94152 Binding and finishing machine operators

What this occupation covers

Binding and finishing machine operators set up, operate or oversee the operation of machines, equipment or computerized units that bind and finish printed material. Workers who perform finishing operations in the paper, carton and packaging industries, as well as those who encode and stamp plastic cards, are included in this unit group. They are employed by binderies, commercial printing companies, newspapers, magazines, and other publishing companies, and establishments in both the public and private sectors that have in-house printing, binding and finishing departments.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 6 main duties for this code.

• Set up and operate specialized equipment and machines that cut, fold, gather and bind or finish brochures, pamphlets, business forms, magazines, books and other printed material
• Set up and operate specialized equipment and machines that die cut, emboss, imprint, laminate, heat stamp and perform other finishing operations on printed material
• Perform pre-production runs of binding or finishing jobs to verify output and to ensure that product specifications are met
• Operate automatic and semi-automatic equipment and machines to bind or finish print material according to specifications
• Pack, weigh and stack bound and finished products on pallet for shipment
• May repair and rebind damaged or worn books.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 6 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 95109 Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities
• 53124 Artisans and craftspersons
• 73401 Printing press operators
• 72022 Supervisors, printing and related occupations

Excluded from this code

• Feeder - printing (See 95109 Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities)
• Hand bookbinder (See 53124 Artisans and craftspersons)
• Offbearer - printing (See 95109 Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities)
• Pocket-folding machine feeder-loader - printing (See 95109 Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities)
• Printing press operators (See 73401 Printing press operators)
• Supervisors, printing and related occupations (See 72022 Supervisors, printing and related occupations)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

assistant binder · assistant bookbinder · binder - printing · binder and finisher · binder and finisher - printing · binder assistant · bindery machine operator - printing · bindery operator · bindery worker - printing · binding and finishing machine operator · blocking press operator - printing · blocking press stamper - printing · book finisher - printing · book trimmer · bookbinder - printing · bookbinder assistant · bookbinding machine operator · book-cutting machine operator · book-sewing machine operator - printing · bronzer - printing · bronzing machine tender - printing · casing-in machine set-up operator - printing · casing-in machine tender - printing · Cerlox binder operator

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is usually required.
• Completion of a college program in graphic arts technology or a combination of on-the-job training and specialized college, industry or other courses may be required.