Bridging the Skills Gap: ESPRIT at MATC

There’s something VERY unusual about the photo shown here. This CNC simulator lab, located at the Madison Area Technical College (MATC), is home to eleven Okuma OSP-P300 simulators. Eleven…we’ve never seen that many at one U.S. facility! (Except here at Okuma America in Charlotte, of course.) As you can see from the wall banner, ESPRIT is an important topic on the training agenda. ESPRIT delivers powerful full-spectrum programming for 2–5 axis milling, 2–22 axis turning, 2–5 axis wire EDM, multitasking mill-turn machining and B-axis machine tools, and high-speed 3- and 5-axis machining. So there’s a lot to learn. One good thing about the younger workforce though…they’re not intimidated by things like programming.

About Madison Area Technical College

The Ingenuity Center at Madison Area Technical College houses a state-of-the-art machinist training center, a rapid prototyping lab with complex 3D printing, and an advanced robotics lab. The facility has Okuma lathes, vertical machining centers and a horizontal machining center. In addition, there is a CNC simulator lab with eleven OSP-P300 simulators. At this facility, students gain real world experience in machining, design, automation, industrial maintenance, and quality control techniques. Training is led by NIMS certified, Level 1 instructors, with development assistance from Okuma to provide a workforce pool to the local industry base that has the skills required to perform CNC-related jobs. Facility tours may be scheduled by appointment.