Machine Trades

Machine Trades: Your Personal Industrial Superpower

Design it. Program it. Build it. Fix it.

Build things you actually use. Organize your space. Create gifts people keep. Fix what’s broken. Or design something that’s never existed before. Machine Trades is where ideas leave the screen and become real, usable objects.

If you’ve ever taken something apart to see how it works, sketched an idea you wanted to build, customized a project, or worked with your hands, you’re already on the path. In this class, you’ll turn digital designs into real-world creations using an extensive collection of hand tools and manual machine tools, then CAD/CAM software to bring the full range of CNC equipment to life—shaping plastics, metals, and wood to the precise dimensions of your design.

Think It. Design It. Build It.

Personal Projects: This isn’t a class of “practice blocks.” You’ll design and build projects that matter to you — from organizers and one-of-a-kind gifts to creative builds and functional repairs for vehicles or equipment. Machine Trades gives you the skills to take an idea, plan it, build it, and finish it with professional-level precision.

The “I Can Fix That” Factor: You’ll learn how things actually work. From engines and equipment to everyday technology, you gain the confidence to repair, modify, and improve the world around you.

Art Meets Industry: Use the same types of technology found in advanced manufacturing to shape metal with incredible detail. You’ll create parts measured down to the width of a human hair — precision that goes far beyond basic fabrication or hobby tools.

Why It Matters: Machine Trades lets you build, fix, and create real things—stop buying what you want and make it yourself. You’ll learn hands-on skills with tools, machines, and CAD/CAM technology used across one of the most widespread and in-demand sectors in the world. Careers in this field are adaptable to nearly every industry, with entry-level positions around $40K–$65K and experienced workers earning beyond $100K.

(Machine Trades is held at the GI-TEC Mt. Pleasant Campus).