Students who graduate from the Machining Program at Front Range Community College can now show employers that their skills meet or exceed national metalworking standards. That’s because the program has earned accreditation from the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS).
George Newman, program director, explains what accreditation means to students and employers:
- Instructors have earned NIMS certificates in the skills that they teach.
- Instructors are working machinists.
- The machine shop is safe by OSHA standards and includes well-maintained, modern, industrial equipment.
- The curriculum is aligned to teach skills that machining employers nationwide have decided are required.
- The student/teacher and student/machine ratios are low enough for effective learning.
- The program advisory board, composed of local employers, is active and provides oversight.
- Technical and professional skills (soft skills) are taught.
- NIMS has awarded students over 50 skill certificates. The certificates provide employers with an indication of the student’s skill level as a possible job candidate.
The Machining Program is located in the Advanced Technology Center at the Boulder County Campus, a $4-million training center opened in 2014 under a U.S. Department of Labor grant. The program offers classes for credit and non-credit, with scholarship assistance available.
NIMS was formed in 1994 by metalworking trade associations to develop and maintain a globally competitive workforce. NIMS sets skills standards for the industry.
NIMS is the only developer of American National Standards for the nation’s metalworking industry accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
NIMS’s stakeholders include more than 6,000 metalworking companies and the major trade associations in the industry – the Association for Manufacturing Technology, the National Tooling & Machining Association, the Precision Machine Products Association, the Precision Metalforming Association, and the Tooling and Manufacturing Association.
About Front Range Community College
FRCC offers nearly 100 degree and certificate programs from locations in Boulder County, Larimer County, Westminster, and Brighton, and online.
FRCC is a member of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), the state’s largest system of higher education, with 13 colleges across Colorado serving more than 151,000 students annually. CCCS is a vital statewide pathway to individual achievement and economic vitality. Further, CCCS institutions provide an accessible, responsive learning environment that facilitates the achievement of educational, professional, and personal goals by our students and other members of our communities, and each fosters an atmosphere that embraces academic excellence, diversity, and innovation.
