Chad Meier, 17, of Fenelton measures and marks a workpiece as part of his preapprenticeship program at Penn United. Meier, a senior at Butler Senior High School, is one a of handful of students earning certifications at the company as part of his regular coursework.

JEFFERSON TWP — A preapprenticeship program is elevating machinist work as a post-graduation college alternative for Butler Senior High School students.

Take Chad Meier, a 17-year-old senior from Fenelton, for instance. Chad was accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in December, but he's still awaiting financial aid information to decide his future. In the meantime, he's weighing machinist work as a career option, too. He's found the skills pair well with engineering.

“I really like making stuff,” Chad said. “This is just the physical side of it. You can design anything on a computer, but then there are a lot of limitations on these machines to work around.”

The machines he referenced were the mills and CNC machines in a workshop at Penn United Technologies. He's been learning his way around the shop in the preapprenticeship program the company conducts with students from several school districts throughout Butler County.

Penn United previously taught classes called SATS, or “Students Acquiring Technical Skills,” but now offers more possible state and national certifications through the preapprenticeship program. The switch happened after last school year.

Students like Chad are visiting the center for seven full school-days worth of training.

Riley Rodgers, a 16-year-old 11th-grader from Meridian, is a veteran of Penn United's trainings. She did the SATS classes, and now she's working through work that will set her ahead in a full apprentice program.

“I really like hands-on stuff and working with metals,” Riley said.

Jim O'Donnell, the main instructor for the preapprenticeship program, said he focuses on developing basic fundamental skills. They start with safety, measuring and hand tools before ever getting to the big, powerful machinery.

“They're basically taking off college time,” O'Donnell said. “They wouldn't have to go through these steps in our apprenticeship. They would join and just keep advancing.”

Butler Superintendent Brian White said he likes that the program offers “rigorous, real-world experience.” A $35,000 grant the Arconic Foundation recently gave the district for the program helps ensure that it'll continue, he said.