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Noah Smith, left, and Ben Barringer, right, assemble oscillating piston air engines during a competition at the CNC Machining Bootcamp on Wednesday at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
Michael Gomez, representing MSC Industrial Supply Co., discusses productivity and efficiency on CNC machines during a CNC Machining Bootcamp on Wednesday at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
Students in the CNC Machining Bootcamp learn about productivity and efficiency on CNC machines on Wednesday at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
Noah Smith assembles an oscillating piston air engine during a competition at the CNC Machining Bootcamp on Wednesday at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
Students assemble an oscillating piston air engine during a competition at the CNC Machining Bootcamp on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
Michael Gomez, representing MSC Industrial Supply Co., discusses productivity and efficiency on CNC machines during a CNC Machining Bootcamp on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
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Noah Smith, left, and Ben Barringer, right, assemble oscillating piston air engines during a competition at the CNC Machining Bootcamp on Wednesday at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
Michael Gomez, representing MSC Industrial Supply Co., discusses productivity and efficiency on CNC machines during a CNC Machining Bootcamp on Wednesday at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
Students in the CNC Machining Bootcamp learn about productivity and efficiency on CNC machines on Wednesday at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
Noah Smith assembles an oscillating piston air engine during a competition at the CNC Machining Bootcamp on Wednesday at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
Students assemble an oscillating piston air engine during a competition at the CNC Machining Bootcamp on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
Michael Gomez, representing MSC Industrial Supply Co., discusses productivity and efficiency on CNC machines during a CNC Machining Bootcamp on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
HUNTINGTON — Noah Smith, who was among students in the Robert C. Byrd Institute’s latest program to train students on computer-controlled machining, said the training will be used for his future career goals.
Smith, who lives in St. Albans, West Virginia, works in a machine shop and is a student at RCBI. As part of a CNC Machining Bootcamp, Smith has learned to use software for machining. CNC means “computer numerical control.”
“This is definitely going to be something I do after getting out of RCBI,” Smith said.
He recommended the program for people who are interested in engineering or mechanics and are a veteran, as he is one.
The first class of 10 boot camp graduates finished the program Wednesday as the second class began. Participants may join the program for a variety of reasons, such as an interest in machining, supplementing their education at RCBI or learning to be more efficient as a working machinist.
The boot camps were introduced in August. So far, about 100 students have registered. To learn about machining, students complete an online portion and then a weeklong in-person training.
Similar programs in Texas, North Carolina and Tennessee train participants in those states, but RCBI’s is open to students high school age or older across three states — West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.
Mike Friel, director of communications for RCBI, said the boot camps are part of a U.S. Department of Defense-funded initiative, America’s Cutting Edge, to revitalize American manufacturing with a focus on the industry of machine tools. RCBI plans to offer the program at its South Charleston campus after a building renovation is finished. As a hub of the boot camps, RCBI can offer the program at partner locations throughout the three states.
Because of a grant from the Department of Defense, the boot camps are no cost to the students. More information about registration and the program can be found on RCBI’s website.
“The goal is to not only attract young people and nontraditional people to machining because there is a shortage … of skilled machinists in the U.S., but also to revitalize American manufacturing to overcome some of the supply chain issues that have come to the forefront of the pandemic and in the process to ensure a strong national defense,” Friel said.
RCBI, which is part of the Marshall University Research Corp., began 32 years ago. RCBI’s mission “is to provide the tools and technology that manufacturers and entrepreneurs and vendors … need to be successful and to innovate and grow,” Friel said.
McKenna Horsley is a reporter for The Herald-Dispatch, covering local government in Huntington and Cabell County. Follow her on Twitter @Mckennahorsley.
The official kickoff of CNC Machining Bootcamps takes place on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington.
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