Four AC Machining Students Achieve National Credentials for Precision Metal Working

Rodolfo Guillen, John Herman, Joseph Miller and Jerome Shield have each successfully met the high standards for precision metal working required of NIMS certification.

It was a two-step process. Each was required to produce a machined part to meet the meticulous print-specification standards established by the American National Standards Institute. That qualified them to sit for a timed, online test administered by NIMS. The exam gives students an opportunity to demonstrate their expertise in one of four main skills: Job Planning, Benchwork and Layout; Measurement, Materials and Safety; Milling I; and Turning Operations.

Guillen and Shield earned individual credentials in Measurement, Materials and Safety; while Herman and Miller earned the Benchwork and Layout credential.

Bob Gustin, instructor of machining technology, said program graduates with NIMS credentials have an advantage when entering the job market.

“It not only makes our graduates that much more employable, it usually leads to a substantial reduction in the time they have to spend at the apprentice level,” Gustin said. “NIMS certification is what industry is looking for.”

AC’s Machine Technology Program achieved NIMS Level I Skill Standard accreditation in April of 2015. It was the culmination of an intensive year-long process that entailed a comprehensive, on-site facility inspection and in-depth interviews with faculty, administrators and local employers.