Welding is used to create many things, from cars, trucks, and motorcycles to rail cars, ships, aircraft, rockets, and space stations. Welding is huge in the construction industry, too. Skyscrapers, bridges, and highways would be impossible to build without welding, as would oil and natural-gas pipelines, offshore oil platforms, wind turbines, and…

Electronics technicians (ETs) work with electronics engineers to set up and maintain complicated electronics equipment that many of today's businesses rely on. The field is varied. An ET might service the industrial controls on a factory floor. Or repair missile control systems for the government. Or an ET could specialize in cars and trucks,…

Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber that is roughly the diameter of a human hair. The light forms an electromagnetic carrier wave that is modulated to carry information. Each optical fiber is capable of carrying an enormous amount of…

Renewable energy systems are beginning to appear everywhere. Solar modules are creating "blue roofs" that convert the energy from the sun into household electricity. Solar thermal systems on roofs can generate hot water. Wind turbines catch breezes to provide even more electricity. Recommendations for saving energy, specifying systems for…

Many of the advances in telecommunications and medicine are due to laser and fiber-optic technology. This technology has led to devices that provide faster and richer communication, advanced surgeries, and faster healing times, as well as amazing robotics for manufacturing. But, as with all equipment, someone has to install and maintain it. That…

The growing field of energy assessment for buildings presents opportunities for teachers to engage students in topics related to current issues, science, technology, and communication skills. Students who find satisfaction in energy auditing can expand their interests into careers as the demand to stop wasteful practices in homes and businesses…

One of the hottest areas in technology is invisible. Wireless communications allow people to transmit voice messages, data, and other signals through the air without physically connecting senders to receivers with cables or wires. And the technology is spreading at lightning speed. Cellular phones, personal digital assistants, and wireless…

The Internet and electronic commerce (e-commerce) generate lots of data. Data must be stored, organized, and managed. Database administrators, or DBAs, work with database software to find ways to do this. They identify user needs, set up computer databases, and test systems. They ensure that systems perform as they should and add people to the…

Describes careers in the transportation industry, especially trucking. Looks at job requirements, outlook for employment, salaries, and working conditions. Includes Web sites of trucking-related organizations. (JOW)

Provides descriptions of jobs related to the printing industry. Includes information on salaries, labor market outlook, and education/training needed. Describes careers in commercial printing and graphic communications. (JOW)

Looks at medical writing as a career. Provides information about types of jobs available such as pharmaceutical manufacturing, textbooks, trader journals, indexing and abstracting, hospital publications, and online editing; salaries; job growth rate; and education needed. Offers job search tips. (JOW)

Provides information careers for drafting/computer-assisted drafting technicians, including salaries, responsibilities, employment outlook, working conditions, skills needed, and career advancement opportunities. Lists professional drafting organizations. (JOW)

Provides descriptions of jobs related to desktop publishing. Includes information on salaries, labor market outlook, advancement opportunities, and education/training needed. (JOW)

Describes training and curricula for plumbing and pipefitting certification. Discusses wages, working conditions, and employment and training opportunities in the field. (SK)

Includes three theme articles about careers in masonry: "Masonry: A Centuries-Old Artistry and Profession" (Shifflette); "Flatwork Finish: Make Your Ideas about a Career Concrete" (Bohan); and "Career Directions: Bricklayer/Mason" (Moore). (JOW)