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Machinists are skilled tradespeople responsible for running a variety of machine tools to produce precision components for end-users or for use in other manufacturing. This project identifies the current and future change in the number of machinists in Northeast Tennessee region, especially the five-county service area of Northeast State Community College (NSCC). There is a noticeable upward trend in the number of companies that contact the NSCC looking for machining students to fill open positions at their companies. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic information for Machinist and Tool and Die Makers (these two job titles are listed together), the job outlook is only 1% expected growth from 2016 to 2026. This leaves us wondering if there is more potential growth in our immediate area than predicted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or if another phenomenon is occurring. Using an industry survey, the need for machinists is identified and evaluated to understand the state of this critical job in our service area. The results indicate that the local industry needs more machinists to keep up with current demand, as 6 out of 14 companies reported they currently have open positions. Companies also reported an average of 9 open positions for the lowest skill bracket, 9 positions for mid-level machinist, and 12 for the highest skill level. This is about 9.6% of all the machinists in the survey. The positions that companies are struggling to find qualified candidates, may stay open for long periods of time. Furthermore, most companies have an average 15% of their current machinists eligible to retire, reinforcing the result that companies need more machinist

Road user costs quantify the inconveniences to road users resulting from ongoing construction projects. Although the concept of road user costs has traditionally been associated with the life cycle cost analysis, its importance has increased in alternative contracting methods in recent years. Despite its importance, some state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) lack a systematic methodology to compute road user costs or have inconsistent methodologies within the same state DOT. This study reviewed existing literature on the topic and conducted a nationwide survey to understand the current practices of calculating and utilizing road user costs. The study found that 34 out of the 37 responding state DOTs are currently calculating road user costs. More than half of the state DOTs have developed their state-specific methodologies for various purposes including A + B contract evaluation, incentives/disincentives determination, and benefit–cost analysis for alternative project evaluation. The study also found that the DOTs’ decisions to calculate road user costs for a specific project primarily depends on the duration, location, and complexity of the project. The delay costs and the vehicle operating costs are the two most common components of road user costs. The results of this nationwide survey provide the most comprehensive details on road user cost calculation methodologies. These findings are expected to aid state DOTs in developing a new road user cost calculation methodology or improving an existing methodology. Such improved methodology will aid state DOTs in making more informed contractor-selection decisions.

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