• Application section on the Exam Bulletin has been updated.
• Test Details section on the Exam Bulletin has been updated.

TIP: It is recommended to apply to a job vacancy via the job posting prior to taking the exam, as the exam process may exceed the job posting final filing date. When applying to a job posting you may choose “other” when asked for eligibility then enter in the text field “Exam application being submitted”. This is a department specific exam; you must submit your STD 678 State Application directly to the Department to be admitted to this exam.

The ONLY methods to apply for this exam is by emailing the Department’s exam unit, mailing, or dropping off to the address indicated in the instructions; applying through CalCareers is not an option. By clicking the “Apply Now” button at the top of the bulletin, you will be prompted to either use a template application or create an application. You will then be directed to either download to PDF or print a hard copy to submit via the accepted options (email, mail or drop off).

Please see the “How to Apply” section of this exam bulletin for more details.

Upcoming Filing Cutoff Dates:

• 8/22/2024
• 9/12/2024
• 10/3/2024
• 10/24/2024
• 11/14/2024
• 12/5/2024

Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) must be received or postmarked by the filing date indicated above. Applications postmarked, personally delivered or received via interoffice mail after the filing date will be processed in the next group.

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

• PRODUCT ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN, PRISON INDUSTRIES - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

2135

For PRODUCT ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN, PRISON INDUSTRIES, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

• EX-02135

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

You may apply by mail to:

• Prison Industry Authority
  Exam Unit
  560 East Natoma Street
  Folsom, CA 95630
  

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678).

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

• Exam Unit
  560 East Natoma Street
  Folsom, CA 95630
  8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  Non-operational weekends and holidays

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678). All applicants must provide proof of identification. Accepted forms of identification are: 1) a photo identification card or 2) two forms of signed identification.

You may apply by email to:

Exams@calpia.ca.gov

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678).

The following items must be submitted with your Examination/Employment Application form. Failure to submit these items may result in rejection of your application.

• Transcript (Official or Unofficial)

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

Experience: One year of experience in the drafting or design of wood, metal, or plastic products using computer-aided drafting and design methods.
and 

Education:  Equivalent to graduation from college with major course work in Mechanical Engineering. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for not more than two years of the required education on a year-for-year basis.)

This examination consists of the following component(s):

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

It is anticipated that candidates who meet the minimum qualifications for this examination will be sent an email within 2 business days after the cut-off date, which will contain the instructions and the link to complete the online Training and Experience (T&E) examination. It is the candidate’s responsibility to contact California Prison Industry’s Examination Unit at (916) 358-2696 or email Exams@calpia.ca.gov if they have not received the T&E link within 2 business days of the cut-off date.

NOTE: The Training and Experience (T&E) exam link will be sent to YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS INDICATED ON YOUR STD 678 APPLICATION from Survey Monkey. Any requests for alternative email addresses must be requested by contacting the Examination Unit at Exams@calpia.ca.gov before the cut-off date.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

Knowledge of:

1. Design of metal, wood, or plastic products and dies, tools, and jigs used in their manufacture to carry out assignments.
2. Methods of metal or wood products fabrication and the machinery involved to understand program operations and product requirements.
3. The reaction of metal or wood in the manufacturing process such as sheet metal bend allowances and the joining of steel or the joining of wood to ensure integrity of end products.
4. Drafting symbols to ensure accuracy on projects.
5. Crafting presentation to complete assignments.
6. Orthographic projections to assist in the accuracy of design layout.
7. Mechanical properties of steel or hard and soft woods to ensure integrity of end product.
8. Strength of materials to effectively design products.
9. Engineering mathematics to assist in the design of products.
10. Mechanical theory and practice to understand and evaluate information for product design.
11. Basic computer skills, including document creation, spreadsheets and operating systems to ensure efficient record keeping.
12. Safety practices to ensure a secure workplace.

Ability to:

1. Prepare neat and accurate product drawings to ensure concise legibility for quality manufacturing.
2. Prepare drawings from design notes and sketches to assist in the development of projects.
3. Supervise and train offender workers in the fundamentals of mechanical drafting and motivate them to produce accurate and neat drawings at a pace commensurate with private industry to accomplish the goals and objectives of CALPIA.
4. Specify and estimate products and components to effectively plan projects.
5. Interpret all drawings, plans, and specifications of products to ensure accuracy of end product.
6. Communicate with the institution managers, factory personnel, and outside entities in a cooperative effort and maintain relationships to achieve the goals of CALPIA.
7. Plan, organize and maintain an accurate filing and numerical system for drawings and specifications to ensure information can be quickly and efficiently located.
   

A Departmental Open eligible list for the PRODUCT ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN, PRISON INDUSTRIES Classification will be established for:

• Prison Industry Authority

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

• A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
• A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

• Prison Industry Authority

Questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

Prison Industry Authority reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.