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Mars, machines and the Minnesota connection

Article by: STACY BECKER
Updated: August 14, 2012 - 10:27 AM

Parts of the Mars rover were built right here.

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educator1Aug. 14, 12 3:08 PM

Great column - thanks Ms. Becker. Youngsters need to know about the new opportunities to take free career tech classes on college campuses, starting in the 10th grade. Who will help them find out about this?

jpmclaughlinAug. 18, 12 7:53 PM

Good reporting. I'm impressed that you went to see what was really happening and talked to the folks involved. Much of what you said is true here in Pittsburgh, PA. I was one of those high school kids pushed away from manufacturing, only to come to it later when I decided I needed to develop a career. While there are many nice shops out there, many are just what parents fear: dark, dirty, and depressing. Those are also the shops with the lowest wages. I can walk through a shop and tell you the wage of machinists there based upon their toolboxes, the lighting and the age of the machines. I think you discovered why young people don't enter machining, but didn't find out why mid career machinists leave. There is no career path. It's not as if an excellent machinist with design skills will be asked to do some design work, or move in to management, or even be a working manager leading a team. Sometimes, but not often. Basically, machining is a good paying dead end job.

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