Where to learn to become a machinist?

[squale]

I am having a hard time finding any schools or programs to teach people the machinist trade. I have a younger sibling that wants to learn machining and he is about to graduate high school but there are very limited places that I could find that actually have machine shop courses.

What are young people looking to get into the trade supposed to do? We live in the northern NJ area btw.

Thanks

[holbieone]

it's very sad what the schools are teaching these days

the high school i went to in the early 80's was a vocational school that had all metal working courses including a machine shop ,after 4 years of school you left with the skill to work at any shop running hand and cnc equipment

today ,because of all the liability bull$hit a student leaves there with just a little knowledge of g-code with no hands on experience


if you can't find a school ,start doing some reading and try to find a shop that will let you do a internship ,if your lucky you can find a shop with some ready to retire machinist and get a real education from them

if you lived in my area i would help you learn

good luck

[littlerob]

I don't know how it is in N.J. but there is such a high demand for Machinists in Utah (where I am)., that for a young person the desire to want to be in the industry and learn the trade is usually enough to at least get in the door and start sweeping chips. Robert

[DareBee]

Apprenticeship is best.

It can be hard to get into a shop when you have zero experience if they have resumes from people with experience.

I usually take on Coop students from the high school here.
Costs me nothing and if they are good I offer them a job when they are done school.
It's win win.

[TOTALLYRC]

Here in CT the local technical college is offering guaranteed employment if you pass its machinst course, They have a consortium of 10 or twelve businesses that are desperate for trained employees and are working with the school to increase its supply of workers.

[littlerob]

Originally Posted by TOTALLYRC Here in CT the local technical college is offering guaranteed employment if you pass its machinst course, They have a consortium of 10 or twelve businesses that are desperate for trained employees and are working with the school to increase its supply of workers.

I really wish we had a program like that here, in the Salt Lake area we have probably 100 (just a guess) machine shops that are in need of skilled or unskilled people, to set up and operate machinery, (Good job security for me). And maybe this should start a poll, how many young people (say, ages 15 to 20) are interested in manufacturing? As a career or as a Hobby. Robert

[squale]

well its funny because there are those who say that all of the machining is going oversees so colleges, etc. are thinking of it as a dying trade here in the usa. But I see shops around here (northern NJ) that are busy as heck and looking for more people. Of course there are a lot of shops that just don't have work but these shops usually are either crappy quality, never deliver ontime or too highly priced. But any shop that does good quality work, for a good price and delivers on time I always see as very busy.

just seems hard to find good dedicated people that know what they are doing or are willing to learn and will actually stay working for you.. they usually go elsewhere once they get some experience.

[dertsap]

Originally Posted by squale just seems hard to find good dedicated people that know what they are doing or are willing to learn and will actually stay working for you.. they usually go elsewhere once they get some experience.

in concern to the lack of skilled guys to keep up to the market its been the same way here for some time


three things come to mind if i think about what makes people move to another company ,

1) "wages'' the single most important reason most people work

2)politics , people always say you should never talk religion or politics but these are the same people who somehow can't leave their bs politics at home
and like to make everyone elses life miserable

3) boredom , stagnant monotony or a lack of mental stimulation ,
the idle mind of a person who likes to think and loves a challenge seeps out through their ears

maybe i should add a 4th : some employees are simply idiots

it boils down to having a good pay in a good and challenging work environment with good people , then there should be no reason to leave

squale
find yourself a company who is looking for a machinist helper or machine operator and prepare a large hole in the back of your head because your going to need a lot of room to soak in what your going to learn , if your bright and pick up on things quickly your value will move up very rapidly

[squale]

thanks, I"m actually saying this as an employer, I am part owner in a machine shop currently and am looking to expand. But I'm finding it hard to find qualified people. So I am looking to get my younger brother involved in the business as a machinist. He is graduating HS soon and wants to go into the machinist trade, hard to find good schools that teach this anymore. I figure the best security would be your own blood working with you.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by squale ....But I'm finding it hard to find qualified people. So I am looking to get my younger brother involved in the business as a machinist... I figure the best security would be your own blood working with you.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I couldn't stand to work with my father or brother years ago because we were too similar; very competent and opinionated.

However, if you have a good relationship that is likely to survive working together train him on the job. At least that way you don't have to un-train all the wrong stuff he picks up in some so-called training program.

[dertsap]

Originally Posted by squale thanks, I"m actually saying this as an employer, .

oops sorry thats my speed reader acting up again ,i'll have to get a new one

[jerrelmm]

Applied Technology College in Davis County has machining classes 801-593-2500 and talk to Ken Evans. I talked to him last year to hire a student and no one was interested in helping out. Ran an add in paper last week end for programmer and lathe setup and great response, some couldnt speak English but lots of calls. jerrelmm@aol.com