# 196: The Skills CNC Machinists Need that You WON'T Learn in Trade School!

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2024-07-30
- Length: 46m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-30-196-the-skills-cnc-machinists-need-that-you-wont-learn-in-trade-school
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Chris Luecke interviews Christopher Zappettini, Nushrat Ahmed, and Danny Hill Jr., three CNC machinists who bypassed traditional trade schools to build their careers through alternative paths like engineering degrees, NASCAR tech programs, and on-the-job determination. The guests discuss critical skills for success, including aggressive self-advocacy, problem-solving methodologies, cleanliness, and the enduring value of manual machine skills. They emphasize that frontline leadership requires balancing immediate production needs with long-term process improvement, often described as 'manufacturing triage.' The conversation highlights that continuous learning and taking ownership of one's development are essential for advancing in the manufacturing industry.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-30-196-the-skills-cnc-machinists-need-that-you-wont-learn-in-trade-school#t=0) Introduction and Show Overview
- [2:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-30-196-the-skills-cnc-machinists-need-that-you-wont-learn-in-trade-school#t=175) Christopher Zappettini: Engineering Background and Problem Solving
- [15:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-30-196-the-skills-cnc-machinists-need-that-you-wont-learn-in-trade-school#t=945) The Importance of Aggressive Self-Advocacy
- [22:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-30-196-the-skills-cnc-machinists-need-that-you-wont-learn-in-trade-school#t=1351) Frontline Leadership and Manufacturing Triage
- [31:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-30-196-the-skills-cnc-machinists-need-that-you-wont-learn-in-trade-school#t=1905) Nushrat Ahmed: From NASCAR to CNC Swiss Operator
- [36:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-30-196-the-skills-cnc-machinists-need-that-you-wont-learn-in-trade-school#t=2160) Advocacy, Marketing, and Cleanliness as Key Skills
- [40:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-30-196-the-skills-cnc-machinists-need-that-you-wont-learn-in-trade-school#t=2410) Danny Hill Jr.: Determination and Manual Machine Skills
- [46:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-30-196-the-skills-cnc-machinists-need-that-you-wont-learn-in-trade-school#t=2795) Conclusion and Tour Announcements

## Topics

- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Zappettini Consulting (company)
- ASU (other)
- Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (other)
- Iridium Next (product)
- Orbital ATK (company)
- NASCAR Tech (other)
- Jane Adams Resource Corporation (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Why We’re Proud to Be Manufacturers & Engineers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-08-03-why-were-proud-to-be-manufacturers-engineers) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Phil Linscheid (Machining Operations Director, SendCutSend)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/just-gonna-send-it/2025-09-17-phil-linscheid-machining-operations-director-sendcutsend) (Just Gonna Send It)
- [Filling the Skills Gap One Student at a Time w/ Matt Guse](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-05-25-filling-the-skills-gap-one-student-at-a-time-w-matt-guse) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [The NFL Draft, The NBA Draft and... The Manufacturing Skills Draft? w/ Dr. Jason Scales](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-08-10-the-nfl-draft-the-nba-draft-and-the-manufacturing-skills-draft-w-dr-jason-scales) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Cultivating More Effective Manufacturing Leaders w/ Bill Remy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-11-19-cultivating-more-effective-manufacturing-leaders-w-bill-remy) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-30-196-the-skills-cnc-machinists-need-that-you-wont-learn-in-trade-school. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Manufacturing Happy Hour.