When Xavier Smith was a teenager, one of his favorites hobbies was riding BMX trick bikes. He also liked to learn about the bikes’ components.
“When you flipped through the catalog to see all the parts,” he said, “all the high-end parts were made by CNC machine.”
One passion fueled another. During a tour of Jamestown Community College’s manufacturing facilities with his 10th grade class at Archbishop Walsh, Xavier saw that CNC machining was an option to study in college.
Soon after, he enrolled in a night welding course at JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus. Welding was “dirtier” than he liked, so he signed up for a machining class at BOCES.
Xavier followed the manufacturing path to a machine tool technology degree from Alfred State and a full-time machinist job at OSM Corp. in Olean.
Now, he’s teaching others what he’s learned along the way.
Xavier was recently hired as a machining instructor for JCC’s Workforce Readiness. One of his first tasks is developing and teaching a 10-week Machining/CNC Operator program that will prepare students for immediate employment in the field.
Those interested in finding out more about JCC’s 10-week machining program, are encouraged to attend information sessions from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 2, or 1-2 p.m.Thursday, February 4 at JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus, 260 North Union Street, MTI Room 217. To register, contact Le'Anna Sosnoski-Miller at 716.376.7527 or email LeAnnaSosnoski-Miller@mail.sunyjcc.edu.
Funding for eligible students is available through the Cattaraugus-Allegany Workforce Development Board.
The course is scheduled to meet from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. five days a week starting March 1 on JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus. It is designed to put unemployed and underemployed students on a fast track to CNC machine operator employment.
“I’m only 26 years old, and I was being paid pretty well for only being 26,” Xavier said. “I was hired six months before college graduation. That’s not a rare experience when you’re talking about the machining and manufacturing fields.”
Manufacturing has been so good to Xavier, he wants to pay it forward. Teaching is the best way to do that.
“ Xavier has seen it, done it,” said Holger Ekanger, JCC’s Vice President for Workforce Readiness. “He knows from a student perspective what worked. He knows from an employee and an employer perspective what skills are required to make sure that when students come to our program we are teaching them what is relevant and current with the needs of industry.”
“Regional manufacturing employers have validated the need for our program with one employer participating in hiring Xavier. Xavier is the right person to make our program a reality,” Ekanger said.
Xavier is a familiar face around JCC’s campus. He helped Jeff Teluk, JCC’s Director of Engineering Science and Technology, during summer Workforce Readiness machining courses. He also used his Fridays off from OSM to assist with initiatives that brought local teachers and high school students on campus for machining demonstrations and projects.
Xavier said the pre-requisites for studying CNC (short for computer numerically controlled) machining are enjoying hands-on work and having the willingness to learn applied mathematics.
“Unlike a lot of other blue collar, hands-on careers, machining is very heavy on algebra and trigonometry,” he said.
Ekanger said studies, data, and input from local employers validated skilled CNC machinists as a high demand occupation. This, in combination with JCC’s initiative to offer more programs that are flexible, skill specific, and delivered in a fast-track format, led to the birth of the Machining/CNC Operator program.
Xavier quickly rattled off the names of nine different companies in the Olean area who employ machinists.
“There are a lot of businesses in the area that are utilizing CNC machines in their manufacturing facilities,” he said. “It’s one of the biggest sectors in the area for employment - except for healthcare.”
Besides being immediately employable, Ekanger added that those who complete the program will also earn portable national credentials and credits toward a certificate or a degree at JCC if they wish to continue their education.
Students will be taught how to read blueprints, take precision measurements, set up and run equipment, and clean and maintain machines. Both Ekanger and Smith compared the course to a 7-3 job that will immediately prepare them to join the workforce.
They will learn workplace skills that include critical thinking, problem solving, time management, decision making, teamwork and communication.
Xavier isn’t bashful about his passion for manufacturing. In teaching, he wants to help wipe away negative stigmas surrounding the industry.
“Now, it’s all about computers,” he said. “It’s all about robots. It’s incredibly high-tech. It’s clean. It’s a joy to show people what manufacturing really is and in the process change their minds.”
For more information, visit Advanced Manufacturing through Workforce Readiness.