Just about all industries will have mechanical trainee jobs available to qualified candidates, though the specific job duties, as well as qualifications a candidate will need, can vary significantly. Some of these jobs will require the job candidate to hold a college degree, while others may only require the candidate to hold a high school diploma or similar qualification. Mechanical trainee jobs may range from heavy equipment mechanic positions to aircraft or nautical craft mechanic. Other jobs may be more concerned with the design of various machines or crafts; such jobs usually require the candidate to hold a college degree.
Very often mechanical trainee jobs will focus on one specific type of machinery, or machinery in one specific category. An aircraft mechanic, for example, will be trained specifically to diagnose, repair, or even build various types of aircraft. A heavy equipment mechanic, however, may be trained to work on a much broader category of machinery, from excavators and bulldozers to conveyors and compactors. In either case, the job candidate is likely to go through a lengthy training period, and mechanical trainee jobs will provide such training. The trainee will generally take part in classroom instruction as well as on-the-job training under the guidance and supervision of a more experienced mechanic.
If the career a candidate has chosen requires him or her to earn a college degree, mechanical trainee jobs may become available while the student is still in school. Such jobs may take the form of apprenticeships or internships, the latter are generally unpaid positions, though some will pay a small stipend. Mechanical trainee jobs may focus on design, and the trainee may be able to develop his or her skills in computer aided drafting (CAD), as well as computer numeric control (CNC) machining.
Sometimes mechanical trainee jobs will focus specifically on one business's needs exclusively. A medical products company, for example, may need to train each mechanic how to use machinery that is specially designed to build medical devices only that business produces. This means that even an experienced mechanic may need to undergo a traineeship in order to learn the new processes or operations protocols. Trainee jobs can vary in duration and pay scale according to the job candidate's previous experience and education; candidates new to the industry will likely start with less pay and will undergo a much longer trainee period.
