Phase 2: Survey of Virginia Manufacturers

This portion of the report presents the findings from Phase 2 of VMA’s Skilled Trades Study – a survey of Virginia manufacturers. Phase 2 was conducted by Alan Newman Research, Inc. The purpose of the Phase 2 manufacturing survey was to obtain primary data on skilled trades employment, evaluate potential refinements of the occupational categories used to define skilled trades, and compile information on certain hiring and training issues.

Based on the findings from Phase 1, the Skilled Trades Workforce Development Committee incorporated several changes in the process used to conduct Phase 2. First and foremost, they introduced a new job category – Manufacturing Technician – that is not represented in the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) taxonomy.

The reason for introducing this new job category was to better reflect the reality of modern manufacturing, where production machinery often means sophisticated multi-million dollar equipment involving the use of robotics and complex numerical controls, as opposed to the comparatively simple mechanical devices of the past. Because of this change, the traditional job classification Machine Operator, and the skill set associated with that job classification, no longer accurately captures a large portion of the modern skilled trades workforce. To account for this, the Skilled Trades Workforce Development Committee developed a new job classification – Manufacturing Technician – which refers to individuals who’s job skills must exceed those of a traditional Machine Operator, but are less than those required of a Programmer or Engineer.

In addition to adding the Manufacturing Technician job classification, the Skilled Trades Workforce Development Committee also chose to delete four of the skilled trades employed in Phase 1 of the analysis because of their apparent limited relevance. These were: 1) Chemical Equipment Operators, 2) Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, 3) Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, and 4) Tool and Die Makers. The Committee further elected to split the skilled trade category Electricians and Electrical Technicians that was employed in Phase 1 into two separate classifications, and combine the skilled trades categories Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators and Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders into a single classification.

Based on these changes, a total of nine skilled trades were included in the survey of Virginia manufacturers: 1) Manufacturing Technicians, 2) Chemical Technicians, 3) Electronics Technicians and Repairers, 4) (Industrial) Electricians, 5) Machine Maintenance Specialists, 6) (CNC and Conventional) Machine Tool Operators, 7) (CNC and Conventional) Machinists, 8) Printing Machine Operators, and 9) Welders. Full detail on the job descriptions associated with each of these skilled trades classifications is provided in section A5 of the Appendix to this report.

Finally, another change incorporated by the Skilled Trades Workforce Development Committee was to include in the survey questions related to issues pertaining to the hiring of skilled trades workers, and questions pertaining to the training of skilled trades workers.

The remainder of this portion of the report is divided into four sections: 1) a description of data and methods, 2) results for each of the skilled trades included in the Phase 2, 3) hiring and training issues, and 4) a summary of the most salient findings derived from Phase 2 of the VMA Skilled Trades Study.