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WBTO
WBTO Skills ProfilesManufacturing, one job at a time
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WBTO, LLC · Instructor form
Transportation equipment · NAICS 336

Fabricator and Assembler

Entry-Level Fabricator & Assembler Skills · about ten minutes. One form per program you teach. Nothing here is used to evaluate you or your program; it is used to argue for what a program needs.

Draft, pending employer validationThis skill list is a draft until five employers have rated it. Your answers tell us what programs deliver today.

Your program

The skills

We are comparing what employers need against what programs deliver. Three ratings per skill. Please answer for a typical completer, not your strongest student.
A — If a student completes your program, what level would they be at? The level a typical completer actually reaches on their first day in this job, not what the course covers.
B — What is the instructor’s own level? A program cannot teach past its instructor, so a low B is a professional development need.
C — Do you have what you need to teach it? 0 = none · 1 = some, not enough · 2 = enough for the class · ? = not sure. Under each skill we list what it takes to teach it; where you mark 0 or 1, tick what you do not have. A question mark is a fine answer.
These three together say why a gap exists, not just that it does.
0 — None. Not part of this job
1 — Awareness. Has seen it or heard of it; would be trained from scratch
2 — Competent. Can do it with help or normal supervision
3 — Proficient. Can do it on their own, to standard
One tap per row. If you do not know, leave the row untouched — blank and 0 mean different things and we treat them differently. Tapped the wrong one? The × clears it.
Follows fabrication shop safety rules: wears the required PPE, checks that machine guards and E-stops are in place before operating, and recognizes hot-work, pinch-point, and overhead-load hazards before starting a task.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Applies or verifies lockout/tagout on shears, brakes, presses, and welding machines before clearing jams or cleaning, and never reaches into a machine that is not locked out.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Accounts for every tool and consumable at the end of a task and keeps hardware, wire ends, and debris out of assemblies under a foreign-object-damage (FOD) control program.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Reads the job traveler or process plan, verifies the material and parts kit against it before starting, and follows the stated task sequence.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Reads assembly drawings and shop prints - views, dimensions, tolerances, and basic weld symbols - well enough to pull the right parts and put them in the right place.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Uses fractions, decimals, angles, and simple geometry to figure lengths, hole spacing, bend allowances, and torque conversions.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Measures and checks parts with tapes, steel rules, squares, protractors, calipers, and micrometers to confirm dimensions before and after each operation.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Identifies stock by type, grade marking, and heat number, and verifies the right material against the work order before cutting.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Transfers dimensions from the print or template to the metal with squares, scribers, punches, and chalk or laser lines, allowing for stock thickness, kerf, and weld shrinkage.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Operates a hydraulic shear or ironworker set up to cut sheet, plate, and bar to the marked size, using the back gauge and keeping hands clear of the hold-downs.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Runs press brakes, benders, and power rolls on jobs a lead has set up, forming parts to the specified angle or radius, and stops the machine and tells the lead when something looks, sounds, or measures wrong.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Drills and punches holes to the layout with drill presses, mag drills, punch presses, and the ironworker punch station, matching hole size and location to the print.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Cuts bar, tube, and structural shapes to length on horizontal band saws and cold saws, squaring the cut and holding the length tolerance on the print.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Cuts plate and shapes to the line with oxy-fuel and plasma equipment - by hand, with track burners, or by running a CNC cutting table program someone else prepared.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Grinds, deburrs, and finishes cut edges and welds with angle grinders, belt sanders, and files so parts fit up cleanly and meet the called-out finish.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Positions, aligns, and clamps parts to the drawing using jigs, squares, wedges, drift pins, and pry bars, then tack-welds the assembly and hands it to the welder square and to size.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Welds out fitted steel assemblies with wire-feed (GMAW/FCAW) equipment to a procedure and machine setup a qualified welder or lead established; aluminum wire-feed weld-out is carried here as a trade-knowledge extension, not standard-sourced.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Loads parts and runs automated/semi-automated welding machines to a setup someone else prepared, checking weld placement and count against the first-piece sample; in sheet shops this is most often a resistance spot welder (nugget placement and count), with stud and seam welders where present.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Assembles brackets, bearings, couplings, bushings, sprockets, and hardware onto fabricated units with hand and power tools, installing the threaded fasteners and hardware the drawing calls for and torqueing them to spec.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Helps align machinery and mating parts with levels, straightedges, feeler gauges, shims, and dial indicators, working with a journey-level worker on close-tolerance fits.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Rigs routine loads - plate, weldments, and machinery - to the shop's standard sling configurations and capacity charts with shackles and chains, uses jacks and rollers to position loads, and gives standard hand signals to the crane or hoist operator; a lead or qualified rigger directs non-routine and machinery lifts.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Checks own work in process and finished parts against the drawing - dimensions, hole locations, fit, and weld size - records the results on the inspection sheet, and flags anything out of spec before it moves on.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Passes clear information to the next station, shift, or trade - what is done, what is short, and what has a problem - so the assembly keeps moving without rework.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Keeps the station clean and organized and does the operator-level care the machines need - greasing points, topping off cutting fluid and coolant, and reporting wear or damage.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Understands how the shop's hydraulic presses and pneumatic tools work - pressure, cylinders, valves, and air lines - well enough to connect tools correctly and spot leaks worth reporting.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.

Employability skills

Oregon publishes ten employability skills, the same statewide, so a school and an employer can point at the same list. For each one, which is closest to how your program handles it? One choice per row. “Not really addressed” is a perfectly good answer; no program covers all ten and we are not scoring you.
AdaptabilityWhat Oregon calls it with students: Open to Change
Analysis/Solution MindsetWhat Oregon calls it with students: Problem Solver
CollaborationWhat Oregon calls it with students: Team Player
CommunicationWhat Oregon calls it with students: Good Communicator
Digital LiteracyWhat Oregon calls it with students: Good with Technology
EmpathyWhat Oregon calls it with students: Sensitive to Others
Entrepreneurial MindsetWhat Oregon calls it with students: Go-Getter
ResilienceWhat Oregon calls it with students: Handles Setbacks
Self-AwarenessWhat Oregon calls it with students: Self-Understanding
Social Diversity/AwarenessWhat Oregon calls it with students: Sensitivity to Differences

Three last things

Optional: research use of your responses

WBTO studies the quality of its own assessment methods, including how consistently different experts rate the same skills. We would like to include your responses, with all identifying information removed, in that methods research, which may be published. Your name, organization, and school would never appear, and results are reported only in combined form. This choice does not affect this assessment or your participation in any way.