America’s #1 Veteran-Focused Manufacturing Training
Workshops for Warriors (WFW) provides life-changing robust CNC machining and welding comprehensive training programs in the advanced manufacturing industry to veterans and transitioning service members. Participants gain extensive skills and hands-on experience essential for America’s CNC machining and welding careers in manufacturing. The programs emphasize technical proficiency and are backed by nationally recognized industry certifications, equipping graduates with the skills needed to succeed in high-demand careers.
Hernán Luis y Prado, Founder and CEO, Rachel Luis y Prado, Founder and COO Workshops for Warriors
Founded by Hernán Luis y Prado, a U.S. Navy veteran, Workshops for Warriors emerged from a deep understanding of the challenges veterans face post-service. The program was born out of a desire to bridge the gap between military service and civilian employment, offering veterans a pathway to renewed hope, financial independence, and meaningful careers in advanced manufacturing. “We have 760,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs in 2024, with that number estimated to be 2.3 million by 2030. So many people are just wringing their hands with worry and hoping for a solution. That isn’t a strategy. Here at WFW, you’ve got people that are proven, they are competent, communicative, they served their nation, work together as a team, show up for work every day, are drug-free, and ready to be deployed into manufacturing. America is starving for manufacturing talent right now. Corporations and defense contractors understand the crisis we are facing. Simultaneously, we have 200,000 veterans transitioning each year who are desperate to have a new career.”
WFW programs provide advanced manufacturing education, job placement, and mentoring to transitioning military, low-income veterans, and wounded warriors. The training is accelerated, and what would normally take years of schooling is compressed into 16-week training sessions.
Randel’s Story – “A long time ago I was in the United States Army,” starts Randel U. “I served from 1985 to 1989. Back in those days when you got out of the military they just said go home. There was no support like there is today. No options for me and I made some life choices that didn’t help. After being a guest of the state several times, I felt I would spend the rest of my life doing crime and living not a great and worthwhile existence. We would laugh at the guys who would claim they couldn’t do it anymore and wanted to make a change. I never in my wildest dreams thought it would be me one day. I remember saying it out loud that I can’t do this anymore. I was 50 years old and just decided I wanted out. I was going to cooperate with parole and do everything I could, and then they laughed at me. They laughed, but that gave me even more motivation. So much had happened since I was in the Army, I didn’t even really think about it, but parole reminded me that I was a veteran and got me into a veteran rehab facility. I spent almost two years there. They like you to start working, or at least attempt to get a job so I got an application for Office Depot and filled it out. I took the form to my case worker and asked how I was supposed to answer the “have you ever been convicted of a felony” question. I’m like I lie on this one right. He said no, put everything on there. How was I supposed to do that I asked? No way I remember every time I was arrested and charged or convicted of a crime. So, he sent me to the sheriff’s office to pick up my arrest sentence history report. I looked like an arch villain on paper. It was so long I had to have an add on sheet. I filled it all out, nice, clean, proper, and took it to drop off. The hiring manager Joe was there, and I didn’t expect to do an interview. I’m sitting across from him like we are now, and he is going over it and giving praise. Then he gets to the honesty sheets, and I see the look on his face. “Oh, we’ll be in touch” he says. I knew it would happen, but I didn’t think I would have to watch when he rejected me. I felt I was screwed, but I refused to quit. The rehab facility ended up giving me a job as security in the homeless veteran’s tent. Then I got promoted to a coordinator, assessing one on one their needs to get them off the street. That’s when I heard from the counselors about Workshops for Warriors. This was late 2013 and one of the counselors Henry Flores knew I was kicking this idea around about applying here. He said, “I want a career change, I’ll go with you over to WFW and let’s apply together.” Well, he didn’t enroll, but I did, and I was terrified. I didn’t know how to be a student, I was so afraid, I was so much older than everyone else. I looked at the people who were with me in the class and I just didn’t think I could compete. Pat told me then, and I tell the students now, “Don’t compare yourself to the guy next to you, compare yourself to the person you were three weeks ago.” I know I lived it; I took it to the heart. Nothing in this world compares to seeing a student on day one petrified looking at a machine and see them grow, graduate, and become successful. The students are like my children now. It’s the most rewarding thing in my life hands down. Ten years ago, if you told me I would be teaching anything to anyone I wouldn’t have believed you, but it is such a beautiful thing that happened. My journey wasn’t purposeful, I don’t do this to make up for the bad things I did, it truly comes from my heart and gives me such joy to be a part of this program. I bawled like a baby the first time I ran a job from beginning to end. I finished a day early and everyone said, “good job Randel,” I was overwhelmed. As soon as I got out the door I just started crying with joy. For the first time ever, I felt useful. Summer of 2014, I started here as a student, and here I am 10 years later working at the place that gave me self-worth and value as a person again. My name is Randel U. And I am a trainer and mentor at Workshops for Warriors.” Student Anthony R. (left) with trainer and mentor Randall U. (right) going over the blueprint and verifying parts.
The programs offer beginner, intermediate, advanced, and apprenticeship-level coursework in four areas: computer-aided manufacturing, computer-aided design, CNC machining, and turning, welding, and fabrication. Training is offered on a three-semester schedule with classes held at Workshops for Warriors’ state-of-the-art Haas Technical Education Center and Welding Lab located in San Diego, California.
Dean of Machining Pat Dorris (left) giving one-on-one instruction with 10th week student Eric S. on one of WFW’s Haas VF2.
Advanced manufacturing experts, who are also veterans, provide expert-level instruction and hands-on training that culminates in industry-recognized credentials from the American Welding Society, National Institute for Metalworking Skills, Mastercam, and SolidWorks. The program provides students with employment education, job placement assistance, and mentoring opportunities to support their transition from service and entry into employment in the advanced manufacturing industry.
The Advanced Manufacturing Training for Young Veterans has achieved strong outcomes through its culture of collaboration and camaraderie combined with services tailored to address the needs of transitioning military and veterans. Since 2008, 1,261 veterans, transitioning service members, and wounded warriors have graduated, and the program maintains a graduation rate of 94%. Graduates use their skills in a variety of employment settings, from mom-and-pop machine and welding shops to Fortune 500 companies and are securing well-paying jobs in every state ranging from $50,000 to $75,000 per year.
AJ’s Story – “I’m a 10-year Marine Corp veteran,” details AJ. “I was machinist by trade and have experience in the field. I tried traditional college, and it wasn’t a good fit. Covid came and just turned me around some more. I got out in 2017, I’m 35 now, and a little nervous about starting a new career. My marines got sent to WFW for training, so I’ve known about their programs for a long time. Just never attended it myself, until now. My training from the Marines was primarily on manual machines. I had a little experience with CNC, but a lot of that was self-taught. Practice, repeat, error, do it again. I got proficient, but not certified or anything. Hands on with machine tools came back very quickly for me, but everything else is still new. I’m 11 weeks in now and the biggest learning curve for me has been the programming. Getting more in-depth and intricate with the software has been fun, I’m learning so much. Working in 3D has been a big change for me, that and planning out a part from start to finish. My goal is obviously to get a job when I graduate but I want to stay here in San Diego where I was born and raised. Ideally, I’m hoping for something based around programming. Getting back on a machine would be fine too, but I’ve really taken to the programming aspect and think I have found something I can really progress at doing. Biggest difference I’ve seen in myself from week one to week eleven is confidence. Being out of machining for 7 years left me rusty, so it took a while to find my comfort zone again. I know what I’m doing but am I doing it right. The other big change is in how much I’ve learned in such a short time with the programming. I thought I knew more than I did, and now I want to learn even more. It’s exciting. The program and instructors here are awesome. Pat, Randel, the TAs, everyone has been helpful so along the way. Their teaching methods are geared towards the fast-paced program, but they know how to break things down with multiple perspectives and everything just clicks. I’m fortunate to have more life experience, and machining experience than most of my classmates so I hold myself to a higher standard. Not in the sense that I am better than anyone else, but I am able to see where I need improvement and able to direct my effort towards my weaker areas because I do have some experience. My name is AJ and this is the restart of what I want to be when I grow up, again.” AJ in the WFW computer lab. His goal is to graduate and find a job in the San Diego area utilizing his growing programming skills.
A primary objective of WFW is to see every veteran and hard-working American given the opportunity for a dignified career, a way to support their families, and help to rebuild America’s manufacturing workforce. What began as a grassroots program in a garage on the East Coast has blossomed into a nationally recognized program based in the Barrio Logan area of San Diego, CA. With 51 employees, 130,000 square feet of classrooms, workshops, and labs, WFW can facilitate 120 students a term in the CNC program and 100 more in their welding school. Students attend classes eight hours a day, five days a week, for a total of 16 weeks. “Most of our students (90%+) are low to moderate income (LMI), otherwise known as living below the poverty line,” explains WFW COO Rachel Luis y Prado. “They are struggling to make ends meet, and having a full-time commitment to this program makes it even more problematic. So, we offer housing solutions and partner with the San Diego Food Bank for groceries. Students have full access to our pantry for breakfast and snacks throughout the day. Something as simple as being nourished plays a big part in being able to learn. Lunch is provided a couple of times a week as well as access to clothes and other necessities. Here at WFW, students can focus on studying and not survival. It doesn’t matter what branch, what your rank, or what you did in the military, they all struggle in some way once they transition to civilian life. I get to know the students well over the course of the program, and I witness first-hand the change in them as a person. When they first get here, they introduce themselves by their name and military branch, but as they get closer to graduation, they introduce themselves as ‘I’m a machinist’ or ‘I’m a welder.’ Having a new identity when they leave is what helps them transition successfully.”
WFW partners with leaders like Haas, Flow, and Amada. Students in the advanced courses get extended training on advanced milling/turning, plus water jet and laser.
Hernán decided on CNC machining and welding as the first industries to tackle because his wife is a nerd. “My wife is a wealth of information and numbers, a nerd,” explains Hernán. “She is a survey methodologist and statistician. We wanted to start with career-driven industries that have nationally recognized credentials and could give graduates a dignified starting salary. There are a lot of jobs out there with dignity, but not a lot of them are attainable after four months of training. If you can empower these people to know about the manufacturing process, design, build, inspect, and pair that with nationally recognized credentials, it carries weight. Training and credentials are a financial passport they can take anywhere. You know your worth, and that leads to higher-paying jobs.” “Companies like Haas, MasterCam, SOLIDWorks, Boeing, and The Clark Foundation have been instrumental in executing our plan,” adds Rachel. “So many of our partners have been with us for ten plus years. We have partners that give products, give machines, give software licenses, give cash, but best of all is the training. If we get a new water jet delivered, the trainer comes out and trains our trainers on the machine. Everyone gets trained the same, and we, in turn, train our students the same. It’s every 4 to 8 months they are in here training instructors, then the next batch of instructors.” “And it doesn’t stop there,” continues Lisa Record, Senior Director of Development. “We have a job fair every semester, and companies get to interview students on-site. Northrop Grumman was in here the other day helping to build resumes. Students might have diffused bombs in the Army, but a resume is more intimidating to them than an IED. Having a company like Northrop Grumman be excited to engage the students and really dial in their experience is so valuable. It is a ground-up operation, and our partnerships vary from company to company, but they are all important.”
The heart of Workshops for Warriors is their fast-paced learning programs. “Our curriculum is very quick and accelerated at 16-weeks and is equivalent to a year at community college,” tells Rachel. “Most vocational schools are teaching students how to be operators, maybe do some basic math, learn fundamentals on manual machines; it will be months before they get to touch a CNC, if at all. Many schools are not teaching CAD/CAM and design unless you are on their engineering track. Our students have been out of school for a while, and the thought of an engineering program is daunting to them. Here at WFW, everything is mixed in, and before you know it, they are learning higher math and programming. The way Pat teaches advanced trig just clicks with them. By applying visual and verbal examples, then applying that directly on the machine, they just get it. Learn here, apply here, and it sticks. They are shocked when they realize they are doing trigonometry. It’s all about being sticky. When you compress it all into 16 weeks, it stays sticky. The first few weeks they are drinking in the information from a firehose, but by week ten, it’s second nature to many, and they are looking outside of class to keep feeding their interest.”
Carlos’ Story – “I got out of the Army in November of 2023,” tells Carlos E. “I was a military horseman, and I loved it. I’m originally from California and had zero horse experience. They taught me the horsemanship in a ten-week course. I was an 11B (Army designation for infantryman) and got sent to Fort Meyer, Virginia. This job only exists at this base. It is a volunteer-based platoon. The opportunity came up when my leadership said, hey there’s a chance for you to go ride horses, are you interested. I’m like I don’t know, I’ve never ridden a horse before. They said you get extra money, and I said OK sign me up. Learned lot about the basics of horsemanship, a completely different eco system than I was used to. We conducted missions at Arlington National Cemetery. A caisson was lasted used in WW1, it’s a horse drawn wagon essentially with artillery or supplies. After the war the platoon was repurposed to conduct funerals at Arlington National with a flat deck for the casket. Our job was to lead a team of six black and gray horses pulling the caisson taking the service member to their final resting place. It was a true honor to be a part of this long-standing tradition. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything, but unfortunately it doesn’t really translate on a resume without a creative spin. I did my time; I paid my dues, and I got out. I’m 22, but I have no structure anymore. I was looking for schools online and Workshops for Warriors popped up. I was initially interested in their welding programs, but then saw that they also had one in CNC machining. WFW stood out over the rest because it was focused on supporting veterans. I did the tour and was like whoa. You can pick up the energy of a place right away, and instantly I knew these people care. I was all in on the CNC program when I met Randel. He sold me immediately on it. He always says, “you give me 100% and I’ll give you 200% back,” and he means it. I talked to Pat after the tour and thought I would give this CNC course a try. CNC wasn’t even on my radar, like at all. I didn’t even know that this could be a career. After the tour I came home and hit the internet researching CNC machining and applied here soon after. The first week for me was overwhelming. Everything is a different language. I speak English, Spanish, and horse if you want to count that, so machinist is a fourth language for me. Learning all the jargon, all the codes, all the concepts was intimidating. Now I am more familiar with it all and confident in what I know. Monday I’m taking the Certified SolidWorks Professional test, I love MasterCam and SolidWorks. I like that I can bounce around between the two and that we always have machine time. Time on the machines is the best because I see the code in action. I love the validation that what I did was correct. The biggest surprise for me has been how hard it is. I came in thinking it was going to be straight forward, but it is so hard. It’s no joke, it’s serious stuff. I love the challenge of it all. The biggest selling point for anyone even thinking about WFW is that they care. They care from the moment you set foot on a tour to well after you graduate. I’m not just a number here, they are invested in me becoming a productive member of civilian life and it shows. After graduation my hope is to stay here in California, and I am open to all industries. I’m looking forward to the upcoming job fair so I can talk to a bunch of different companies and see what kind of careers are out there. If I can offer any advice to an incoming student, it would be to not get frustrated. It is overwhelming in the beginning with all the information being thrown at you. The more you do it, the more you will understand, and the easier it becomes to get through it. Trust in the process and you will learn so much. My name is Carlos E, I miss the horse bullseye, but I am so happy that I found Workshops for Warriors.” Carlos values all the hands-on time students get to spend with the Haas machines. He loves seeing his code in action and working as expected.
Heading up the CNC machining program is Pat Dorris, a lifelong machinist who found his way to San Diego with no prospects of employment, just a desire to live by the beach. “My name is Pat Dorris, and I am an instructor here.” “He is the Dean of Machining,” interrupts both Rachel and Lisa. “He likes to play down his importance to the program, but Pat has been full-time with WFW for the last 11 years.” “I’m Dean of Machining,” continues Pat. “I began machining at my family business in junior high and through high school and college. Once the business sold, I came west and had no issues finding work. I bounced around a few industries before getting a teaching job at the community college. That’s where I met Hernán. He was there as a student sampling the classes. I think he liked the way I taught because he did everything he could to entice me to come here. I’d swing by and see what they were doing, he’d pick my brain, and I’d offer suggestions, and finally, I came on board full-time. We’ve been able to dial in a curriculum that facilitates fast learning and student retention. A metal block isn’t always the best sales tool, but we’ve figured out ways to make it fun and engaging. One of my favorite aspects of teaching is when they first see the Haas CNC machines in action. They are a little intimidated, and their minds are about to explode. Then we show them simple code and how to load the material, then they make the machine move. In week two, they’ve written a basic program, done a setup, loaded the program, and ran the first article. It’s that moment that they realize it all ties together. That thing that was intimidating is now manageable.”
WFW offers certifications from the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS). To earn that certificate, students have to program, machine, and inspect specific parts that NIMS provides engineering drawings for. “There are a lot of aspects going on,” details Pat. “You basically hand them a drawing with 8 or 9 different tool paths: drilling, pocketing, chamfering, and face milling. Things like that are a tall order for people who just learned what a CNC machine is. By week 8, that’s where we are.” All the projects that lead up to that are building the foundations for them to get to the NIMS testing. “The end goal isn’t to teach right to the test and get them to pass,” continues Pat. “I want them to leave here with a nationally recognized certificate, get a job, and do us proud. They need the skills to back up the certification, and we get them there in just 16-weeks. Once they hit the workforce, they will be expected to perform, and they do. We have partnerships with so many companies around the country that if a student says, ‘I’m moving back home to Detroit,’ we can make a call and get them an interview. Our partners know exactly what they are getting.” “The only complaint we’ve ever gotten about our graduates is that there are not enough of them,” adds Hernán. “Where can we get more, and how soon can we have them are the most often asked questions.”
Workshops for Warriors retired Colonel Ed Sullivan has recently joined WFW’s Board of Advisors. His leadership supports Hernán and the advancement of WFW training programs. “I retired from the Marine Corps at the end of 2023,” tells Ed. “My last job was deputy commander and chief of staff at a recruitment center, AKA boot camp. I met Rachel and Hernán through different events on and off the base.” “I remember one gala I was trying to recruit the recruiter heavy,” laughs Rachel. “It worked though,” continues Ed. “I came over a couple of times and enrolled a few Marines, but when I really knew I wanted to be a part of WFW was when speaking to a random handful of students just blew me away. Their stories hit me right in the feels, and I knew then I wanted to be a part of the solution. Workshops for Warriors is growing at a tremendous rate.”
“How do we get your readership to say yes we love veterans, yes we want to see them do more, yes we want to rebuild our community, yes we want to make America the number one manufacturing superpower?” asks Hernán. “Workshops for Warriors is responding to the urgent needs of our veterans through program and facility expansion. The addition of a 21,000 sq. ft. facility for welding program expansion will bring us to nearly 400 graduates by year-end 2025, while a 25,000 sq. ft. machining building will commence construction in Summer 2024. Once complete, these two facilities will increase the number of annual graduates to 700 from 2026, more than tripling our current capacity. This investment in infrastructure will support our mission of empowering veterans with valuable skills and certifications for successful careers in advanced manufacturing.”
Article by: CNC West Magazine Photos by: CNC West & WFW