Plants that make electrical and electronic products may test applicants for color vision, because many of their products contain many differently colored wires. Manual dexterity and the ability to carry out complex, repetitive tasks quickly and methodically are also important. As precision assemblers become more experienced, they may progress to jobs that require more skill and be given more responsibility. Experienced assemblers may become product repairers if they have learned the many assembly operations and understand the construction of a product. These workers fix assembled articles that operators or inspectors have identified as defective.
Assemblers also can advance to quality control jobs or be promoted to supervisor.
Experienced precision assemblers also may become members of research and development teams, working with engineers and other project designers to design, develop, and test new product models. In some companies, assemblers can become trainees for one of the skilled trades. Those with a background in math, science, and computers may advance to programmers or operators of more highly automated production equipment. As manufacturers strive for greater precision and productivity, work that can be performed more economically or more efficiently by automated equipment will be transferred to these machines. In addition to jobs stemming from growth, many job openings will result from the need to replace workers transferring to other occupations or leaving the labor force.