Fall 2005

Dave Gilman logs in to Tooling University

A new training opportunity is available to Seattle Lighthouse machine shop employees: online Tooling University classes in subjects such as shop essentials, blueprints, intermediate and advanced mathematics, and computer numerically controlled machining.

“We came across Tooling University in a trade magazine, Modern Machine Shop. We made contact with Tooling University about a year ago and started expressing interest,” says Mike Scheschy, machine shop supervisor. “Prior to that we had downsized our training program and the work had slowed down somewhat, but we still wanted to maintain some training. This looked like a good opportunity to do that in a financially responsible way.”

Over the past year, six machine shop employees have taken online courses. “We paid for a subscription for one year. You’re allowed to take as many classes as you want,” Mike explains. “Right now, we’re allowing the employee three hours a week on company time to spend on the computer taking courses. Everyone is going at their own pace. Some people choose to do more than the three hours a week. Since it is an online course they can access it from home as well --- some people choose to do that.”

Classes range from basic to advanced, providing machinists with opportunities to review knowledge as well as sharpen their skills. “It’s a good review of concepts and ideas I’ve learned here and in my schooling,” says Bill McCracken, CNC machinist. “It’s a good supplement for instruction.”

Dave Gilman, senior machine shop lead, agrees. “It reminded me of what I have learned in the past. I feel like it helped me in doing my job, particularly on the CMM where I have to do a lot of mathematical calculations and trigonometry. It’s helped me so I don’t have to rely on looking through charts and tables so much.”

“As far as an introduction to what’s going on here on the shop floor, it’s a great tool,” says Mike Beeksma, machine shop lead. “The online ability is nice. We can talk to people from other shops --- get feedback and talk to other students taking Tooling University classes.”

Serzh Nikolayev, CNC machinist, has taken forty-one classes in the online university. “It’s really helpful,” he says. “I am choosing the classes most related to my job. I have already taken seven classes at the advanced level. I started out little by little then went higher and higher and higher. When I started out I knew the basics but not completely like now.”

Jeff Foster, set-up specialist, has a unique perspective on the university. “For me, as a person who is Deaf as well as legally blind, there are some differences between how I go into Tooling University, how I use it, compared to those people who know English well,” he observes. “Because my first language is American Sign Language, what we’ve done and how we’ve worked it out is we have a trainer who’s Deaf and bilingual, knowing English and American Sign Language. So I read it and also get the ASL version.” He adds, “I like the fact that you can go at your own pace...I can take as much time as I need to see what’s on the screen, to absorb what I’m learning, to have it interpreted.”

Jeff says the class has helped him to learn new machining terminology used on the job. “It’s been interesting for me. What it ended up being is both a lesson in the machining side of things and it’s become a kind of English lesson for me as well. So I’ve been learning lots of vocabulary pertaining to machining. This keeps me a little more on par with my coworkers.”

The machinists taking tooling classes represent a range of vision types and conditions including vision loss from macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Lighthouse computers are modified with special assistive technology to make online classes more accessible to each student. Audible text further helps blind students to access the programs.

“With a computer, you can do a lot of things to make it accessible. I remember we had to do quite a bit of work initially. We did a lot of modifications: we changed the background color, we changed the font. That made it much easier,” Jeff recalls. “Initially, I couldn’t really read the screen. It was just too bright, I couldn’t look at it. After we made all of those changes it was quite comfortable for me with my vision loss.”

Online tooling classes also give machinists a chance to keep up with the latest developments in machining and blueprints. “There are a lot of good classes on blueprint reading. There is one type of blueprint called geometric dimensioning and tolerancing,” Dave says. “Very few people are familiar with reading that type of plan, and major companies are going more and more towards it as their basic type of blueprint. [Tooling University] has courses on it so people can learn how to read that blueprint.”

Mike Scheschy feels that the tooling classes will benefit machine shop employees by giving them an easy, accessible way to educate themselves. “I’m getting nothing but positive responses from the people taking it,” he says. “It’s there to be a supplement to the hands-on training we have --- to enhance people’s abilities to do their jobs correctly, to give them a better understanding and knowledge base. In the end, it will make them better machinists. That’s our goal. If they’re better machinists, then they can work more independently.”

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