Machining and Mechatronics Pathway Guide

At a glance

This guide covers a high school precision machining, mechatronics and advanced manufacturing pathway in Michigan, Virginia, North Carolina, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Hawaii. It sets out the rules that differ by state. The how-to for staffing, partnerships, approvals, facilities, curriculum and scheduling sits in six implementation toolkits, linked in the launch steps at the end.

What the pathway leads to

No state among the seven licenses machinists, CNC operators or maintenance mechanics. Employers hire on demonstrated skill. What students can earn in high school is industry credentials: NIMS machining credentials for the machining side, and SACA, FANUC, Siemens SMSCP or NOCTI credentials for the mechatronics and automation side. After high school, students go to work as CNC operators or machinists, to a college machine tool or mechatronics program, or to a registered apprenticeship as a machinist, CNC operator, maintenance mechanic or mechatronics technician.

The decisions you face

1. Which side you build first. Machining (manual and CNC milling and turning, measurement, layout) and mechatronics (automation, robotics, pneumatics, hydraulics, controls) sit in different program codes in most states, and in some states in different career clusters.
2. Which credential system you build on. NIMS fits machining in every state. For mechatronics, the state lists diverge: SACA, FANUC, Siemens and NOCTI each count in some states and not others, and each needs its own school membership or instructor training.
3. Who teaches it. Every state has an industry route for experienced machinists and technicians. Vendor credentials add instructor training of their own.
4. Which machines students run on job sites before 18. CNC mills, lathes, drill presses and grinders are machine tools and fall outside the federal metal-forming order. Presses, press brakes, punches and shears, including CNC versions, fall inside it. Michigan and Pennsylvania add state bars.
5. Whether to seek NIMS program accreditation. It is optional everywhere and is the most direct way to formalize a program that your state does not list under the name you want.

Where the states differ most

Items are labeled Confirmed, Confirm with the agency, or Changing. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Jobs and pay

The two occupations behind this pathway move in different directions. Machinist jobs are projected to hold flat nationally and to shrink in Michigan and Hawaii, while industrial machinery mechanics, the occupation closest to mechatronics and maintenance, are projected to grow 16.1% nationally and faster than that in Arizona, Missouri, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Michigan still has the most machinist jobs of the seven states and about 2,040 openings a year as workers retire and leave, so check regional demand with local employers before you decide.

Machinist jobs are projected to grow fastest in Arizona and to shrink in Michigan and Hawaii

Projected change in machinist jobs (SOC 51-4041), 2024 to 2034

Show the numbers

State	Projected change, 2024 to 2034
Arizona	+14.2%
Virginia	+5.9%
North Carolina	+3.9%
Missouri	+3.4%
Pennsylvania	+2.4%
Hawaii	−2.1%
Michigan	−5.8%
United States	0.0%

Machinists (SOC 51-4041)

Industrial machinery mechanics (SOC 49-9041)

Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state file; jobs, projected change and openings are from Projections Central. On Arizona’s 2026-27 Regional In-Demand Programs list, Precision Machining and Heavy Industrial Maintenance appear in every region group shown, and Automation and Robotics appears in three, which matters for CTED funding. Confirm with the agency the number of regions on that list.

Credentials students can earn

Machining and mechatronics have no state license, so the credential is what tells an employer what a graduate can do. NIMS covers machining. Four vendor systems cover mechatronics, and each one needs a school-level relationship before students can test.

What each state counts

Match the mechatronics credential to your state list and to your college partner before you buy trainers. SACA requires school membership, FANUC requires a CERT-trained instructor, and Siemens requires partner-school status and specified hardware.

Working with minors

For the full federal and state rules, a task-by-task decision path and a student-learner agreement template, see Working with Minors in CTE Pathways.

Federal rules

No federal hazardous occupations order covers machining as such. The orders turn on the type of machine, not on whether it is CNC, so write each placement’s task list by machine type.

The punch-press carve-out is narrow. A 16- or 17-year-old may operate a punch press with full automatic feed and ejection and a fixed barrier guard that keeps hands out of the die area, but setting it up, adjusting, repairing, oiling or cleaning it is still HO 8 work.

The HO 8 and HO 14 exemption covers registered apprentices and student-learners (29 CFR 570.50). For a student-learner, you need enrollment in a cooperative vocational program under a state or local education authority and a written agreement signed by the employer and the school coordinator. The agreement names the student and states that the hazardous work is incidental to training, intermittent and brief, and under close supervision of a qualified person; that the school gives safety instruction correlated with the employer’s training; and that a schedule of progressive work processes exists. HO 7 has no exemption, so keep cranes, hoists, forklifts and lifts out of every industrial maintenance placement.

These orders apply to employment. School lab instruction is not employment, but machine guarding and lockout/tagout practice still apply in the lab.

State rules

The practical effect: in every state, a 16- or 17-year-old placement can include CNC mills, lathes and drill presses without an exemption (except grinders in Pennsylvania). Presses, press brakes, punches, shears and stock saws need a student-learner agreement or registered apprenticeship first, and in Michigan the school-employer agreement must be on file at the worksite. No arrangement opens cranes, hoists, forklifts or lifts to minors.

Licensing and outside approvals

No state among the seven licenses machinists, CNC operators, maintenance mechanics or mechatronics technicians, and no second state agency approves the program. State CTE program approval is the only government approval. The outside relationships you need are with credential bodies, and each has its own lead time.

NIMS accreditation as a formalization route

NIMS accreditation is open to high schools and career-tech centers. It requires alignment to NIMS standards, two advisory committees of five members each that meet twice a year, an OSHA-compliant facility, and instructors who hold a degree or state certification or 5 years of full-time work experience, plus NIMS credentials or 5 years of subject-matter experience.

Use it where your state does not list the program under the name you want: machining in Hawaii, mechatronics in Missouri, or a local automation course inside another program code. Accreditation does not replace state program approval or count as a state credential. It gives the program an external standard and a structure (standards, committees, facility review) to bring to the state agency when you apply to formalize the program.

Who can teach

Every state lets an experienced machinist or maintenance technician teach on an industry-based route, and none requires an occupational license. Pennsylvania ties the certificate to a named occupational competency test.

The Staffing toolkit covers recruiting, pay and alternatives such as shared instructors.

Instructor certifications worth funding

• NIMS credentials. NIMS accreditation requires instructors to hold NIMS credentials or 5 years of subject-matter experience.
• FANUC CERT instructor training. Required before your students can earn FANUC certifications (online prework, a 4-day course and a competency test). FANUC counts in Arizona and is Missouri’s Robotics Technology IRC.
• Siemens SMSCP instructor certification. A partner school needs instructors certified in at least two areas.
• SACA. Membership is held by the school; confirm any instructor training requirement with SACA.

Program, curriculum and lab

A machining or mechatronics program needs state CTE program approval like any other pathway. The Approvals toolkit lists each state’s process and deadlines.

Program codes by state

Where the state does not offer the program by name. In Hawaii, schools offer machining now as local coursework inside Automation and Robotics Technology or Electro-Mechanical Technology, or through college dual enrollment; no example program was confirmed. To formalize it, ask the Hawaii State CTE Office how a new program of study is added, and consider NIMS accreditation. In Missouri, approve a mechatronics program under 15.0403, 15.0405 or 15.0613 through DESE’s career education program application; only 15.0405 Robotics Technology has confirmed credentials (FANUC and NOCTI). Ask DESE Skilled Technical Sciences which code it prefers.

The lab

A machine shop centers on manual and CNC mills and lathes, a drill press, grinders, saws and inspection tools. A mechatronics lab centers on trainers for electrical controls, pneumatics and hydraulics, PLCs and robots, and the credential you choose often sets the hardware.

• Guarding and lockout. OSHA requires machine guarding to protect operators (29 CFR 1910.212) and written lockout/tagout procedures for servicing equipment (29 CFR 1910.147). These protect employees, including your teacher; build both into lab practice for students.
• Class size. North Carolina recommends no more than 20 students in Metals Manufacturing courses.
• Safety training. Missouri’s Machinist Competencies (2024) require the OSHA 10 general shop safety module.
• NIMS accreditation requires an OSHA-compliant facility.

The Facilities toolkit covers layout, power and funding. Michigan’s 61v CTE Expansion Grant shows $0 in the FY2026-27 budget. Missouri’s Enhancement Grant reimburses 75% of instructional equipment of $5,000 or more per unit. Pennsylvania’s Supplemental Equipment Grant covers items of $3,000 or more, and its CTE Competitive Equipment Grant offered up to $85,000 in 2025-26. Recheck all dollar figures before you apply.

Curriculum

For machining, NIMS standards and Missouri’s Machinist Competencies (safety, applied math and measuring, drawings and planning, inspection and quality, layout, material science, and operation of saws, drill presses, lathes, mills, grinders, CNC and EDM) give a full sequence. North Carolina’s courses and Virginia’s course pages set state content. For mechatronics, NC’s SREB Advanced Career courses supply a complete four-course sequence, If you adopt vendor curriculum, check it against your state program standards. The Curriculum toolkit has a review rubric.

Credit after high school

In Michigan, students who finished in 2026 under the Baker or Washtenaw agreements should contact the college directly about credit. If your program feeds those colleges, get a renewed agreement in writing before you promise credit to new students.

Apprenticeship

The registered apprenticeship occupations closest to this pathway are Machinist (8,000 hours), CNC Operator, Milling and CNC Operator, Turning (both competency-based), Maintenance Mechanic (8,000 hours), Machine Repairer, Maintenance (8,000 hours), Mechatronics Technician (8,000 hours) and Die Maker, Stamping (6,000 hours). Confirm current terms in RAPIDS. Federal standards let apprentices start at 16, and a registered apprentice is exempt from HO 8 and HO 14 (not HO 7). Registration runs through Virginia Works, ApprenticeshipNC (with community college tuition waivers), Arizona DES, Pennsylvania L&I and Hawaii DLIR; in Michigan and Missouri it runs through the federal Office of Apprenticeship. In Virginia, a minor’s apprenticeship agreement needs a parent’s signature.

Academic credit

Check the Curriculum toolkit before awarding academic credit for machining or mechatronics, and confirm that any substitution still meets the admission requirements of the universities your students target.

• North Carolina. IM41 and IM42 carry Math Option Credit and honors weighting. A Metals Manufacturing course used as the fourth math can meet graduation requirements, but UNC minimum admission requires a fourth-level math such as Math IV or Precalculus, so a CTE math course does not meet it. Advise college-bound students to take Math IV or Precalculus as well. Confirm with the agency the current Math Options Chart wording.
• Michigan. MDE posts an academic alignment workbook for 48.0501 and 14.4201. Credit decisions are local. Where the workbook leaves a gap between program content and a Michigan Merit Curriculum credit, use the S4IS CTE Crosswalk prototype (Product A) as interim guidance, and keep the four Michigan Merit Curriculum math credits and Algebra II content intact for students bound for a four-year university.
• Missouri. DESE’s graduation handbook names two local options: waive one academic unit after a three-unit program of study, or substitute an LEA-approved CTE course for one core unit. Confirm with DESE, and check the core-course requirements of Missouri universities before any substitution.
• Other states. No statewide machining-for-academic-credit rule was found. Treat any substitution as a local decision and check it against university admission requirements.

Launch steps

Work through these steps in order; several can run at the same time. The launch guide links each toolkit.

Review status and sources

Last checked October 5, 2026. An independent check on October 5, 2026 tested 14 claims against official sources and corrected 0. These items are open for reviewers:

1. Michigan. The CTEIS approved-credential lists for 48.0501 and 14.4201, and whether 15.0613 is an active program (MDE OCTE). Renewal of the Baker College machine tool and mechatronics agreements (Baker College and MDE OCTE) and the Washtenaw mechatronics agreement (transcripteval@wccnet.edu). Whether Macomb’s MECT-1220 credit needs SACA C-101, course completion, or either (hsarticulations@macomb.edu). Whether a student placed under a school-employer agreement also needs a Youth Employment Permit Portal permit (LEO).
2. Virginia. The CIP mapping for 8539, 8540 and 8554, and whether each CTE Resource Center credential is on the current Board-approved list (VDOE Office of CTE). How DOLI wants a general trades work-training agreement filed, and whether a program registered with Virginia Works counts as a “voluntary apprenticeship” under Va. Code 40.1-100(A) (DOLI). Last checked Oct. 3, 2026.
3. North Carolina. Credentials for IM43 and TR11 to TR14; the licensure area codes for Metals Manufacturing and Integrated Production Technologies; the current Math Options Chart wording (DPI: Jim Pressly for Metals Manufacturing, Dr. Nolan Fahrer for Integrated Production Technologies).
4. Arizona. A-F and CTED flags for each credential on the 2026-27 list; credentials for Heavy Industrial Maintenance (47.0300.00); the number of regions on the in-demand list (ADE CTE).
5. Pennsylvania. The 2026-27 NOCTI/NIMS Precision Machining test code and the end-of-program assessment for 15.0403 (PDE Bureau of CTE).
6. Missouri. Course codes for 48.0501 and the mechatronics-related codes; credentials for 15.0403, 15.0613, 47.0303 and 47.0105; the preferred code for a mechatronics program; the two local academic-credit options (DESE Skilled Technical Sciences).
7. Hawaii. Course codes and credentials for Automation and Robotics Technology and Electro-Mechanical Technology, and any machining offering (Hawaii State CTE Office).
8. Credential bodies. SACA membership fee and exam terms (SACA); NIMS volume pricing and which Classic and Smart formats states accept (NIMS); current FANUC certification fees and terms (FANUC and NOCTI); current terms of the apprenticeship occupations in RAPIDS (Office of Apprenticeship).

No state machinist or mechatronics license: not found in any of the seven states.

Sources

Jobs and pay

• BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file) and Projections Central, 2024-2034
• ADE, 2026-2027 Regional In-Demand Programs

Credentials

• NIMS Machining Credentialing starter guide, NIMS credentialing fees
• NIMS accreditation, process, fees, requirements
• CTE Resource Center, SACA C-101, Siemens SMSCP Level 1, NOCTI Mechatronics Level 1, RECF Robotics
• Siemens SMSCP, FANUC CERT, ADE-hosted FANUC/NOCTI fact sheet (2019)
• ADE 2026-2027 Credentials List
• DESE New System IRC/TSA Guidance
• DPI Credentials and Reporting

Working with minors

• 29 CFR 570.59 (HO 8), 570.65 (HO 14), 570.58 (HO 7), 570.50
• WHD Child Labor Bulletin 101
• 29 CFR 570.59, Cornell LII copy and 29 CFR 570.50, Cornell LII copy
• Michigan youth employment rules, R 408.6199 to 408.6309, LEO Youth Employment FAQs
• PA DLI, Child Labor Law Prohibitions
• Va. Code 40.1-100, 16VAC15-30 (including 16VAC15-30-150); NCDOL Youth Employment Rules (labor.nc.gov/workplace-rights/youth-employment-rules)
• A.R.S. 23-235
• RSMo 294.040
• HAR chapter 12-25
• 13 NCAC 12 .0406

Instructors

• PDE CIP 48.0501 sheet, PDE CIP 15.0403 sheet
• ADE Precision Machining program description
• MDE Annual Career Authorization; DESE, Become a Certified Career Education Teacher; HTSB permits and license types

Program, lab and credit

• MDE Manufacturing cluster, MDE STEM cluster
• CTE Resource Center, Precision Machining Technology I, II, Mechatronics I
• NC DPI CTE Course Inventory 2026-2027, NCCTE CMS, IM41, DPI High School Graduation Requirements
• ADE Precision Machining, ADE Automation and Robotics
• PDE Programs of Study (SOAR)
• DESE STS Program Descriptions (Aug 2026), DESE Machinist Competencies 2024
• HIDOE CTE Pathways and Program Standards, Hawaii Career Pathways, Advanced Manufacturing
• Michigan statewide agreements: Mid Michigan, NMU machine tool, Oakland machine tool, Baker machine tool (expired), Macomb, North Central, Mechatronics, North Central, Mechatronics-Engineering Technology, LSSU, NMU mechatronics, Oakland mechatronics, Baker mechatronics (expired), Washtenaw mechatronics (expired)
• NCCCS High School to Community College Articulation (edited March 2026)
• Office of Apprenticeship occupation list (college-hosted copy)