Meet Production Manager, Jimmie Davalos, who tells us about his job at family-owned small business McKenna Boiler Works in Oceanside. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join, repair, or cut metal parts and products. Jimmie says he learned the tools of the trade in vocational school and on the job. One tip he gives for precision-perfect products is: “Measure twice, cut once.” Although being a trained welder like Jimmie is helpful when manufacturing boilers at McKenna Boiler, the family-owned business is considering offering its own, in-house training. McKenna Boiler Works is a 5th generation, family-owned boiler manufacturing company that has been serving southern California for more than 100 years. Steam from boilers is used in almost every production line, from record producers to pharmaceuticals and even clothing manufacturers. Important qualities for welders include the following soft skills: Detail oriented; Manual dexterity; and Spatial-orientation skills. Jimmie’s story is sponsored by the City of Oceanside. Learn more about being a welder at the Occupational Outlook Handbook provided by the U.S. Department of Labor. Read the U.S. Department of Labor’s Advanced Manufacturing Competency Model.

Meet Eduardo Arvalo, a Certified Technician at Mission Auto Care. A technician will normally be taking classes in the trade to learn the theory side of mechanics while working under a Master Technician to gain the “On Hands” experience, in the real shop environment. The occupational resources are abundant, but it must be your passion if you want to succeed.