According to the Department of Labor, the nation is experiencing the lowest unemployment rates since the recession nearly six years ago, sitting comfortable at 5.8 percent. Just last month alone, the US economy added over 300,000 private sector jobs, the most in almost three years.

While the job market is making a strong post recession comeback, certain sectors have seen more job growth than others. The machining and manufacturing industries, which use and manufacture precise cutting tools, have experienced significant growth. According to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute and the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), cutting tool consumption in September totaled $176.5 million, up 4.6 percent from August and 7.7 perfect from September 2013. These totals only represent companies who participate in the Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) program, which is only 80 percent of the total U.S. precision cutting tools market.

As the economy continues to experience job growth, the cost of college as well as student loan debt continues to steadily increase. Many recent college graduates, on top of grappling with debilitating student loan payments, also struggle to find employment in their career field. As such, trade school programs, such as those focusing on machining and manufacturing, have piqued interest.

While enrolled in machining or manufacturing program, students learn how to safely use precise cutting tools, in addition to a variety of equipment, including mill cutting saws, mold masher tools, aluminum cutting tools, and ball end mills.

CNC machinist earn comfortable livings with salaries that comparable to, if not more than, college graduates. Trade school programs are often far less expensive than enrolling in a four year degree program, and lead to employment in a stable, growing field. Continue reading here.