Tool and Die Maker [Apprenticeship] TDM

Holland Code: R (Realistic)

What academic skills do I need to be successful in the program?

Arts & Literacy Good reading skills are necessary.

Math & Science Good math skills are necessary. If you are currently attending high school, you may benefit from enrolling in a Manufacturing Specialist High Skills Major Program.

Technology Basic computer skills required (Microsoft Office, email, Internet, checking student portal for course material). You will learn to use computerized numeric control (CNC) systems.

Apprenticeship programs are run at Fanshawe College in partnership with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. You can not apply to an apprenticeship program through the Ontario Colleges Application Service. Your first step is finding an employer who will support you in your apprenticeship training. The employer must register you as an apprentice with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. For more information on the process, please see please see the Fanshawe Apprenticeship website.

Do not have an employer?

Fanshawe College’s Continuing Education department offers the in-school course work portion of the industrial electrician apprenticeship. At the end of the course work, students can write an exemption test. See the Continuing Education’s Industrial Craftsperson (Tool and Die Maker) website for more details.

What personal qualities should someone interested in this career have?

• The ability to use their hands skillfully and quickly, good co-ordination and manual dexterity
• The ability to trouble-shoot mechanical systems
• The ability to visualize a layout by looking at plans and blueprints
• The ability to get along well with co-workers
• The ability to work independently at tasks that require concentration as well as physical effort
• Enjoy doing creative work with machinery that requires a high degree of skill and precision
• The ability to keep up to date with changing technology

Useful background experience for this program would be

Tasks which involve the use of hand tools.

What kind of work could I do when I graduate?

Graduates of this program may go on to become a

Journey person Tool and Die Maker or Red Seal Tool and Die Maker.

Places you may find yourself employed include

Manufacturing, processing and construction companies.

Typical working conditions for this kind of work:

• Shops may be noisy or dusty and have materials that may be dirty
• Often stand for long periods of time and may work in a rushed environment
• Work may be indoors or outdoors
• Work a 37.5 to 40 hour week, usually five weekdays, but may be required to work overtime in emergency situations
• May be required to lift and move items that weigh over 20 kilograms
• There is risk of injury involved in working with heavy machinery

Tasks a graduate may do in the workplace

• Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, and dial indicators.
• Study blueprints, sketches, models, or specifications to plan sequences of operations for fabricating tools, dies, or assemblies.
• Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, and grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes.
• Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications.
• Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects.
• Fit and assemble parts to make, repair, or modify dies, jigs, gauges, and tools, using machine tools and hand tools.
• Conduct test runs with completed tools or dies to ensure that parts meet specifications, making adjustments as necessary.
• Select metals to be used from a range of metals and alloys, based on properties such as hardness and heat tolerance.
• File, grind, shim, and adjust different parts to properly fit them together.
• Lift, position, and secure machined parts on surface plates or worktables, using hoists, vises, v-blocks, or angle plate.

Helpful links for further research into this Fanshawe College program and career opportunity

Links to learn more about apprenticeship in general

• www.apprenticesearch.com
• http://www.theapprenticeshipnetwork.com
• www.apprenticetrades.ca
• http://www.collegeoftrades.ca

Links to learn more about machinists

• Canadian Tooling & Machining Association (CTMA)
• Ontario Provincial Council of Machinists

Last Modified: June 5, 2024