Earn While You Learn.
Your Career Starts Here.
Carbide Products, Inc. offers DOL-registered Machinist and Toolmaker apprenticeship programs in Georgetown, Kentucky. Get paid from day one, earn raises every few hundred hours, earn college credits, and graduate with a nationally recognized credential — and zero student debt.
A Different Kind of Career Launch
An apprenticeship isn't a training program — it's a paying job that teaches you a trade. At CPI, you work full-time alongside experienced journey workers, attend college courses, and earn structured raises. When you finish, you hold a U.S. Department of Labor Certificate of Completion: a credential recognized by manufacturers, aerospace firms, defense contractors, and precision shops in every state.
Full-time, paid work on the shop floor alongside journeymen — from your very first day.
College classes covering blueprint reading, machining theory, CNC, metallurgy, and more — all credit-bearing courses.
A nationally recognized certificate that proves your skills to any employer in any state. Portable, permanent, respected.
Two Trades. Two Paths. One Great Future.
Both programs are officially registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and include paid on-the-job training, college coursework, and structured wage progression — with raises tied to course progression.
Machinist
Master lathes, CNC mills, grinders, and precision measurement. The Machinist credential is one of the most transferable in all of manufacturing, recognized by employers coast-to-coast.
RAPIDS 0296 · O*NET 51-4041Toolmaker
CNC mills, engine lathes, wire EDM, jig grinding, heat treat, induction brazing — plus a 4-year college curriculum. One of the most comprehensive precision manufacturing credentials available anywhere.
RAPIDS 0584 · O*NET 51-4111.00Apprenticeship vs. 4-Year College
This is the question every 18-year-old should be asking. Here's what the first four years actually look like, side by side — in dollars.
| Toolmaker Apprentice | 4-Year College | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 Earnings | $32,100 | $0 |
| Year 2 Earnings | $35,500 | $0 |
| Year 3 Earnings | $39,300 | $0 |
| Year 4 Earnings | $46,600 | $0–$20,000 (part-time) |
| Total Earned (4 Years) | $153,500 | $0–$20,000 |
| Tuition Cost | Reimbursed by CPI upon completion | $48,000–$100,000 (KY in-state) |
| Student Loan Debt | $0 | $48,000–$100,000+ |
| College Credits Earned | 32 credit hours — included | 120+ credit hours |
| Where You Stand at Year 4 | Journey Toolmaker @ $32.00/hr | Entry-level, $18–$25/hr starting |
What to Expect as a CPI Apprentice
The pace is demanding and the structure is clear. You always know where you stand, what you're working toward, and what comes next.
On the Shop Floor — 40 hrs/week
- Work side-by-side with an experienced journey worker every day
- Operate real production machinery: lathes, CNC mills, grinders, EDM equipment
- Learn by doing — direct mentorship and feedback from day one
- Keep a daily log of tasks and hours (required by DOL)
- Earn automatic raises at each documented hour milestone
In the Classroom — 2 days/week
- College classes in blueprint reading, machining theory, and math
- CNC programming, metallurgy, and shop theory in later years
- Coursework directly reinforces what you're doing on the shop floor
- All 32 credit hours count toward a college credential
- Delivered through a local community college partner
Milestone Reviews & Progression Based Raises
At each period milestone, your progress is reviewed. Meeting the hours requirement moves you to the next pay tier. Your progress is documented, objective, and built into the program structure from day one.
A Credential That Goes Anywhere
Your DOL Certificate of Completion is portable. A journey Machinist or Toolmaker credential is recognized by manufacturers, aerospace companies, defense contractors, medical device firms, and precision tooling shops across the country. You are not locked in to one employer — your skills go with you.
Annual earnings for a journey Toolmaker at CPI — achievable in approximately 4 years
Annual earnings for a journey Machinist at CPI — achievable in approximately 2 years
Your DOL credential is nationally recognized — valid and respected by employers everywhere
The U.S. is projected to face a shortage of hundreds of thousands of skilled manufacturing workers over the next decade. Automation replaces repetitive jobs — it creates demand for the skilled machinists and toolmakers who program, set up, and maintain precision equipment. CNC machining, EDM, precision grinding, and carbide tooling are specialized skills that command premium pay anywhere they are needed.
Precision. Partnership. Performance.
Carbide Products, Inc. is a precision machining company located in Georgetown, Kentucky — the heart of Kentucky's growing manufacturing corridor. We specialize in OEM and specialty component and tool manufacturing, work that demands some of the most exacting machining skills in the industry.
With 26 employees and 3 journey workers actively mentoring apprentices on the shop floor, CPI is a focused operation where you are known by name — not a number. Our apprentices get more hands-on time, more direct mentorship, and more real responsibility than they would at a large facility.
Georgetown sits in central Kentucky, convenient to Lexington and the broader bluegrass manufacturing corridor — home to a deep base of manufacturing opportunities.
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Everything You Need to Know — In One Document
The CPI Apprenticeship Program Guide covers complete wage progression tables, OJT hour breakdowns, the 4-year classroom curriculum, financial comparisons, DOL registration details, and how to apply. Download it free — no commitment required.
- Complete Machinist wage progression (Periods 1 through Journey)
- Complete Toolmaker wage progression (all 8 periods)
- Full 4-year Toolmaker classroom curriculum (course-by-course)
- Apprenticeship vs. 4-year college financial comparison
- Retirement savings head-start analysis
- OJT work area breakdown (by machine type and hours)
- How to apply and what to expect in the hiring process
- DOL registration details and equal opportunity statement
Give us a call
Reach out to express interest, ask questions, or schedule a shop floor tour. Paul is the Vice President of Manufacturing at CPI and the primary contact for all apprenticeship inquiries.