Production Engineering

Your Two-Year Production Engineering Pathway

Each semester of your two-year commitment builds on the one before it, allowing students to develop stronger technical skills, greater independence, and professional workplace habits.

Semester 1 | Building the Foundation

Year One begins the two-year commitment and helps students turn an interest in machining, engineering, and manufacturing into real technical skills through classroom instruction, hands-on lab experiences, and real-world training. The morning program is open to rising 10th- and 11th-grade students who are prepared to complete both years.

Students focus on:

• Following industrial safety, housekeeping, and equipment procedures
• Reading basic blueprints, views, title blocks, dimensions, and specifications
• Measuring parts with steel rules, calipers, and micrometers
• Identifying metals, material properties, and machinability
• Completing basic layout, drilling, turning, and vertical milling operations

Semester 2 | Developing Precision Skills

Students take on more challenging work as they interpret geometric dimensions and tolerances, plan machining operations, and produce parts with tighter accuracy requirements. They also begin programming and operating computer numerical control equipment. To advance to Year Two, students must demonstrate mastery of required skills and earn a grade of 75 or higher each quarter.

Students focus on:

• Interpreting GD&T symbols, datums, tolerances, fits, and drawing scales
• Writing process and quality plans with critical dimensions, speeds, and feeds
• Machining tapers, precision holes, keyseats, and surface-ground parts
• Inspecting finished parts and reporting whether they meet specifications
• Creating introductory G-code programs for CNC mill and lathe operations

Semester 3 | Advancing Technical Skills

After completing Production Engineering 1 and 2, students return for the afternoon session and the second year of their two-year commitment. They build on their Year One skills, complete more advanced manual and CNC work, improve production processes, and may become eligible for Work-Based Learning or co-op opportunities.

Students focus on:

• Developing detailed job, operation, inspection, and quality-control plans
• Using GD&T and precision measurements to inspect assigned project parts
• Completing advanced turning, boring, milling, keyseat, and grinding operations
• Writing CNC programs with linear and circular interpolation
• Setting up CNC mills and lathes and improving single-part production processes

Semester 4 | Preparing for the Industry

Students complete the two-year program through advanced machining, CNC, inspection, and process-improvement projects. They work with greater independence while preparing for technical college, apprenticeships, industry certification, entry-level employment, and other opportunities in advanced manufacturing.

Students focus on:

• Planning complete jobs and selecting critical dimensions, tooling, speeds, and feeds
• Power tapping, taper reaming, pipe tapping, and advanced hole operations
• Grinding surfaces, angles, and radii to close tolerances and finish requirements
• Programming, setting up, and operating CNC mills and lathes with greater independence
• Inspecting work, documenting compliance, improving processes, and demonstrating career readiness

Career Opportunities

Production Engineering can lead to careers involving precision machining, CNC operations, quality control, production leadership, engineering, and automated manufacturing.

Local Work-Based Learning Partners

Local employers help eligible Year Two students connect classroom and lab instruction with professional manufacturing experiences. Students may be recommended for Work-Based Learning or co-op after demonstrating the technical skill, maturity, dependability, and academic standing needed to represent themselves, Enoree Career Center, and the sponsoring employer well.

Two-year commitment note: Production Engineering is designed as one connected two-year experience, not two separate one-year choices. Year One builds the foundation students need for advanced machining, CNC programming, certifications, greater independence, and possible Work-Based Learning opportunities during Year Two. A student who leaves after Year One cannot be replaced by a new student entering Year Two. Accepting a spot should mean planning to complete both years. Following through on that commitment helps each student make the most of the opportunity while respecting the limited spot that could have been offered to another interested student.

Work-Based Learning note: Work-Based Learning placement is not guaranteed. When available and earned, these experiences may provide paid on-the-job training and may lead to full-time employment or tuition assistance. Completing the full two-year Production Engineering program prepares students to compete for these opportunities while honoring the limited spot they accepted and the opportunity that could otherwise have gone to another interested student.

Graduation and college admission note: Students earn four high school credits each year and may earn up to eight credits by completing the full two-year program. These credits count as electives toward South Carolina high school graduation requirements, and one credit may fulfill the CATE/Foreign Language graduation requirement. Most four-year colleges do not accept career center courses as substitutes for foreign language courses required for college admission. Students should review admission requirements with their school counselor.