Pre-Employment Tests For Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Top Skills and Abilities:
- Equipment Maintenance
- Repairing
- Operation Monitoring
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Manual Dexterity
Top 3 Tasks:
- Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
- Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment.
- Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.
Overview
Industrial machinery mechanics maintain and repair heavy tools and equipment. This job involves many different duties: examining machines for defects, disassembling machines to diagnose problems, lubricating parts, running tests, and ordering new parts as necessary. Machinery mechanics consequently have to be comfortable working with a variety of different types of equipment, including computer programs. In addition to physical dexterity and precision, mechanics also need to have strong critical thinking and analytical skills. Therefore, the position requires mental and physical acuity. Most industrial machinery mechanics have an associate's degree with some additional certification. Training can be done in one of two ways: on the job or at a vocational school.
Assessments for Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Criteria Corp has two different pre-employment tests that many employers administer to candidates for industrial machinery mechanic positions. These are the Criteria Basic Skills Test (CBST) and the Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude (WTMA). The CBST measures the basic "job readiness" skills — such as literacy, numeracy, and attention to detail — that are necessary to succeed in many mid- and entry-level jobs. The WTMA is a widely used test that assesses a person's aptitude for learning about, working with, and maintaining machinery and equipment. It is a 30-minute, 60-item test that reduces much of the gender and racial biases that characterized earlier mechanical aptitude tests. When combined, the CBST and the WTMA can help employers determine which applicants have the basic skills, learning ability, and problem-solving skills indicative of long-term success for mechanics. (Read our whitepaper to learn how testing can help close the skills gap by identifying potential.)
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Source: U.S. Department of Labor