A U.S. Air National Guard veteran, a high school dropout, a person with a background in sales, and a family man who hadn’t been in a classroom for 20 years; four men on very different paths that ultimately led to one destination: the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership’s (MassMEP) Accelerated CNC Program.

Manufacturers across the state express their need for technically trained workers and their concern over the shortage of such workers in the “pipeline.” As baby boomers reach retirement age, the number of trained computer numerical control (CNC) machine operators is declining rapidly. In answer to this shortage, MassMEP and its partners developed the Accelerated CNC Program, an intense 280-hour, eight-week training that attracts men and women of all ages and backgrounds, with or without past manufacturing or machining experience. Participants are able to graduate with recognized credentials and college credits as well as Lean Manufacturing and OSHA certifications.

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