Apprentices Build Real Parts Under Real Standards

The Backyard Shop operates as a training shop. Apprentices learn manufacturing by executing real fabrication work under experienced supervision, documented systems, and enforceable quality standards.

Every apprentice is assigned to production work from day one. There are no sandbox projects or theoretical exercises. Learning happens by making parts that ship, on machines that demand precision, with consequences for errors that are real but recoverable.

Supervision is constant. Documentation is mandatory. Accountability is individual. This is how manufacturing skills transfer—not through lectures, but through repetition under standards that do not bend.

Apprentices work on production jobs that matter. Customer orders with delivery dates. Internal tooling that the shop depends on. Builds for partner organizations with their own quality requirements.

Every job follows documented work instructions. Every part goes through inspection checkpoints. Every deviation is recorded, reviewed, and resolved before work continues. This is not bureaucracy—it is the foundation of repeatable quality.

Our quality systems align with ISO 9001 and AS9100 frameworks. Apprentices learn to work within these systems from the start, building habits that transfer directly to aerospace, defense, medical, and precision manufacturing employers.

Employers do not need hobbyists who have touched equipment. They need practitioners who understand production discipline—setup sheets, first article inspection, revision control, corrective action, and the daily reality of making parts to print under time pressure.

Apprentices who complete this program enter the workforce with documented skills, system literacy, and experience working under standards that match what they will encounter on day one of employment. There is no transition shock.

This is workforce development that treats manufacturing as a serious discipline. It produces people who are employable immediately, not eventually.

This model supports registered and pre-apprenticeship pathways for CNC Machinist, Manufacturing Technician, and Mechatronics Technician roles. Training hours, competencies, and supervision align with state and federal apprenticeship frameworks.

Apprentices advance through defined competency tiers covering machine operation, setup, inspection, documentation, and corrective action. Advancement requires demonstrated proficiency on production work, supervisor sign-off, and documented quality performance.

Errors are treated as training events within controlled processes. Deviations trigger documented review, corrective action, and retraining before work resumes. Safety and quality take precedence over speed.