Three Machine Tool Students Selected for Prestigious Apprenticeships at Los Alamos National Laboratory

There’s been a lot of shouting outside the Machine Tool lab on Main Campus lately. But that’s a good thing. 

Three current students—John Boyle, 24, Miles Majure Barkley, 30, and Ethan Cole, 28—recently learned they were accepted to the Los Alamos National Labs Machinist Apprentice Program, and all of them celebrated with audible cheers. 

“I definitely did some hooting and hollering,” said Barkley. 

Boyle was equally elated. 

“It was the best news I’ve heard in a long time. I almost jumped out of my boots,” he said.  

The apprenticeships start in October and the students will be trained and certified in various areas. If all goes well, they’ll get permanent jobs.  

For Boyle and Cole, this will be their second paid opportunity while attending the Machine Tool Technology program. They currently work the night shift at Continental Machining and go to class during the day. The hands-on experience has only re-enforced why they love Machine Tool as a trade. 

“Machine Tool is the perfect balance of working with your hands and your head,” Boyle said. “There’s a direct connection between how much thought you put into the process and how it works out.” 

Cole loves the output. 

“I find it really fulfilling to have such a tangible result,” he said. “And because I never have to do the same thing over and over again it definitely makes the brain happy.” 

The apprenticeships in Los Alamos are well paid and if the students are hired, there are regular opportunities for pay raises. That’s particularly important for Barkley who has a new six-month-old son.  

“The training and a well-paying job will be enormous for our family,” he says. 

The CNM students were up against other Machine Tool students from across the country so competition was fierce. Cole was humble going in but also knew that he stood a chance because this spring, he was the first CNM Machine Tool student in over a decade to head to the SkillsUSA national completion. He placed 13th and saw that his skills are just as developed. 

“It was a great way to assess the competition and figure out where I stand nationally,” he said.  

CNM Machine Tool instructor Ian Patrick said he could tell all three students were going to be successful based on their work and professionalism in class. 

“They ingested the knowledge quickly and have all been overachievers,” he said. “They’ve also taken it upon themselves to get valuable work experience outside the class.”   

For him it’s all about the students, but he’s also happy about seeing CNM’s work pay off with such tangible results. 

“These apprenticeships prove that our program is meeting or exceeding industry standards and getting people tooled up and ready to land in the job market today,” he said. “Our students are able to walk out the doors and immediately find success.”