Elevators and other people movers are conveniences many take for granted but they require a high degree of skill and great physical effort to install.

The next time you gaze at the majestic skyscrapers that make up a city skyline or have the opportunity to admire the view from the upper windows of these architectural marvels, realize that their existence wouldn't be possible without elevators.

Millions of people every day use elevators to ascend and descend tall structures, taking for granted the skill and hard work that goes into building and maintaining today's state-of-the-art elevator systems. Elevator mechanics are the men and women who build these systems and keep them running safely and reliably.

Though forms of the elevator have been around since the Egyptian Empire, they weren't widely used for people-moving until the middle of the 19th Century, when the innovations of Elisha Otis made them safe for routine use.

Elevator constructors must have a firm grasp of hydraulics, electricity and computer electronics. They also must understand the physics that make the smooth ascent and descent of an elevator possible.

Installing a new elevator requires a combination of sophisticated skills and hard work. Using blue prints as their guide, elevator construction mechanics determine the equipment needed to install rails, machinery, car enclosures, motors, pumps, cylinders, and plunger foundations. Once this has been done, the building begins. Mechanics bolt or weld steel rails to the walls of the shaft to guide the elevator.

They then insert electrical wires and controls by running tubing for electrical wire between floors. They then install electrical components and related devices required at each floor and at the main control panel in the machine room. Installers then erect the steel frame of an elevator car at the bottom of the shaft; install the car's platform, walls, and doors; and, attach guide shoes and rollers to minimize the lateral motion of the car as it travels up and down the shaft. They also install the outer doors and doorframes at the elevator entrances on each floor.

Once the shaft, cars and electrical operating system is in place, it is fine-tuned to ensure that it moves at a desired speed and stops correctly at each floor.

Elevator construction professionals also install and maintain escalators, dumbwaiters, moving walkways, and similar equipment in new and old buildings.

The elevator constructor's craft is highly challenging because technological innovations are constantly creating new ways to keep up with the need for higher speed in concert with the construction of taller buildings.

A series of diverse innovative technological developments have been achieved - such as more powerful traction machine motors and more sophisticated drive control equipment.

Once the elevator is complete and running, proper service and maintenance is critical for the continued safe operation. Service mechanics are responsible for routine servicing and repair.

Salary and Benefits
One of the primary - if not the primary - factors in choosing a career is the compensation - salary and benefits. Journeymen elevator mechanics make a very attractive wage. The trade, like others, provides opportunities for advancement to supervisory positions that increase the base wage.

Mechanic in Charge Construction Mechanic Service Mechanic Helper

$50.25 per hour $41.97 - $44.67 per hour $33.82 per hour $31.27 per hour

The benefit package for all mechanics includes:

• Health insurance for entire family • Pension • Annuity • Vacation

Work Conditions
Elevator installation requires both technological skill and hard work. Installers are required to perform heavy lifting and operate in cramped areas. Potential hazards include falls from heights and electrical shock. Virtually all work is performed indoors, out of the elements.

Career Outlook
Because it is important to keep elevators and similar equipment working properly and in good condition, the elevator construction trade is less influenced by the cyclical economy. However, as non-residential construction increases, so does the demand for men and women who build elevators, escalators and other types of people movers.

The federal Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) forecasts that growth in the elevator construction industry will grow about as fast as the average of other careers, which is about 10 to 20 percent over the next decade.

The OOH states: "The need to continually update and modernize old equipment, including improvements in appearance and the installation of increasingly sophisticated equipment and computerized controls, also should add to the demand for elevator installers and repairers."

Also, because work is performed indoors, elevator installers rarely lose work time to inclement weather.

Apprenticeship
The apprenticeship lasts four years and entails both classroom and on-the-job training. As with other construction training programs, apprentices spend a great majority of their time learning on the job and are assigned to a qualified contractor. Elevator apprentices are required to complete at least 6,800 hours of on-the-job training over the four-year period under the supervision of experienced journeymen.

On the job training begins with basic tasks such as manually loading and unloading materials, equipment and tools from vehicles to the work area; cleaning elevator tops, machine rooms, pits, rails and hoist ways and painting machine rooms and pits. Once the apprentice begins to learn the fundamentals of the trade, they will assist mechanics in electrical and mechanical installation, repair and service operations.

Apprentices must complete 144 hours of classroom instruction per year. Apprentices in northern New Jersey spend one eight-hour day every two weeks at the Elevator Construction Joint Apprentice Training Committee Facility in Long Island City, NY. Apprentices in southern New Jersey spend one eight-hour day every two weeks at the training facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

In their first year, apprentices spend a great deal of time learning about proper safety procedures -- which includes how to handle materials and tools properly, how to work in confined spaces, and how to prevent falls. They also learn the fundamentals of print reading; material handling, rigging and hoisting; machine room installation; car and counterweight assembly; and welding basics.

Second year apprentices learn basic electricity and advanced instruction in the installation and maintenance of DC motors and generators.

Third year apprentices learn how to wire elevator systems, install doors and operators, install the hydraulics systems that move the elevator cars up and down, and install and maintain escalators and moving walks.

In their final year, apprentices learn the basics of solid-state electronics and circuit tracing.

Apprentices take what they learn in the classroom and apply it on the job. When the four years of training are completed, apprentices are ready to perform many tasks required of a journeyman mechanic.

Apprentices begin earning a wage from the beginning of their training. During the short probationary period, apprentices earn an hourly wage of $15.91 but receive no benefits. Once the probationary period is through, the wage drops slightly in the first year but the apprentice begins earning full benefits. The wage increases each year afterward. Construction mechanics earn $21.47, $25.38 and $29.28 in their second, third and fourth years respectively. The wage for service mechanics is $17.16, $20.28 and $29.28.

Requirements

• 18 years old (may be 17 at time of application) • High school diploma or GED • Physically able to perform work - heavy lifting, squatting in tight areas, working at heights • Reliable transportation

Applicants take a 100-question exam that includes reading comprehension, mechanical aptitude and math. Applicants must score 70 percent or higher to advance to the oral interview phase. Interview topics include work experience, school record, mechanical ability and motivation. Applicants are ranked based on their scores during the oral interview, which is conducted by a union official and the employer.

Profile

Students with the following characteristics are ideal candidates for the elevator construction profession: