Which of the following is a technical skill?

• A. Computer and technology literacy
• B. Leadership
• C. Teamwork
• D. Planning

Answer: (A)

Technical skills are the abilities to operate equipment, software, and tools used to manufacture products. Computer and technology literacy fits here because it covers using computers and digital tools essential to modern manufacturing—designing or modeling with software, preparing files for 3D printing, running slicers, and managing printer data. In additive manufacturing, you rely on these software tools to translate a design into a printable format and to control the printing process, so proficiency with computers and technology is a specific technical capability.

Leadership, teamwork, and planning are important for coordinating work and guiding projects, but they relate more to behavioral or employability skills rather than the hands-on, tool- and software-based tasks that define technical skills.