职业描述：Printing Machine Operators and Related Occupations (947)

At Work
These people work for rapid printing services, commercial printing companies and in-house binding and finishing departments, colour graphics, platemaking and cylinder preparation firms, newspapers, magazines, film processing and retail photofinishing organizations and for government.
Printing machine operators use laser printers, computerized high-speed colour copiers and other printing machines to print text, illustrations and designs.
Printing press operators print illustrations, designs and text on paper, plastic and other material. They may supervise crews of large presses.
Camera and platemaking workers operate cameras and scanners, assemble film and negatives, and prepare, engrave and etch printing press plates and cylinders.
This occupational group also includes photographic and film processors, cylinder preparers, film assemblers/strippers, platemakers, pre-press technicians, scanner operators, and binding and finishing machine operators.

Education, Training and Experience
People in this group usually must have a high school diploma. Some receive on-the-job training. Many recent entrants have a trade/vocational or community college diploma.

Printing machine operators may require college or other printing courses.
Printing press operators usually require a college printing technology diploma or an apprenticeship, or a combination of on-the-job training and specialized courses.
Camera, platemaking and other pre-press occupations and binding and finishing machine operators require a college program in graphic arts technology, or an apprenticeship, or a combination of on-the-job training and specialized courses.

About these Occupations
65,000 persons were employed in these occupations in 1996, down by 5.3% from 1986. Over the same period, employment in all occupations grew by 13.1%.

59% of these workers are printing press and printing machine operators, 17% are photographic and film processors, and 14% are binding and finishing machine operators.
13% of these workers work part-time, compared to an average of 19% for all occupations. The proportion of part-time workers in these occupations has increased significantly over the last 10 years.
13% of these people are self-employed, compared to an average of 16% for all occupations. The percentage of self-employed workers in these occupations has increased significantly over the last 10 years.
34% of persons working in these occupations are women, compared to an average of 45% for all occupations.
The unemployment rate in these occupations averaged 5.9% from 1994 to 1996, compared to an average of 6.7% for all occupations. These rates are among the lowest for occupations at this skill level and for occupations in processing, manufacturing and utilities.
Average earnings of year-round, full-time workers in these occupations in 1995 were $32,500, compared to an average of $35,700 for all occupations.
Employment in these occupations is not very sensitive to overall economic conditions and is not seasonal.

Full-Time Earnings

1995 Full-Time Earnings*
$53,900 Highest
$32,500 Average
$15,000 Lowest

* Full-time earnings of the highest 10%, the average and the lowest 10% of workers. $35,700 is the average for all occupations.

Looking to the Year 2001
Current labour market conditions for new entrants in these occupations are fair. Labour market conditions for new entrants will remain fair through 2001.

Traditional pre-press occupations are being affected by rapid technological change. These jobs are increasingly being done electronically, blurring the distinctions among the various pre-press occupations.
Immigration will be an important source of new labour supply in these occupations.
Most of the increase in labour requirements through 2001 in these occupations will occur in the printing and publishing and retail trade industries.