What does a Motive Power Machinist (410K) do?

Motive Power Machinists are skilled craftspeople that set up and operate precision metal cutting and grinding machines including lathes, milling machines, drills, shapers, boring mills and grinders. They may use this equipment to manufacture, install, operate, disassemble, re-condition, adjust, repair, or replace motor vehicle parts including engines, suspensions, flywheels, brake components, blocks, cylinder heads, crankshafts, and connecting rods.

Job Related Skills, Interests and Values

  • Reading and understanding blueprints, charts, and tables
  • Making, fitting, and assembling parts by hand or using hand and power tools
  • Estimating and accurately measuring sizes; laying out work pieces
  • Accurately working with numbers
  • Noticing and comparing slight differences in objects
  • Working independently at tasks that require concentration and physical effort

What Preparation and Training Do You Need?

  • Secondary school diploma or equivalent
  • Completion of a 5,340-hour apprenticeship, including on-the-job and in-school training
  • Exam to obtain Certificate of Qualification

What's Your Future as a Motive Power Machinist (410K)?

  • Full-time, often including shiftwork
  • May work in small shops with several machinists or large shops with hundreds
  • Machinists who understand programming process and digital readout from computerized numeric control machines improve employability and job prospects
  • Employers include motor vehicle and parts manufacturers, machinery and equipment manufacturers, and aircraft and parts manufacturers

Wage Rate

Apprentice wage increases with skill and experience. Fully qualified workers earn an average of $28.85-$40.00 per hour. 

Self-Rating

Motive Power Machinist (410K)

Ask Yourself: Yes No
Do you have good hand-eye coordination, and enjoy working with different types of hand tools?
Do you have good reading, writing, mathematical, measuring and problem-solving skills?
Are you able to read blueprints and measurements accurately?
Are you able to follow Health & Safety guidelines? Are you able to lift up to 50lbs?
Do you have high attention to detail?
Are you comfortable working as a team? Are you an organized person?
Can you take direction well?


If you checked YES to the majority of these questions, a career as a Motive Power Machinist (410K) may be for you!

You might want to look at these similar trades as well;

  • Tool & Die Maker
  • Stationary Engineer
  • Millwright
  • Locksmith
  • Metal Pattern-Maker

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