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BLS Launches New Occupational Outlook Handbook
Online Today
The
BLS just launched its updated New Occupational Outlook Handbook Online last
week, on March 29, 2012.
We
were pleased to see this given some attention.
We
were also pleased to have provided information to the BLS on some of the job titles occupations that they updated.
It
is an improvement, but the absence of "manufacturing" from the list of
Occupational Groups is puzzling-
Has
no one at BLS been listening to all the speeches by the President about
"Manufacturing" and its importance to America?
To
look up Manufacturing, you need to select "Production"
as an Occupational Group.
Farmers
produce, miners produce, those of us in Fabricated metals / machining- we
manufacture. We make things.
But
in the new OOH, we're filed under production.
Production,
you know, like Food Processing Operators, Water and Wastewater Treatment
Operators, and Laundry and Dry Cleaning Operators.
I
guess they think manufacturing (making things) is like running a sewage
treatment plant or doing somebody else's laundry?
Why
is Manufacturing like doing someone elses laundry? It makes perfect sense to
the folks in Washington D.C..
So
here's the scoop- the contents of the new OOH are current, authoritative, and
useable .
And
hard to find.
I asked a colleague and he required several tries to find CNC operator.
But
you need to find them. So here's the key:
Machinist and Tool and Die Makers (But NOT CNC!)
CNC Machine Operators and Programmers (hint,
you'll find these under Metal and Plastic Machine Operators.)
Heres
what the BLS has to say about Metal and Plastic Machine Operators:
How to Become a Metal or Plastic Machine Worker
"A few weeks of on-the-job training are enough for
most workers to learn basic machine operations, but 1 year or more is required
to become highly skilled. Although a high school diploma is not required,
employers prefer to hire workers who have one."
Okay,
so they didn't get this one right.
Well
maybe they did for machine tenders, but certainly not for CNC machinists.
And
you won't find Computer Numeric Controlled Machine Programmer under the Computer and Information Technology Occupational Group.
You'll
find them in the alphabetical list which links to the second tab of that metal and plastic machine
operator page.
According
to Tab 3 on the metal and plastic machine operator
there are just 16,600 Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Tool Programmers,
Metal and Plastic.
2010-2020 Job Outlook for CNC Operators and Programmers can
be found here.
The
way I see it, Taxonomy is difficult, and the BLS's decision to hide
"Manufacturing" under Production doesn't make sense to this aging baby boomer.
I see
the world through Fabricated Metal Glasses and manufacturing is
people making things, not tending to waste water or dry cleaning.
But
the data and information that is available on the new site is current,
authoritative,
and I can say from my perspective - was vetted by people like me who helped the
economists at BLS see these jobs from outside the beltway.
Congratulations
for updating the Occupational Outlook Handbook Online.
We
may not agree with all of your wording or taxonomy, but we are pleased to
see good information about the opportunities for work in Manufacturing.
Even
if they can't say "Manufacturing" in Washington D.C..
Why
do you think the officials in Washington D.C. can't say the "M" word?"
Shrug photo
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