A new round of classes in the Machinist Technology Program provided by the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing, located on 4th Avenue in downtown Huntington, will be launched Monday, Aug. 25.

The full-time, 12-month program takes students through technical training that features rigorous, specialized hands-on instruction that prepares them for immediate employment and lifelong professional advancement.

Certified by the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), the program also prepares students to earn individual NIMS credentials.

The program has changed over the past 10 years, with the addition of the Auto Cad class and use of computer-numerical-control (CNC) machining, among other changes in the curriculum. Instruction covers highly focused manual machine operation and technical support, introductory CNC machining, mathematics for machinists, computer training safety issues and communication and organizational skills.

Classes are open to high school graduates, dislocated workers, welfare-to-work participants, employed individuals, participants in state or privately funded education or training programs and employers who are expanding the technical capabilities of their present workforce.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent certificate. Students are pre-tested for math and reading skills.

Students have the option to earn an Associate Applied Science in Technical Studies degree through a joint RCBI program with Marshall Community and Technical College. Two-year degrees require, on average, 67 credit hours that full-time students typically earn in four semesters.


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