Recently, more than 6,500 of the nation’s most skilled students assembled in Atlanta for SkillsUSA’s National Leadership & Skills Conference, the Olympics of career and technical education. Amid the buzz of competition, one team stood out not just for its medals, but for its mission: Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School, powered by Mastercam, is redefining what it means to train the workforce of tomorrow. Inside a 12,000-square-foot shop in Fall River, Mass., students at Diman learn machining, and more. They live it.
“Eat, sleep, machine,” according to lead instructor and program alumnus Kurt Chouinard. “That’s the mentality. And Mastercam is at the heart of everything we do.”
Chouinard began his career as a manual machinist and now leads one of the country’s most advanced high-school CNC programs. He is on a mission to show students, and the world, just how powerful this trade can be. He has no formal education or training in programming and in fact, taught himself through online videos and designed his curriculum with the help of CAM Instructor and Mastercam’s YouTube channel.
Real machines, real jobs, real impact
Inside Diman’s shop, students train on full-size equipment from Haas, Doosan, Mazak, and more. They begin with longhand G-code programming, then move into CAM using Mastercam to build deeper understanding of the full process. The school’s co-op program connects juniors and seniors with more than 50 companies, where students earn real pay (often around $20 per hour) while building professional skills in aerospace, defense, and medical manufacturing.
“Some of our best students even choose to stay in the shop to keep expanding their training,” Chouinard explained. “Here, they get exposure to every machine and every challenge.”
At the core of the program’s success is Mastercam. “Mastercam gives us real-world relevance,” he continued. “Nine out of 10 companies on our advisory board use it. Our students are walking into job sites already fluent in the software employers rely on.”
He also credited Mastercam’s education team for making professional-grade post-processors accessible to schools like Diman. “A few years ago, we upgraded our machines using a $2-million Skills Capital Grant. Getting the right posts was tough at first, but Mastercam has completely changed the game for educators. Now it’s plug and play.”
The ultimate test
Diman’s performance at SkillsUSA has been exceptional. In recent years, the school has claimed multiple national medals, including a first-ever gold medal in Automated Manufacturing earned by an all-female team, whom Chouinard affectionately calls “The Golden Girls.” This year, six students competed in events ranging from CNC programming to five-axis machining.
Students face new challenges each year as competition standards progress. Competitors are now required to handle full setup and fixture design in CAM. “That’s why I was training over the weekend,” said Chouinard. “If I’m not learning, I can’t lead.
"I am proud to work with four fantastic Tradesman who are all Diman grads – my professional colleagues – who are the team that develop our students into the amazing individuals that they are and become,” Chouinard continued. “Much of the reason that our program is so successful is because of our teamwork, collaboration, and cohesiveness. That truly shines through in our students."
Challenging the stigma
Despite the Diman students’ successes, Chouinard still encounters skepticism about manufacturing careers. “People hear ‘manufacturing’ and walk away,” he said. “But our students are making surgical tools, aerospace parts, and defense components. These are high-skill, high-impact jobs.”
He recently wrote to trades advocate Mike Rowe, urging more visibility for machinists. “We’re not just pressing buttons. We’re solving problems. We’re building the future,” he argued.
Diman’s shop walls are covered with nearly 80 banners honoring SkillsUSA medalists. Students have helped restore parts for local landmarks, manufactured commemorative coins for contractors, and even contributed parts to a university race car program. It’s proof that the work they do in class translates directly to the real world.
At SkillsUSA 2025 in Atlanta, Chouinard and his students did not just to compete. They took the lead. “We’re training future leaders in manufacturing,” he said. “And with Mastercam by our side, we’re building something that lasts.”
