Five Questions with...Chuck Tate and John Pusatera
If you've been to one of our free training classes at a Sandvik Coromant Center or Training and Project Site, you've surely met Chuck Tate and John Pusatera. They are walking, talking versions of our popular Metal Cutting Technology handbook. As advocates for training and workforce development, they donate their time and talent to the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) as presenters and judges for the CNC Milling Technology, CNC Turning Technology and CNC Technician competitions. Here’s a five-minute read on their thoughts about training, the future workforce and the skills gap.
Sandvik Coromant: You were both involved with SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) 2019 in June where you presented to students and judged the CNC competitions. What was your main takeaway from the NLSC this year?
Chuck: Every year I leave the conference feeling manufacturing is in good hands. Students were confident, eager to learn and very competitive.
John: It is the level of competence that these competitors have. Most of them come in thinking it is going to be them that win. When you ask them how they think they did, most express confidence that they did really good. If we can continue to attract young people like the ones at SkillsUSA, we in the manufacturing business will be in good hands.
SC: After speaking with the student competitors at the NLSC 19, what types of challenges do you think they will face in the future workforce?
Chuck: Change is difficult and is not always expedient, therefore patience will be most important.
John: The industry is going through tremendous change. These future workers are going to have to continuously adapt to the changing technology. At the same time, workpieces are also becoming more complex which will require even greater levels of skill for most professional manufacturing workers. We also need to attract a more diverse workforce, as well as a larger pool of workers to be able to keep up with demands of the industry.
SC: How many years have you been in training people in the metal cutting industry? What has changed throughout the years?
Chuck: 13 years. The quality of tools today allows cutting data to be much higher today which allows us to be more competitive. Metal cutting has always been a very competitive industry and remains the same today.
John: 11 years as a formal trainer but even more in my role as a salesman. We are starting to see an improvement in diversity with the people that we are training but we still need a lot more women. The competency level is also increasing for a greater percentage of the workers. We are also seeing our customers using more advanced techniques and tool paths for improved productivity as well as process security. What has stayed the same? We still have the basic theory for best practices as it relates to metal cutting. Making sure everyone has a basic understanding of the fundamentals is still important.
SC: What types of skills will machine operators need in future machine shops that they didn't need in the past?
Chuck: In years past, if you knew how to run a machine, you were set for most of your career. In the machine shops of the future, it will be adaptability, willingness to learn and the acceptance of new technologies.
John: In the past, it was a lot of personal knowledge such as feeling, hearing or seeing. Of course, the digital skills will continue to increase as the manual skills continue to disappear. That learning was by lifelong journey rather than a couple of years in technical school and to continuously improve their own skills as they progress through their careers. Now it will be more of making the right choices based on the technology available. It will be using the technology in the most efficient way.
SC: What advice would you give young people today who are considering a job in manufacturing?
Chuck: I would say not only young people, but anyone wanting an exciting, growing, job with a multitude of opportunities, don't look past manufacturing. We need you!
John: That there are tremendous opportunities in manufacturing for those who possess the right skills. These opportunities come with high pay based on having the right skills. To be open to the constantly changing circumstances of their careers and the continuously changing skills that will be in demand. To look for opportunities that will take their careers to the next level both in pay and satisfaction.
SC: Bonus question! What's your favorite Sandvik Coromant cutting tool and why?
Chuck: It really isn't a cutting tool, but one that Sandvik Coromant makes and sells. My favorite is our precision holding tool, a CoroCHUCK, of course!
John: SilentTools. I think that our technology is far and away the best in the industry. Now we add to our leading damping technology sensors and Bluetooth. This really makes us stand out as a market leader. We at Sandvik Coromant are a true innovator.
Click here to find out more about our free training sessions at a Sandvik Coromant Center or Training and Project Site near you.
Click here to learn more about SkillsUSA.
