No Experience? No Problem

Jan. 15, 2025 – “Natural curiosity.”

Those are the words Macrae Alford used when he was asked about what sparked his interest in machining at a young age. Yet life would take him down a different path before he would get the opportunity to put his hands on a machine.

At the ripe age of 15, Macrae looked to the trades for his first job. Through a family friend, he got involved with plumbing – well, at least he tried.

“My boss was told that I couldn’t be working on construction sites due to my age,” he said with a smile. “I took a hiatus until I turned 16.”

Let’s start over. Macrae truly got things underway at 16 and spent the next 3.5 years learning what it took to become a great plumber.

In fact, he was on the cusp of becoming a tradesman when he heard about an open America’s Cutting Edge bootcamp. The natural curiosity grew.

“I’ve always wanted to be a machinist,” he said. “I’ve always been into mechanical things. I always knew the next step was some sort of machining job – I just didn’t know when. When this opportunity presented itself, I took it.”

Last winter, Macrae went through a bootcamp at Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station’s Facility for Advanced Manufacturing. The moment of hopping on a CNC machine for the first time was surreal.

“It was amazing,” he said. “It was very user-friendly.”

Macrae got to work on writing up his resume and sending it out to employers. The challenge? No machining experience beyond ACE.

Wolfram Manufacturing in Austin, Texas, took interest in him.

“He came as a referral,” said Katherine Satterwhite, operations manager at Wolfram. “What drew us to him was his hands-on background in plumbing and then his time spent doing the ACE bootcamp.”

He was initially hired in July 2024 as a manufacturing assistant.

“They’re cleaning, topping off fluids, moving parts around,” said Katherine of the position. “But not so much machine control.”

“ACE got me comfortable around machines,” Macrae said. “That definitely helped to know where everything was.”

But it was Macrae’s work ethic – and, you guessed it, natural curiosity – that moved him up the ladder quickly.

By the end of 2024, he was promoted to a manufacturing specialist. This unlocked that time on the machines he was looking for.

“It’s very fun,” he said. “I’m actually on the machines telling them what to do. It’s been my dream job for a while.”

According to Katherine, the difference in pay between the two positions is also notable – about a 25% jump from assistant to specialist.

It may have taken years, but it’s a journey Macrae has enjoyed.

“It’s been an amazing adventure,” Macrae said.

From bootcamp to machine shop in two weeks

That’s what happened to Alyssa Byrd, an A&M alumna who also went through an ACE bootcamp before landing a gig at Wolfram. But her background looks much different from Macrae’s.

When she started her education at Texas A&M University, she initially wanted to become a mechanical engineer and design cars.

“Looking at the degree plan, there were a lot of classes my eyes would glaze over,” she said. “But looking at the one for manufacturing engineering, every single class looked fun. It ended up being a perfect fit.”

Early on in her A&M tenure, she met Nathan Panak – an ACE trainer at the university – while working with an engineering outreach group. He recruited her to work at the Fischer Engineering Design Center, a campus machine shop.

He would become an important contact in her life. More on that later.

She discovered a passion for taking designs and machining them – and asking questions along the way, such as what stock to order or what end mills to use.

“And that’s where ACE definitely stepped up the game for me,” Alyssa said. “It was my first true introduction to machine tool dynamics and research.”

Before her hands-on time with ACE, she headed to Knoxville, Tenn., in 2022 for the inaugural SEC Machining Competition.

She spent time doing programming during the competition. But there was a moment that stood out above all the others.

She heard from Ms. Adele Ratcliff, director of the DoD’s Innovation Capability and Modernization Office, which funds ACE through its Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, on the importance of domestic machining.

She was speaking about how “if we’re outsourcing manufacturing, we’re not safe,” Alyssa said. She said it made her realize “where we stand as a nation” and what needs to be done to change that.

“It was inspiring to me,” she added.

She went on to get her degree before entering the workforce.

There were hardships Alyssa had to endure shortly thereafter, including unemployment. But a key contact from her past emerged.

“Nathan reached out and told me he had some spots open at an ACE bootcamp,” she said. “I thought it would be a great refresher to get me back into a machining mindset.”

She took him up on his offer and headed to the August 2024 bootcamp. It exceeded her expectations. 

“It was a re-excitement of everything I heard before,” she said.

Alyssa was back on her feet and ready to find the right fit for her. 

It didn’t take long.

“She was described as helpful, fast-learning and curious,” said Katherine. “I gave her a call and asked her to come in.”

“Very quickly they told me to come by and chat,” Alyssa said. “I fell in love.”

“Alyssa had been involved in manufacturing for several years, but she was able to refine her skills and make some connections at her ACE bootcamp that would lead her to her next job at Wolfram Manufacturing,” said Nathan. “She had a job offer within two weeks of completing the ACE program.”

She was hired as a production manager. Her day-to-day includes coordinating the machines – what they’re doing and how the parts are flowing.

“It’s like being an air traffic controller with machines,” she said. “It ended up being the most perfect fit I could have found.”

The right attitude

The path for Macrae and Alyssa may have started in wildly different places, but the destination brought them together.

Katherine says referrals were important, but there were two other common denominators that led them to where they are today: America’s Cutting Edge and the right attitude.

“I appreciate Macrae’s ability to get things done and Alyssa’s excitement to take on challenges,” she said.

“I’m beyond excited that I was able to instruct these two students through ACE and then help them get a job at a company that is valuing their experience with the ACE program,” said Nathan. “We’re working hard to create more connections like this at other companies to give our ACE participants the best experience possible.”

For now, Macrae and Alyssa are enjoying where they are in their careers. Alyssa has a lighthearted way of seeing her job.

“To me, machining is just big girl arts and crafts.”

If you’re looking to kickstart your career, ACE can help you get underway. You could end up in a position like Macrae or Alyssa. Start by registering for an ACE online course now.

If you’re an employer looking for talent like Macrae or Alyssa, check out what ACE partners may be near you here. Contact us here if you’d like to make a connection.