Course Overview

If you dream it, the students in our Precision Machine Tool Technology course can machine it. That’s why the Lehigh Valley’s biggest manufacturers line up to hire them for well-paying jobs after graduation.

Program students develop the following skills and more as they learn to turn raw materials into precise parts:

• Program and operate computer numerical control or CNC machines
• Operate a drill press, using it to center drill, drill, counterbore and countersink
• Operate a surface grinder, using it to grind surfaces flat and parallel, square or with precision angles
• Operate a lathe, using it for facing, knurling, tapping, turning, threading and boring
• Operate a milling machine, using it for face, plain, angular and form milling

Students hone their skills on the latest Haas CNC machining centers, as well as manual machines from Clausing, Kingston and Sharp, some retrofitted with ProtoTRAK equipment. After mastering the production of simple items like dice, spinning tops and wrenches, students tackle projects that require more accuracy, like automotive parts, bicycle sprockets and cellphone cases.

They often partner with peers in other LCTI programs — auto technology, engineering, drafting, etc. — to design and make custom parts. Benchwork, blueprint reading, machine maintenance, metallurgy, safety and learning to use Mastercam software are important elements of the program, too.

Course Details:

Course length: 9 months
Next potential start date(s): Fall 2026 dates TBD
Tentative schedule: 8:15 am – 2:45 pm, M-F

Program availability is contingent on high school enrollments and open seats.

Credentials & college credit

Students who complete our course earn the following industry-recognized credentials:

• NIMS® Machining Level I Certifications
• OSHA Certification via CareerSafe®
• Pennsylvania Skills Certificate via NIMS

Students who complete our course are well-positioned to continue their education at the following school(s):

• Lincoln Technical Institute

Career pathways

with credentials earned at LCTI:

• CNC Operator
• Manual Machine Tool Operator
• Maintenance Machinist

with associate degree/experience:

• Automotive Machinist
• CNC Machinist
• Tool & Die Maker

with bachelor’s degree:

• Design Engineer
• Industrial Engineer
• Manufacturing Engineer

Learn more about potential career pathways.

Contact Amy Rex at 610-799-1316 or rexa@lcti.org for registration details, more information, or for a personalized tour.