LYNN — North Shore Community College has teamed up with Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School to offer a free machinist-training program for adult students.
The next session of the program, which was launched five years ago, will start Aug. 5. The program is funded through GE Aerospace and is open to anyone who is at least 18 years old and has a high-school diploma, a high-school equivalency, or a higher degree. It graduates approximately 30 students per session.
“This program is really designed primarily for people who are either unemployed or underemployed,” Dr. Martin Trice, the program manager for advanced manufacturing training at NSCC, said.
Students who complete the program earn a National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) certificate in CNC milling plus college credit, free of charge.
He said the program helps answer a high demand for trained workers. Upon completion of the program, he said 80% of students receive a job placement.
Dr. Trice added that students who participate in the program come from a range of ages and educational backgrounds.
“We had a student with a master’s degree, and they were in a field that they just weren’t happy with and wanted a just complete shift and change,” he said.
He said for students who have always had an interest in machine work, this program is their chance to try it.
The program is also partnered with MassHire, so students have the opportunity to engage with career counselors who can walk them through the interview and resume-writing processes before connecting them with potential employers.
“This is an opportunity for a really secure career and decent pay,” he said.
Students learn necessary skills for the program, such as math, at NSCC and take shop classes at Essex Tech. The program lasts for approximately five and a half months, according to Dr. Trice, and runs three times throughout the year.
Dr. Trice said students who are interested in machine work “clearly do well in the program, and they’re talented.”
“The chance for movement with the different businesses around here is pretty remarkable, and they can advance pretty rapidly if they’re good at it,” he said.
He said those interested can join one of the two online information sessions, which will be held on July 17 and July 24 at 4 p.m.
The information sessions can be found at https://www.northshore.edu/professional/programs/machinist-training/inquiry-form.html
