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  • Career Profile: Micro-Electronics Manufacturer

    Career Profile: Micro-Electronics Manufacturer

    Imagine working with something so small that you can barely see it. How would you ever manage to do anything with it? Micro-electronics manufacturers work with equipment to produce very small parts of machines like computers or televisions. Working as a micro-electronics manufacturer is a good job for anyone who likes to work with blueprints, diagrams, and machines to produce some of the world’s tiniest products.

    Suppose that you wanted to make a model airplane or some jewellery from a kit. Would you be able to follow the directions? Working as a micro-electronics manufacturer involves the ability to read and understand blueprints and other instructions to be able to make sure that the machines for making electronics are working properly. Very little of this work is done by hand, but manufacturers need to know how to run the machines that do the actual labour.

    The first step in working with these machines is to know as much as possible about them. Getting a job as a micro-electronics manufacturer usually involves an apprenticeship program at a college. Courses might be in a classroom or online, but they normally involve some practical work in addition to theory. One of the most important things that apprentices learn is problem-solving.

    If something goes wrong with a machine or if it was set wrong, micro-electronics manufacturers need to be able to identify the problem and be able to fix it. Courses in an apprenticeship program are likely to include techniques for interpreting diagrams, setting up and operating machinery, and cleaning up the equipment after a manufacturing run. Students might also be able to specialize in certain types of products or techniques in manufacturing.

    Besides learning about the specific techniques for their work, students also learn about general topics like health and safety or environmental concerns. These topics are important for learning about the different factors that might affect the industry.

    Suppose that you discovered that a certain chemical used in the manufacturing process was dangerous. You would have to be very careful with it, but you might decide to find a different chemical to use instead. Knowing about the dangers and benefits of different parts of the manufacturing process can help you make good decisions about how to do your job. In a good apprenticeship program, students learn about the many factors that make a difference in their jobs.

    Finding work as a micro-electronics manufacturer depends on location and level of skill. Big cities might be good places to start, but sometimes small towns have factories or workshops with the right equipment for this trade. Specializing in a particular type of electronics can also help people in this field find work. Generally, salaries for micro-electronics manufacturers range between about $30,600 and $66,500, although pay depends on the employer and the amount of experience an employee has.

    We all use electronics in our daily lives, and becoming a manufacturer in this area may be a good career choice for you, and everyone that uses technology on a daily basis.

    Bibliography:

    Algonquin College. “Microelectronics Manufacturer Apprenticeship.” http://www.algonquincollege.com/sat/program/microelectronics-manufacturer/

    Apprentice Search. “What Does a Microelectronics Manufacturer Do?” http://www.apprenticesearch.com/AboutTrades/GetTradeDetails?tradeId=117&TradeName=microelectronics-manufacturer.

    Payscale Canada. “Electronics Technician Salary (Canada).” http://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Electronics_Technician/Hourly_Rate.

    Wikipedia. Org. “Microelectronics.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microelectronics.

  • Assessing Assistive Technology

    Assessing Assistive Technology

    Purchasing technology can crash your bank account but there are ways to cut the cost.

    Let’s face it: Apple is cool. Apple is cool for a variety of reasons, but mostly because they are innovative. Five years ago, who would have thought that a blind person could use a touch screen phone? (Apple, apparently.)

    I’m speaking of course of the iPhone 3GS, which has an assortment of accessibility features like VoiceOver and is probably the most easy to use voice activated software on the market. But the tech market is constantly being flooded with new hardware and software, most of which will cost a good chunk of your newly acquired pay cheque or your government funded education. Although far from universal, accessibility options on commercial software and hardware is certainly a step in the right direction when it comes to raising the minimum level of access.

    Uh, Where’s the Start Button?

    “The problem with going and buying something off the shelf,” says Ryan Vernon, faculty member and librarian at B.C. College and Institute Library Services, Langara College, “ is that it’s really expensive and if doesn’t work out for you, you’ve probably made a huge capital investment that can’t be recouped.” Vernon spends much of his time formatting print sources into alternative formats for disabled students. He recommends looking for programs that are free and programs that have trials, like Kurzweil, which offers free runs of some of their software. A Kurzweil license, however, can run close to two thousand dollars. Yikes.

    But with the recent popularity of open source software and a general push towards offering more free programs and information online, the time is ripe to start picking from the proverbial tech tree. Pack a lunch and spend a little time online. Adaptech (www.adaptech.dawsoncollege.qc.ca) has an extensive list of free and inexpensive software and the recently re-vamped NEADS website has links to all kinds of technology related sites.

    Many companies, like TD, have labs where employees with disabilities can test drive new hardware and programs. The employee will work with an expert, find out what works best, and then that particular piece of hardware or software will be ordered.

    “I think we’re going to see this with all big companies who do business in the states,” Vernon says. A law in the U.S., Section 508, requires that companies that do business with the federal government have certain accessibility standards built in, he says. “So for a company like Xerox who sell a lot of copiers to the government it’s a necessity to them.”

    Funding

    For students, much of the funding is done at the provincial level, through various grants and loans. You have to be eligible for a student loan, have to have persons with a disability status in addition to other requirements. If you don’t meet those requirements, chances are you won’t get hardware support. There are also numerous organizations that provide assistance. Check with your local disability services to see what’s out there. Your school may even have a research lab that specializes in assistive technology as much of the research going into this field is done at the academic level.

    Another good thing to keep in mind is that hardware can be re-purposed. Those old PC’s still have some miles left, so ask around. You may be able to find decent hardware that your friends, family and local businesses don’t need. And again, there are plenty of free software programs available that are just as good as the commercial ones.

    BY JASON RHYNO

    Via NEADS ( http://www.neads.ca/ )