanent position at the aerospace giant as a CNC machinist in the tool room. It suits him well.

The timed aspect of the competition adds pressure to the competitors. WorldSkills

“Every day there is a different challenge to overcome, and I needed to find a demanding job that challenges my mind every day. My job at Pratt & Whitney requires precision, good conceptualization, and computer programming. My job is never boring,” he said.

As with his fellow competitor, McCallum, a teacher helped set Jacques on his path.

“Pierre Lapalme was my mathematics teacher and my mentor. The first three years of my high school years were pretty tough, but he stood by me, and he believed in me. Throughout the years, he was able to pass on to me his passion for robotics, the desire to surpass myself, and to develop my thinking in an original and innovative way.”

It’s this type of mentorship that Jacques is now passing along at his former high school.

“It seemed natural to me that at the end of my secondary studies, I would give back to my community by getting involved as a mentor with the MEKANO 3553 team from First Robotics at my old high school. I believe it is important to inspire young people to develop their problem-solving skills and programming knowledge,” he said.

Jacques has participated in several competitions over the years, so the provincial and national competitions were an easy fit. When ÉMAM approached him to participate in a regional Skills competition, he accepted immediately.

“At that time, I didn’t even know that you could qualify to go to the Skills Canada National Competition or even the WorldSkills Competition. Now I’m really excited,” he said.

He will compete in the CNC turning competition. It will be a challenge because the parts are more complex and there will be challenges that he’s never done before.

“I’ll have to adapt quickly to be able to complete these tasks,” he said.

To make the competition go smoothly, Jacques plans on more training with his coach to properly prepare. He will also have to broaden his knowledge base.

“I’ll have to take ownership of the procedures and go beyond the limits of my abilities to simplify the complicated concepts,” he said. “At the WorldSkills Competition, I will have to read the plans carefully, ask myself the right questions about the operations while being quick and precise.”

Training for and competing in the regional and national Skills competitions were the first step. Next step: the world.

Editor Joe Thompson can be reached at jthompson@fmamfg.org.

Skills/Compétences Canada, www.skillscompetencescanada.com

Toronto, M1R 0A1 Canada

See More by Joe Thompson

Joe Thompson has been covering the Canadian manufacturing sector for more than two decades. He is responsible for the day-to-day editorial direction of the magazine, providing a uniquely Canadian look at the world of metal manufacturing.

An award-winning writer and graduate of the Sheridan College journalism program, he has published articles worldwide in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, pharmaceutical, medical, infrastructure, and entertainment.