Machinists: from apprentice to expert through hands-on training

On-the-job training at Laboratory leads to long-term careers

Emma Womack, a machinist apprentice since 2022, works on a project in the Prototype Fabrication machine shop.

When Alex Galindo emerged from the Machinist Apprentice Program at Los Alamos National Laboratory, he couldn't have known the unique opportunities that lie ahead. Galindo graduated from the program in mid-2022. The program trains new machinists in basic and advanced technology through hands-on apprenticeship instruction with veteran machinists and is a model for other organizations interested in growing a skilled employee base. "The apprentice program really prepared me for the work I'm doing now," said Galindo, who works for the prototype fabrication division at the lab. "I rotated among different machine shops during the training, and that allowed me to learn a variety of techniques from many different skilled machinists. There are different approaches to cutting metal, so the apprentice training really teaches you new ways of doing things." > Read the full story in the News section

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