National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016 Version 1.1
9 - Occupations in manufacturing and utilities
This category contains supervisory, production and labouring occupations in manufacturing, processing and utilities.
Occupations in this category are characterized by either technical training or internal progression, and on-the-job training. Process control occupations in this category are increasingly technical and post-secondary training is usually required. For many occupations in this category, workers typically start out as labourers and progress to machine operation occupations through experience. Progression to supervisory positions requires experience in the occupations supervised. Mobility in some of these occupations may be limited by seniority provisions of collective agreements, or may require additional training.
94 - Processing and manufacturing machine operators and related production workers
This major group comprises occupations in processing and manufacturing machine operation and related production work which usually require completion of secondary school and experience or on-the-job training. It includes machine operators and related workers in mineral and metal products processing and manufacturing; chemical, plastic and rubber processing; pulp and paper production and wood processing and manufacturing; textile, fabric, fur and leather products processing and manufacturing; food, beverage and associated products processing; and printing equipment operators and related occupations.
947 - Printing equipment operators and related occupations
This minor group includes plateless printing equipment operators; camera, platemaking and other prepress occupations; binding and finishing machine operators; and photographic and film processors. They are employed by rapid printing services, newspaper and magazine publishing companies and commercial printing companies; firms that specialize in colour graphics or platemaking and cylinder preparation and commercial publishing companies; binderies, other publishing companies and establishments in the public and private sectors that have in-house printing, binding and finishing departments; and film processing laboratories and retail photofinishing establishments.
9471 - Plateless printing equipment operators
This unit group includes workers who operate laser printers, computerized high speed colour copiers and other printing machines to print text, illustrations and designs on a wide variety of materials such as paper, plastic, glass, leather, and metal. They are employed in rapid printing services, newspaper and magazine publishing companies, commercial printing companies and in manufacturing and other establishments that have in-house printing facilities.
Illustrative example(s)
- colour copier operator
- electronic sign maker operator
- embossing-imprinting machine operator
- laser printer operator
- printing machine operator - printing
- quick print machine operator
- silk-screen printing machine operator
- wallpaper printer
Exclusion(s)
- Printing press operators (See 7381 Printing press operators)
- Supervisors, printing and related occupations (See 7303 Supervisors, printing and related occupations)
- Textile printing machine operators (See 9441 Textile fibre and yarn, hide and pelt processing machine operators and workers)
Main duties
Printing machine operators perform some or all of the following duties:
- Review work order to determine job specifications, such as ink colour and quantity required
- Set up and make adjustments to printing machine, such as filling ink or paint reservoirs and loading stock
- Input codes and key in programming data on console keyboard of computerized machines
- Operate and monitor printing machines during print run and make adjustments as required
- Clean machines and replace worn parts.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school may be required.
- Completion of college or other specialized courses in printing may be required.
- On-the-job training is provided.
9472 - Camera, platemaking and other prepress occupations
This unit group includes prepress technicians who operate various computer controlled systems to perform prepress activities and workers who operate graphic arts cameras and scanners, assemble film and negatives and prepare, engrave and etch printing plates or cylinders for various types of printing presses. They are employed in firms that specialize in colour graphics or platemaking and cylinder preparation, commercial publishing and printing companies, newspapers, magazines, and in various establishments in the public and private sectors that have in-house printing departments.
Illustrative example(s)
- camera operator - graphic arts
- cylinder preparer - printing
- dot etcher - printing
- file preparation operator
- film stripper-assembler
- platemaker - printing
- pre-flight operator - printing
- prepress technician
- printing plate engraver
- proofmaker
- screenmaker
- studio-image-processing system operator
Exclusion(s)
- Desktop publishing operators (See 1423 Desktop publishing operators and related occupations)
- Graphic arts technicians (See 5223 Graphic arts technicians)
- Graphic designers and illustrators (See 5241 Graphic designers and illustrators)
- Photographic and film processors (See 9474 Photographic and film processors)
- Supervisors, printing and related occupations (See 7303 Supervisors, printing and related occupations)
Main duties
The following is a summary of main duties for some occupations in this unit group:
- Graphic arts camera operators set up and adjust black and white or colour separation process cameras to convert graphic art and photographs into film for assembly and exposure onto printing plates or cylinders.
- Cylinder preparers grind and polish press cylinders; expose and lay down carbon tissue; and etch or engrave cylinders using hand tools, etching machines, photogravure or laser processes to produce cylinders for gravure presses.
- Film strippers and assemblers assemble and position, either using automated equipment or by hand, pieces of film containing all parts of a printing job to produce flats or composite negatives for preparing printing plates or cylinders.
- Platemakers operate vacuum frames, plate processors and step and repeat machines to produce printing plates for various types of presses.
- Prepress technicians operate various computer-controlled studio systems to perform colour separation, retouching and editing that allow changes to be made to a colour negative for printing purposes, plan page layouts and electronically alter shape, size and positions of illustrations and text.
- Scanner operators operate computerized scanning machines or digital cameras to make colour separations and corrections from colour copy or transparencies for use in preparing film, digital files, printing plates or cylinders.
- Proofmakers operate computerized equipment to prepare film, laser or dylux proofs for quality control purposes or for customers' review.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is required.
- Completion of a college program in graphic arts technology
or
A combination of on-the-job training and specialized college, industry or other courses is required. - Trade certification for some occupations in this group is available, but voluntary, in Ontario, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
9473 - Binding and finishing machine operators
Binding and finishing machine operators set up, operate or oversee the operation of machines, equipment or computerized units that bind and finish printed material. Workers who perform finishing operations in the paper, carton and packaging industries, as well as those who encode and stamp plastic cards, are included in this unit group. They are employed by binderies, commercial printing companies, newspapers, magazines, and other publishing companies, and establishments in both the public and private sectors that have in-house printing, binding and finishing departments.
Illustrative example(s)
- binder - printing
- binder and finisher
- bindery operator
- bookbinding machine operator
- Cerlox binder operator
- cutter operator - printing
- finishing machine operator - printing
- foil stamper - printing
- gathering machine set-up operator - printing
- gold leaf stamper
- laminating machine operator
- machine bookbinder
- perforator operator - printing
- stitcher operator - printing
Exclusion(s)
- Feeders, loaders, offbearers and similar occupations (See 9619 Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities)
- Hand bookbinders (See 5244 Artisans and craftspersons)
- Printing press operators (See 7381 Printing press operators)
- Supervisors, printing and related occupations (See 7303 Supervisors, printing and related occupations)
Main duties
Binding and finishing machine operators perform some or all of the following duties:
- Set up and operate specialized equipment and machines that cut, fold, gather and bind or finish brochures, pamphlets, business forms, magazines, books and other printed material
- Set up and operate specialized equipment and machines that die cut, emboss, imprint, laminate, heat stamp and perform other finishing operations on printed material
- Perform pre-production runs of binding or finishing jobs to verify output and to ensure that product specifications are met
- Operate automatic and semi-automatic equipment and machines to bind or finish print material according to specifications
- Pack, weigh and stack bound and finished products on pallet for shipment
- May repair and rebind damaged or worn books.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a college program in graphic arts technology
or
A combination of on-the-job training and specialized college, industry or other courses is usually required.
Additional information
- There is some mobility among various types of binding and finishing machine operator occupations in this group.
- Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
9474 - Photographic and film processors
Photographic and film processors process and finish still photographic film and motion picture film. They are employed in film processing laboratories and retail photofinishing establishments.
Illustrative example(s)
- darkroom technician
- film developer
- film printing machine operator
- film processor
- photofinisher
- photograph developer
- photograph inspector - photographic processing
- photographic processor
Exclusion(s)
- Film strippers and assemblers and negative spotters in the printing or graphic arts industry (See 9472 Camera, platemaking and other prepress occupations)
- Supervisors of photographic and film processors (See 7303 Supervisors, printing and related occupations)
Main duties
Photographic and film processors perform some or all of the following duties:
- Operate equipment to develop negatives and slides, and to print black and white and colour photographs
- Operate photographic enlarging equipment to produce prints and enlargements from negatives
- Operate equipment to develop motion picture film
- Tend automatic equipment in retail establishments to develop colour negatives, prints and slides
- Operate equipment to transfer film to video tape
- Retouch photographic negatives or original prints to correct defects
- Splice film and mount film on reels
- Measure and mix chemicals required for processing
- Inspect rolls of photographic prints for conformance to specifications; or motion picture film to detect defects in developing and printing.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- For employment in film processing laboratories, completion of a college or other specialized photography program
or
Extensive related experience is required. - For employment as a film printing machine operator in retail outlets, on-the-job training is provided.
Additional information
- There is mobility among occupations within laboratory processing operations.
- Progression is possible from automatic machine tenders in retail establishments to laboratory processing occupations.
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