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Employers: Do you want a Certification or Associates Degree in an employee?

Rudy_33

Plastic
Joined
Aug 1, 2019
In general, as employers, do you give more credence to someone with an Associates degree in Precision Machining or certifications such as NIMS?

About me: I'll be starting my Precision Machining program next week and trying to plan out my education. Since I'm in my uppers 20's and switching careers (currently tech support/finance) it would be nice to do the 1st year and then 'On-the-job' training for anything beyond that, getting certifications as I learn.
I'll get my NIMS level 1 certification after the first year. I'm debating how important it would be to do the second year, which may require student loans.
The only courses I'll gain is Swiss lathe operations and CNC programming 2 (programming 1 taught in 1st year). The other courses are mostly fluff like public speaking.

Is this a realistic possibility, perhaps for an apprenticeship program?
In regards to credentials, what do you look for in a candidate?
 
In regards to credentials, what do you look for in a candidate?


Mechanical aptitude and math skills are very good starts.

After next week, you'll have more skewling in this subject than I doo.
Public speaking doesn't mean much to me.
Knowing (caring) the difference between a 6 pack and a 671 would go farther IMO.


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
Personally I like the associates/technical degree better, because it shows you have worked on projects from start to finish. It also shows you have been introduced in multiple areas, ie turning, milling, programming, etc. NIMS just looks like any other piece of paper that shows you passed a test after a few days of learning something. So essentially NIMS means jack shit to me.
 
I already have a bachelors degree. So, my preference is to do more 'on-job' training. How much more of an advantage is the Associates degree over the NIMS level 1
 
In general, as employers, do you give more credence to someone with an Associates degree in Precision Machining or certifications such as NIMS?

About me: I'll be starting my Precision Machining program next week and trying to plan out my education. Since I'm in my uppers 20's and switching careers (currently tech support/finance) it would be nice to do the 1st year and then 'On-the-job' training for anything beyond that, getting certifications as I learn.
I'll get my NIMS level 1 certification after the first year. I'm debating how important it would be to do the second year, which may require student loans.
The only courses I'll gain is Swiss lathe operations and CNC programming 2 (programming 1 taught in 1st year). The other courses are mostly fluff like public speaking.

Is this a realistic possibility, perhaps for an apprenticeship program?
In regards to credentials, what do you look for in a candidate?

I would look for an apprenticeship program is it more 'real world' is going to teach you things, assuming it is similar to what I took with 4 years of night classes and 8k hours on the job training/learning. Two caveats -

1) If you take some classes on your own it will prove you want to learn and may get your foot in more jobs/interviews

2) I have never been asked to provide any 'proof' of completion, although I think it (a copy of my USDOL cert) is on my resume.
 
Biggest attribute I look for is sobriety.. well consistently showing up sober.. certs and professional organizations are pretty worthless.
 
Biggest attribute I look for is sobriety.. well consistently showing up sober.. certs and professional organizations are pretty worthless.

I realize we are going to have these comments, but IMO, the OP asked a serious question.

I think we can assume you should be sober < flame away. :leaving:
 
Biggest attribute I look for is sobriety.. well consistently showing up sober.. certs and professional organizations are pretty worthless.

They might have last night on their breathe but they do good work :D

Off-duty activities aside, would it be reasonable to learn CNC mill and lathe programming on the job?
Similar to how I got my EMT job - the company paid for my education and I signed a contract to work for them for at least one year.
 
I realize we are going to have these comments, but IMO, the OP asked a serious question.

I think we can assume you should be sober < flame away. :leaving:

Not a flame reply at all: I just had to let a new hire go because at his drug test he was caught tampering (smuggled in a jar of clean urine, poured it into the sample container). They discontinued the test and kicked him out.

You absolutely cannot assume sobriety, no matter what a candidate's paper qualifications. Sure wish it were otherwise.
 
Not a flame reply at all: I just had to let a new hire go because at his drug test he was caught tampering (smuggled in a jar of clean urine, poured it into the sample container). They discontinued the test and kicked him out.

You absolutely cannot assume sobriety, no matter what a candidate's paper qualifications. Sure wish it were otherwise.

Ok honest question(s)-

Was he there for an offense of some kind?

Did he draw the un-lucky straw of random testing?

Would you fire him other than company policy of no drug use?
 
I realize we are going to have these comments, but IMO, the OP asked a serious question.

I think we can assume you should be sober < flame away. :leaving:

In California that's a huge assumption.
A couple months ago I was running a job for another aerospace shop. I took a first article over to be inspected, and the inspectors breath almost knocked me over.
Niedless to say, my f/a passed
 
When I look at most of the jobs posted the required education is typically high school, with a few asking for 1 year education in machining. That's a starting point, and I feel like the extra education, especially CNC programming 2, is helpful.
I'm just not sure I want to commit the extra time and money for an AAS degree or just do the courses on my own.
 
In California that's a huge assumption.
A couple months ago I was running a job for another aerospace shop. I took a first article over to be inspected, and the inspectors breath almost knocked me over.
Niedless to say, my f/a passed

Well then.. are you complaining or..?? :D
 
What level of education do you guys think is sufficient?
What continuing education should a machinist be looking for?

For instance, to get my EMT certification I did night courses all summer and we need 40 hours per year of 'continuing education'.
 
Transportation in good working condition helps a lot too. Schools are good also the certifications are good also if taken at the same time as when you are working and learning in a good shop with good talented mentors to learn from. The problem is finding such a place and when finding it getting hired. Usually they are busy making a good living and would be distracted teaching someone the ropes.

They will hire someone in like that and to stay it means you move along learning equal to what they want. This is just my opinion based on what I have seen and been able to understand.
 
Work ethic and aptitude go much further than education in manufacturing.

Education for a manufacturing career is an engineering degree.
 
From an employees point of view, experience is the key...everything sounds good on paper but when it comes to brass tacks someone who has all kinds of certs and little experience will always be beat out by the guy with 5 years cold hard experience, certs or not.

Realize this, you may go to school and get your certs, but anywhere you start you will be starting at the bottom...15/hour bottom. It's up to you to work up the ladder. My suggestion to you (from someone who up and quit a 10 year career at 29 to get in the trade) learn all you can, have thick skin, don't be afraid to take the jobs no one else wants, and make yourself valuable.
 








 
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