Minoritys & Mastercam

[Kenneth Potter]

As i visit shops in my area talking & dealing with other Cadcam users & machinist here in the state of Michigan I have notice that there are no Afican American cadcam programmers .The subject came up last night having dinner with a customer & i thought it would be a good topic for this forum. I have met & dealt with lots of other Races & cultures that are into Cadcam / cnc machining but not an afican American programmer.

Are there any out here in America ???

 

Just curious.

 

Kenneth Potter

[This message has been edited by Kenneth Potter (edited 07-06-2001).]

[Bill]

Well Ken I used to work with an Autocad guy fresh out of Michigan State. I tried to teach him, my forman tried to teach him but he just didn't get it. Now mind you, it was version 5 with that Toolmaker crap and I remember it was a little hard to digest. Needless to say he crashed a couple times and decided to go work for Nick at Superior Design. I believe he is still there doing a fine job designing last I heard.

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B. Henderson

OMEGA PlASTICS

[email protected]

opinc.com

[This message has been edited by Bill (edited 07-06-2001).]

[Kenneth Potter]

Bill now that i think about it.I always see blacks on the floor as operators loading parts & maybe one black cnc setup man in my travels. Never in a cad room. Hummmmm

[wendy]

We haven't had any minorities working on the shop floor or programming either.

~Wendy

Schmald Tool & Die, Inc.

 

[ngkim]

please be careful with racial overtones.it's not good for racial harmony.it doesn't mean you don't see them in your commpany,doesn't mean there are none.

[Guy]

Webmaster: Deleted an earlier message from Guy that I'm guessing lost something in the French to English tranlation. He roughly said, "I haven't seen an visible minorities working in the plants here."

--

Guy: your right sorry

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Guillaume Côté

Hexco inc, Montreal Canada

Stainless steel specialist

[This message has been edited by Webmaster (edited 07-06-2001).]

[Allan Brown]

In Canada we like to think of ourselves as a 'cultural mosaic'. The phrase 'visible minority' has less and less meaning as our population becomes more ethnically diverse. Young Mastercam programmers graduating from our technical schools form a nice cross-section of our population.

[cadcam]

I will have to say i am a little scared of this topic i see someone saying the wrong thing.

Me myself be a Minority now & i am a white american.

this is a hard topic.

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jay/ aka cadcam

Precision Programming

cnc programming &

Predator & mastercam reseller

email: [email protected]

web: www.ppcadcam.com

[Guy]

thanks webmaster

sorry for my english

[Charles Davis]

Interesting topic. I grew up in Louisville, where the population was about 30% black. Now I live in San Diego, where there are almost no blacks. Quite frankly, I really miss exposure to the culture. A mature, refined, dignified black community is a great thing to experience.

In San Diego, there are many Hispanics and Orientals working as machinists. Both are hard working, and some of the guys, especially the oriental people, are brilliant.

Many of these folks were new to the country 15 years ago, and they saw learning a skilled trade as their ticket to success. Now many of them own thier own business, or work as shop managers or NC programmers. Right they were.

I think there is a real opportunity for more good machinist trade schools in poor communities. This is a great trade that could do a lot to improve the income and status of people in those communities.

The real issue here is finding sources for people to enter this trade, and providing a growth path for economic success in communities that need it. Put more machinist trade schools in economically poor areas, and you'll do both.

[cadcam]

Good points Mr Davis.....

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jay/ aka cadcam

Precision Programming

cnc programming &

Predator & mastercam reseller

email: [email protected]

web: www.ppcadcam.com

[kathy]

And let's not get started on woman in machining!!!

I started in a small job shop at 18 years old! The owner, when he would get behind on a job would have me deal with the customer. I would play the 'Scarlett O'Hara' just to shine them on. On day, the boss's son was talking to a customer who commented on the ‘sweet young thing working there...’, and Ted said, yes, they had a girl working for them. And she was finishing up his parts!! The guy couldn't speak for 5 minutes, and we had a good laugh!

 

[Kenneth Potter]

I thank the high heavens for Female programmers & machinist & wish there were more like you Kathy.I personally feel that women are under valued in this area of cadcam programming.That make me mad as hell when i go to a shop & see a smart sharp lady who really has what it takes & if given the opportunity be a great cadcam programmer get really dumped on & passed over as a Mastercam or any other cadcam system user.

Kenneth Potter

[This message has been edited by Kenneth Potter (edited 07-06-2001).]

[Kenneth Potter]

ngkim & cadcam

I dont want this to become a race debate black or white.

Dont start one wont be one! Just trying to get information to whos out there. I have never seen a African American in a cnc shop in my area as a CadCam programmer & i have been to a lot of shops.

Are there any out there?

 

I see an untapped market.I live near Detriot City & its 90% black. & the metro area is about 40%.

 

[Luther_Heggs]

That depends on where your are - in CA, since the last census "whites" are now the minority.

And from where I've been, it's not just CNC programmers. It's any 'engineering' type white collar job. I also notice that people of the Jewish faith are not very common out on the shop floor either (please - I have many Jewish friends). According to my friends, they all were steered away from this type of work by their parents and influenced to go into a 'more professional' line of work.

There are many talented people out there, and skin colors & religions have absolutely nothing to do with it. Too bad - we could use them instead of having to import them on temporary visas.

[two words]

First of all WHADDUP DOG!!!!

Second, I was imported on a visa and I would think that most people in America don't have to go to far back to find that they came from somewhere else.

 

Last but not least I would like to thank Charles Davis for everything.

 

[TheePres]

You think maybe lack of African-Americans in tis field might have anything to do with opportunities afforded them. Be honest who would you hire first????

[cadcam]

Well i see this same question went over like a Mack truck on Alt.cnc.news..

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jay/ aka cadcam

Precision Programming

cnc programming &

Predator & mastercam reseller

email: [email protected]

web: www.ppcadcam.com

[ferdelance]

what is alt.cnc.news?

[Kenneth Potter]

Alt cnc is another CNC message board forum.

Kenneth Potter

[lovell110]

Hey folks,

Lets remember one thing...Regardless of skin tone, machining is a field for the few..You either have to like it or you dont. I originally wanted to go to trade school to be a carpenter...but that class was full! Due to my high scores on the entrance test they asked me if I was interested in machining. I was told "You get to make really cool things out of metal" by the guidence counselor. I havent looked back since...well maybe once

So the quantity of minorities in this field shouldnt be looked at in this perspective....besides, how many whites work in machine shops in Japan,China,Korea,Africa, etc....

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I've been to Japan and for the most part, they are Japanese (go figuire).

Anyways, I have seen relatively few African-Americans in this trade(shop floor through programming). I have however had the privilage of working for/with quite a few exceptional African-American Engineers.

I would tend to agree with Charles Davis. If more "under-privilaged" were aware of what a great trade we're part of, I think we could atttract more people to the trade. It seems like the highest concentrations of the "under-privilaged" are in urban areas where ther are fewer and fewer shops as time goes on.

Just an observation.

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James M.

Mastercam Enthusiast

[Kenneth Potter]

James And others who teach class for CadCam

Have you ever been to a shop that owned by an

African American? And have you ever had African americans in your Mastercam training class's.

 

[Michael Reynolds]

I also teach machining and cadcam at the community college level. I've had two African American students in all of my 5 years teaching. I've also only had 4 ladies in that same period.

Mike R.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Ken,

So far, in the year+ that I have been teaching, I have not had one African American in my classes - one has threatened to come and I wish he would because he's so talented, I think he'd be a great programmer. I've had one female and she was a machinist and picked it up like she was born to do it. He even lurks in here once in a while. Haven't heard from him in a few weeks.

As for my ventures across the US, I've never seen a shop that was owned by an African American.

I would say that my classes are split about 33% each for Whites, Hispanics and Asians. Roughly speaking of course.

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James M.

Mastercam Enthusiast