Mike Friel Builds Careers with Machinist Training

I’m at the Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center in South Charleston with Mike Friel. He walks me through their machinist technology program, a two-year training track offered in partnership with BridgeValley Community and Technical College. Students in the program earn an associate of applied science degree and nationally recognized industry credentials.

As we talk, I see rows of machines—robotics, mills, and lathes. Mike explains that most of them are computer-controlled. This isn’t old-school manufacturing. Students learn computer-aided design, programming, and how to operate CNC machines—Computer Numerical Control. CNC is a subtractive process, where metal is shaved and shaped into parts with extreme precision. It’s not like 3D printing, which builds layer by layer. This is about cutting away to reveal what’s needed.

The program includes both classroom and hands-on work. General education courses happen at BridgeValley. The machining and CAD classes are taught at the Tech Park. Students range from high school grads to adults looking for a career change. Mike tells me about a grandmother who raised her kids and grandkids, then trained here and opened her own shop. Another student, a hairdresser of 20 years, became a machinist and is now head of manufacturing at a major West Virginia plant.

Students start with safety, blueprint reading, and math. They learn how to measure within thousandths of an inch. It’s high-stakes precision work. Most students find internships or jobs before graduating. In some cohorts, every student gets placed. That’s rare.

It’s clear this program is giving people real skills and real options. Whether someone is just starting out or starting over, they leave here ready to work.