New precision machining course offers training for in-demand workers

Precision machining is the practice of making items from raw material using a variety of machines. In the program at Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology, instructor Ben Detwiler said he teaches secondary and adult learners the fundamentals of manual and computerized machining. But for those post-secondary students who have schedules that might not fit the traditional daytime classes, a new night course has been established that features an industry knowledge required for the workforce – Computer Numerical Control, also known as CNC. The first class was held on Jan. 31, and includes 42-hours of training, which amounts to about six weeks. The program is also partnered with CareerLink that helps place individuals in needed training programs so they can gain employment, Detwiler said. “These are very in-demand positions,” Detwiler said. “I’m getting calls all the time from employers looking for our kind of workers, and with everything going computerized, a lot of companies are looking for the kind of workers who have that skill.”