The NIMS Competency Based Apprenticeship System

The NIMS Competency Based Apprenticeship System brings national standards and third party objective assessments to the nation’s metalworking industry. To become a NIMS Certified Machinist, Toolmaker, CNC Setup Programmer or a Certified Journey Worker at any NIMS occupation, the apprentice must earn NIMS credentials in demonstrating satisfactory performance in a required number of competencies.

The system integrates the NIMS national metalworking standards and credentialing assessments, combining the traditional on the job learning of apprenticeship with the use of NIMS assessments as performance measures.

Maximum Flexibility

The NIMS System affords maximum flexibility for trainees and employers alike. The system rewards trainees in enabling them to advance at their own pace in defined career ladders throughout the metalworking industry.

Using attained competencies in lieu of a rigid set of hours, employers are able to effectively monitor and measure progress and to reward individual initiative.
The project builds on the 24 sets of NIMS standards and credentials and enables employers to apply the NIMS credential as milestones within their apprenticeship training. Employers are able to customize training to meet their own needs while maintaining the national integrity of apprenticeship training.

U.S. Department of Labor Certified

The NIMS National Guideline Standards for Apprenticeship have been certified by the United State Department of Labor. The NIMS Certified Machinist Apprenticeship Program includes 28 core, or required, competencies. To become a NIMS Certified Machinist, the apprentice must earn 12 NIMS credentials. The credentials require both performance and theory assessments. The other NIMS occupations are structured in a similar manner, with core competencies as the base. Employers may add their own competencies to meet business requirements critical to their own companies. The Guideline Standards and the Machinist Curriculum Guide are available at http://nims-skills.org/downloads/downloads.htm.

The NIMS stakeholders- the Association for Manufacturing Technology, The American Machine Tool Distributors Association, the National Tooling and Machining Association, The Precision Machined Products Association, the Precision Manufacturing Association the Society of the Plastics Industry, the Society of Plastics Engineers and the Tooling and Manufacturing Association- have invested $7.5 million in the development of the NIMS standards and assessments. The Department of Labor has committed $1.9 million to the NIMS apprenticeship project.

Interested companies and other parties should contact NIMS Executive Director Stephen C. Mandes at (703) 352-4971 or at smandes@nims-skills.org