I have been working on CNC machine tools for twenty years. From ordinary small lathes, CNC turning machines, CNC milling, to gantry milling, floor boring, CNC machining centers, I have operated almost all mainstream machine tool equipment on the market.
I have been rooted in the workshop for half my life, watching the ups and downs of the industry with my own eyes, and I can truly feel that everyone’s views on mechanical work and vocational education have undergone earth-shaking changes in recent years.
Some time ago, I saw the registration data for the 2026 college entrance examination. The overall number of people has decreased by 450,000 compared with previous years. This number makes me deeply moved.
More than ten years ago, everyone had the same idea: they had to work hard to study in a high school or go to college, but no one was willing to send their children to a factory to learn a trade if there were other options.
In the public perception at the time, machine tool workers had to work hard every day, and the work was tiring and the environment was average. It was not considered a decent job, and it was a profession that many people avoided.
But looking back now, more and more families are voluntarily giving up the old path of crowding out the single-plank bridge of the college entrance examination, and instead choosing vocational colleges. Majors such as mechanics, electromechanical, and CNC processing have become popular choices nowadays.
Being on the front line of the industry, I know the true state of the current machining field better than outsiders.
The entire industry has already formed a clear polarization, which I fully experience in my daily work and interactions with colleagues.
For those ordinary three-axis machine tool positions with low technical thresholds, there are many people entering the industry, and peers can only rely on lowering quotations to grab orders, and the market is severely involved.
Most of these positions only require simple and repetitive operations, with little room for technical improvement. Salaries have not increased significantly for many years, making life difficult for practitioners.
But high-end equipment jobs are a completely different story.
I operate gantry milling, floor boring, and precision CNC machining centers all year round, which require extremely high levels of process understanding, programming ability, and equipment debugging of the operators.
As domestic high-end machine tools, intelligent engineering machinery, and new agricultural machinery equipment continue to achieve technological breakthroughs, the real economy is ushering in rapid development, and the market is hungry for mature technicians who understand technology and craftsmanship.
Many companies recruit people all year round, but it is difficult to find good people who can do their job independently.
Salary is the most tangible proof.
As far as my peers are concerned, the comprehensive income of masters who are deeply involved in high-end processing fields and have more than ten years of practical experience has already exceeded that of many ordinary white-collar workers sitting in offices.
In industrial cities, it is not uncommon for technicians like us who are proficient in multiple types of machine tools and can handle complex workpieces to earn an annual salary of more than 200,000 yuan.
With solid craftsmanship in hand, they can work without worrying about work wherever they go. This is the unique confidence of skilled workers.
When talking about the industry, we cannot avoid the diversion policy from general positions that is now fully implemented.
Nearly half of junior high school graduates enter vocational colleges every year. At first, many parents were anxious, always feeling that their children had lost a good opportunity in life if they failed to pass the general high school entrance examination.
As an old worker, I want to be honest, this kind of thinking has long been out of step with the times.
Nowadays, there are a huge number of ordinary undergraduate graduates. Many of them face the dilemma of finding a job and low starting salary after leaving campus. They have academic qualifications but no practical skills.
Students who graduate from vocational schools specialize in CNC, machinery, and intelligent manufacturing. They have access to practical equipment while in school. After graduation, they can seamlessly connect to factory jobs. They have stable employment and a clear career development path.
I never deny that working in the machine tool industry is indeed hard work.
Staying in the workshop all year round, dealing with cutting tools, workpieces, and machine tools, is inevitably boring day after day, and it is common to work overtime to meet deadlines.
But looking at various industries, if you want to achieve results, which job does not require sweat?
Compared with a job that seems glamorous but has no core competitiveness, a technology that can make a living is more stable and reliable in the current market environment.
The country is now vigorously supporting high-end equipment manufacturing and the real economy. Domestic hard technologies continue to break through, and intelligent manufacturing is the general direction of future development.
Having been rooted in the machinery industry for twenty years, I can clearly feel that the golden age for skilled workers is coming.
The separation of general and vocational education has never been about classifying children into third, sixth or ninth grades. It just divides two different growth tracks according to each person’s characteristics.
Choosing to learn technology is not a compromise out of desperation, but a pragmatic choice that conforms to industry trends.
There is no high or low profession. You can make your own way by working hard with your hands and skills.
Having been in the industry for twenty years, I have seen the industry’s downturns and witnessed its current rise.
I always believe that if you learn a craft well, you will never be eliminated by the times.
I have been working in machine tools for 20 years, and I have taken many detours and seen many opportunities.
Do you have any friends in the machinery industry?
In your opinion, is it more appropriate for children from ordinary families to choose general high school or technical studies?
Welcome to communicate together in the comment area.
