An investigation of selected factors associated with the success of engineering draftsmen in company training programs where engineering drafting is emphasized

Purpose: The major purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of selected factors associated with the success of engineering draftsmen in company training programs where engineering drafting was emphasized. Also considered in this study was the relationship of total contact hours of instruction in drafting to the potential for success of an engineering draftsman. Participating companies were Brown & Root, Incorporated and the Pullman Kellogg Company. The factors evaluated were obtained from three major sources. These sources were: Trainee Information Sheet Differential Aptitude Test Motivational Analysis Test Methodology: The population of this study consisted of sixty-five (65) engineering drafting trainees from four training classes who were subjected to standard training procedures in the above mentioned company training programs. After selection of the training programs to be studied, the researcher collected names and other background data on the trainees in each of the training classes. This procedure was followed by the administration of the Differential Aptitude Test Battery and the Motivational Analysis Test. Tests were then evaluated and results were reported to the participating trainees. Upon conclusion of training, the researcher collected final course standings of each trainee. Thereafter, all data were recorded on the University of Houston's general coding forms for final statistical analysis. The statistical procedure used in this study was multiple regression analysis. The computer program used was entitled Multiple Regression Analysis: Subprogram Regression, selected from the manual Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Nie (1970). The relative effectiveness of the variables used were indicated and tables were constructed depicting their significance levels. Findings: The study findings revealed no significant correlations between either total contact hours of instruction in drafting or the present selection factors that are being used in industry today. All tests from the Differential Aptitude Test Battery proved significantly correlated to success with the exception of the Language Usage Test. The three tests selected from the Motivational Analysis Test evaluated Career Sentiment, Self Sentiment and Superego Sentiment. Of these three tests, Career Sentiment was the only one denoting no significant correlation to success.Education, College o