Glass forming and finishing machine operators and glass cutters
Career Overview
Machine operators in this unit group:
- Operate multi-function process control machinery or single function machines to melt, form, cut or finish flat glass, glassware, bottles and other glass products
Glass cutters:
- Cut flat glass of various thicknesses to specified sizes and shapes by hand
These workers are employed by glass and glass products manufacturing companies.
Job Titles
Duties
Glass process control operators:
- Operate multi-function process control machinery through control panels, computer terminals or other control systems to mix and melt raw materials
- Heat, anneal, temper or form float glass or glass products
- Coat glass with silver or other metals and materials
- Look at gauges, computer printouts and video monitors to verify specified processing conditions and make adjustments as necessary
- Maintain shift log of production and other data
- May operate process control machinery to cut glass or assemble glass window units
- May clean and maintain process machinery
- May check to make sure that adequate levels of oil, soap, talc or other materials are used in machine production of glass
Glass forming machine operators:
- Set up and adjust automatic glass feeding, flowing and forming machines
- Operate and maintain machines that press or blow molten glass in moulds to form or shape containers, such as bottles, jars and drinking glasses
- Operate electric kilns that heat glass sheets and mould to the shape and curve of metal jigs
- Spray or swab moulds with oil solutions to prevent adhesion of glass
- Weigh, measure and check production samples to assess conformance to specifications using scales and gauges and by visual verification
Glass finishing machine operators:
- Set up and adjust glass and glass-product finishing machines
- Operate and maintain finishing machines to grind, drill, sand, bevel, decorate, wash or polish glass or glass products
- Inspect products for quality
- Record manufacturing information such as quantity, size and type of goods produced
Glass cutters:
- Jig and measure and mark glass or place pattern on or under glass for cutting
- Examine and mark defective glass to get best cut
- Cut glass along marked outlines or around pattern using hand tools
- Smooth rough edges using belt sander or smoothing wheels
- Set up, operate and adjust computerized or robotic glass cutting equipment
- Monitor process for product quality
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
290% Employed Full Time
52%Key aspects of the work in this occupation:
- Work takes place in a regular controlled indoor environment
- Work also takes place in an indoor environment, such as a furnace room where temperatures or humidity may vary considerably
- Working with equipment, instruments, machinery or power/hand tools may be source of injury
- The workplace may contain flying glass or airborne particles that may cause injury
- Workers may be exposed to fire, steam or hot surfaces that can be hazardous
- Noise in the workplace may cause distraction or hearing loss
Career Pathways
Movement is possible among the various types of machine operators in this unit group.
Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
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For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Completion of secondary school may be required
- Experience as a machine operator helper in glass manufacturing is usually required for machine operators in this unit group
- Experience as a glass cutter helper is usually required for manual glass cutters
Education programs in B.C.
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
290Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 0 | 0.0% |
| Kootenay | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 225 | 77.6% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 0 | 0.0% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 35 | 12.1% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 15 | 5.2% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
70Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | 70 | 0.9% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | Not available | Not available |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | Not available | Not available |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 60 |
| Retail Trade | 10 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.
