Entry Level Milling & Tooling Machinist - NIMS Certified
College of the Canyons · Santa Clarita, CA
- Cost
- $9,245
- Length
- 16 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names and program descriptions appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Occupation titles are translated where O*NET publishes a Spanish name. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
No outcomes reported for this program
About a third of California programs report nothing. That is a fact about the program's reporting, not evidence that it works or does not.
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Shrinking -11.5%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Where California publishes a separate figure for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators
Job ads may call this: Machine Operator · Machine Set Up Operator · CNC Operator (Computer Numerical Control Operator) · CNC Machinist (Computer Numerical Control Machinist)
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Measure dimensions of finished workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments, templates, and fixtures.
- Set up and operate computer-controlled machines or robots to perform one or more machine functions on metal or plastic workpieces.
- Mount, install, align, and secure tools, attachments, fixtures, and workpieces on machines, using hand tools and precision measuring instruments.
- Review program specifications or blueprints to determine and set machine operations and sequencing, finished workpiece dimensions, or numerical control sequences.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Stop machines to remove finished workpieces or to change tooling, setup, or workpiece placement, according to required machining sequences.
- Listen to machines during operation to detect sounds such as those made by dull cutting tools or excessive vibration, and adjust machines to compensate for problems.
- Implement changes to machine programs, and enter new specifications, using computers.
- Calculate machine speed and feed ratios and the size and position of cuts.
What this pays in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $40,706 | $57,870 | $78,683 |
| Across California | $40,575 | $57,799 | $78,593 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $57,799per yearLos Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: $56,469
- Projected openings
- 16,320Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 4,430
- Projected change
- -11.5%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Programmer · Numerical Control Programmer (NC Programmer) · CNC Tech (Computer Numerical Control Technician) · CAD Programmer (Computer-Aided Design Programmer)
- Determine the sequence of machine operations, and select the proper cutting tools needed to machine workpieces into the desired shapes.
- Analyze job orders, drawings, blueprints, specifications, printed circuit board pattern films, and design data to calculate dimensions, tool selection, machine speeds, and feed rates.
- Observe machines on trial runs or conduct computer simulations to ensure that programs and machinery will function properly and produce items that meet specifications.
- Write programs in the language of a machine's controller and store programs on media, such as punch tapes, magnetic tapes, or disks.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Determine reference points, machine cutting paths, or hole locations, and compute angular and linear dimensions, radii, and curvatures.
- Enter computer commands to store or retrieve parts patterns, graphic displays, or programs that transfer data to other media.
- Revise programs or tapes to eliminate errors, and retest programs to check that problems have been solved.
- Modify existing programs to enhance efficiency.
What this pays in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $59,254 | $85,089 | $131,772 |
| Across California | $57,176 | $83,963 | $128,885 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $83,963per yearLos Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: $80,721
- Projected openings
- 3,190Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 900
- Projected change
- +10%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
Program details
This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.
This program provides training for students in the theoretical and professional skills necessary to safely operate manual metalworking and machining equipment. Prepares students for certification in the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) in drill press, milling and turning operations. Upon completion of the certificate, students will be able to work in the automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing industries.Industrial Safety: Provides instruction for safe work practice in an industrial environment. Emphasis on safety philosophies & terminology fire safety, pressurized gases and welding, chemical and electrical hazards. Emphasis on the safe handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials is covered.Fundamentals of Machine Shop Mathematics: Surveys fractions, decimals, percentages, and basic geometry and basic trigonometry. Emphasis on basic operations with integers, learning about variables and explaining how they are used in equations, estimating and rounding decimals, and understanding. Covers triangles, the Pythagorean Theorem, understanding and calculating trigonometric ratios and inverse functions, and the components of circles and their relationship to angles. Emphasis is placed on application of acquired skills towards machining operation and application scenarios.Print Reading for the Machine Trades: Surveys how to interpret and accurately work with technical drawings. Explains print reading concepts and application, including use of sketches, Multiview drawings, and line types. Covers print dimensioning, from basic dimensioning through first angle projection. Emphasis is placed on common assembly drawings and fasteners used in manufacturing.Geometrical Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T): Focuses on understanding dimensions and tolerances on engineering drawings per the ASME Y14 standard. The learner studies datums; geometric rules, types, and characteristics; and tolerance zones.Metrology for the Machine Trades: Explores the principals.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-09-18). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
Ask before you enroll, not after
The order the rules set out starts at the center rather than at the school. Before a center can find somebody eligible for training services it has to gather enough to decide, at a minimum through an interview, evaluation or assessment and career planning. Referring a person to the provider they have chosen and setting up the account both come after that, and both are the center's to do — the account is a payment agreement with the training provider, and it is the provider that is paid through it. So the call belongs before enrolling and before paying. Anyone who has already done either should still ask, and ask what it means for them.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
Santa Clarita AJCCAffiliate site
Phone: 661-298-0152 ext 31
20730 Soledad StreetUnit LSanta Clarita, CA 91351about 3.6 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am-5pm
Has a veterans' representative
Northeast San Fernando Valley AJCCAffiliate site
Phone: 818-482-1754
13356 Eldrige AvenueGoodwill Industries of Southern CaliforniaSylmar, CA 91342about 9.9 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
El Proyecto WorkSource-OneStop, Sun ValleyComprehensive center
Phone: 818-504-0334
9024 Laurel Canyon BlvdEl Proyecto WorkSource CenterSun Valley, CA 91352about 15.1 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Evening, Saturday by appointment
Has a veterans' representative
At a comprehensive center all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →