What is a Millwright?
A millwright today is someone who maintains or constructs industrial machinery for assembly lines, pumping stations and other utilities, print shops, and other industries employing fixed heavy machinery. Another common name for millwright is industrial maintenance mechanic.
What skills does a Millwright need?
Millwrights must have a broad skillset and expertise in each:
- Read blueprints and schematic drawings to determine work procedures
- Construct foundations for and to assemble, dismantle and overhaul machinery and equipment such as: shafting, precision bearings, gear boxes, motors, mechanical clutches, conveyors, and tram rails, using hoists, pulleys, dollies, rollers, and trucks
- Use hand and power tools
- Supervise workers
- Use lathes, milling machines and grinders required to make customized parts or repairs
- Perform all duties of a general laborer, pipefitter, carpenter, electrician, and welder
What is the workplace of a Millwright like?
Most millwrights work in factories, power plants, or constructions sites. Many belong to a union. In a construction setting, workers must be careful of heavy equipment. They also may work in awkward positions, including on top of ladders, or in cramped conditions under large machinery, both of which add to their risk of injury. In production facilities, millwrights are subject to common shop injuries, such as cuts, bruises, and strains.
Would you make a good Millwright?
Millwrights have distinct personalities. They tend to be realistic individuals, which means they’re independent, stable, persistent, genuine, practical, and thrifty. They like tasks that are tactile, physical, athletic, or mechanical. Some of them are also investigative, meaning they’re intellectual, introspective, and inquisitive.
Take the quiz below to see what type of Trade career is right for you:
Southwest Carpenters Training Fund Apprenticeships
Southwest Carpenters Training Fund provides apprenticeships in many trade careers, Millwright is just one of them. This is a 5 year sponsored apprenticeship that includes 800 hours of professional training and 6,500 hours of on-the-job training, with earning potential of $68,700+ a year.
Learn more about apprenticeship opportunities in the trades:
Explore the K12 Career Education Navigator
The K12 Career Technical Education (CTE) Navigator helps you explore high school courses and career pathways offered across San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Browse by industry sector, county, school district, and more to find options that match your interests and career goals and see how these pathways can prepare you for college, certifications, apprenticeships, or the workforce.
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Created with images by Aaron Barnaby - "Henderson Executive Airport" • Spencer Davis - "untitled image" • Sven Mieke - "untitled image" • Daniel McCullough - "Artist at Work" • Ryan Jacobson - "This trip was interesting because my sleeping arrangement didn’t workout. For a week I slept on a random dorm mattress and used my camera bag as a pillow."