Apprenticeship
LLNL's Machinist Apprenticeship Program
Engineering’s 4-year Machinist Apprenticeship Program is California-certified, offers paid education plus training in the machine-tool trade, and provides the potential for a permanent job upon graduation.
Apprentices receive roughly 8,000 hours of education and experience, including hands-on training under journey-level mentors and supplemental instruction on technical theory. Program graduates earn a Journeyman Certificate issued by the State and/or U.S. Department of Labor.

The mentorship at the Lab has been extraordinary from day one and continues to surprise me. I'm always feeling grateful for good teachers.
Machinist apprentice program graduate
What Engineering Machinist Apprentices Do
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Manufacture complex products under mentorship from senior machinists
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Use state-of-the-art equipment to produce components for cutting-edge science
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Rotate through a series of learning areas, performing hands-on machining
Apprenticeship Qualifications
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A high-school diploma, GED, or equivalent, with completed shop math, mechanical drawing, agricultural engineering, or other relevant courses
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A passing score on the LLNL apprentice aptitude exam
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Basic knowledge of and experience with shop equipment, tools, procedures, and materials
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Basic math skills, including geometry and trigonometry
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A valid CA driver’s license, able to operate 6,000 lb. fork truck
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Must be medically able to wear respiratory and protective equipment
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The ability to pass drug tests and obtain top-secret government clearance

Check Out Our
Apprenticeship Openings
We accept 2-5 apprentices each year, keeping cohorts small to enable hands-on learning. Positions open in winter for a summer start.
See Yourself Here
Engineering has a full range of manufacturing and technical services to assist with LLNL program needs. The facilities that provide these services are collectively known as “The Manufacturing Service Center”—learn more below.
Mechanical Engineering Division (MED) Area Machine Shops
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MED Area Machine Shops are five machine shops open for use b y all qualifies laboratory employee. MED’s resident journey-level machinists provides direct program support, manages each shop, oversees safe operations, and provides technical advice for users.
High Explosives Processing
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High Explosives Processing is a highly specialized process requiring rigorous safety protocols and specialized equipment. The machinists at Site 300 are among the most skilled in the nation at machining high-explosive materials, employing conventional and CNC machine tools for contact and remote machining.
Dimensional Inspection Laboratory
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The Dimensional Inspection Laboratory is a full-service center providing solutions for all metrology needs. Our facilities are in a controlled environment that accommodates a broad range of inert, toxic and radioactive materials. MED maintains a variety of world class metrology equipment traceable to NIST standards to inspect manufactured products. Our basic logic is that measurements made in our Labs need to be at levels of uncertainty that are below ten percent of the tightest tolerances required.
Laser Processing Facility
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The Laser Processing Facility is an integral part of MED manufacturing and provides laser processes such as laser cutting and welding of material up to 0.100 in thick and a cutting envelope up to 37 in x 18 in for metals. Laser Processing has 400W and 200W Nd:YAG pulsed lasers. Our personnel have extensive experience in prebuilt design assistance, weld joint designs, weld-preparation, and alternative manufacturing processes.
Main Bay
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The Main Bay Machine Shop provides computerized numerical controlled (CNC) milling up to a 98” x 71” x 55” machining envelope and CNC turning capacities up to 67” in diameter and 112” in length. We also provide heat treating, tool & cutter grinding, forming, vendor evaluation, project coordination, and consultation on manufacturing feasibility, and process evaluation.
Metal Finishing and Plating Shop
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The Metal Finishing and Plating Shop is a chemical processing facility dedicated to providing electroplating, cleaning, and other chemical processes to Laboratory programs. The 6,500-square-foot facility houses processing tanks of up to 550-gallon capacity. More than 65 different processes are available or can be set up for special requests.
Optic Shop
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The Optic Shop's resident master opticians work with engineers to develop processes for onsite fabrication, liaise with vendors, and offer offsite inspections and technology transfer training. The Optic Shop has been a primary contributor to such programs as Target Fabrication, the National Ignition Facility, and the Mercury Laser system. In addition, we assist outside laboratories and businesses such as Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and Allied Signal.
Precision Shop
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The Precision Shop is dedicated to providing high quality precision parts. A wide variety of materials from plastics to exotic/precious metals are machined using traditional and non-traditional manufacturing processes. Work is performed in a temperature-controlled environment conducive to micro machining and producing parts with tolerance requirements in the 0.0001-inch or less range. Capabilities in our shop include tight tolerance 5-axis CNC machining, wire electrical discharge machines, and ultra precision diamond turning lathes. We also have the capability of machining classified parts.
Sheetmetal Shop
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The Sheetmetal Shop provides standard sheet metal fabrication processes such as shearing up to 96″ x ¼”, braking up to 96″ x ¼”, rolling up to ¼”, sawing, forming, nibbling, punching, tubing & thick spring bending, riveting, brazing, spot welding up to 1/8″, and tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding up to 1/8″. Some unique services include CNC laser cutting (tolerances of 0.002” on metals up to 1/8”), tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding of refractory metals in an inert environment, and welding for vacuum applications.
Special Materials Machining Facility (SMMF)
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The Special Materials Machining Facility (SMMF) is a large, diversified shop designed to machine toxic and low-level radioactive materials. This facility also offers T-base lathes and large, five-axis milling capability, as well as many conventional and computer numerically controlled (CNC) lathes and mills, both plunge and wire electrical discharge machines (EDM), and two jig-boring machines.
Target Fabrication Shop
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The Target Fabrication Shop boasts ultra-precision machining capabilities to create targets for NIF, Z machine, and the Omega Laser Facility. Materials from aerogels to exotic or precious metals to radioactive material, are machined under conventional and diamond turning processes in a temperature-controlled environment conducive to micro-machining. There is also a full array of non-contact measuring tools such as measuring and laser micrometers, white-light interferometers, and confocal microscopes. The facility offers computerized numerical-controlled (CNC) lathes, three-, four-, and five-axis CNC milling centers, and ultra-precision diamond turning centers. We use model-based manufacturing with Creo Parametric and MasterCam CAD/CAM software extensively.
Water Jet Shop
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The Water Jet Shop is an integral part of the MED manufacturing facility and provides unique material cutting capabilities. Its machines do not induce stress or thermal inconsistencies into the material being cut.
Weld Shop
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The Weld Shop provides fabricated metal parts, heavy weldments and assemblies varying in thicknesses from 1/8” to several inches. The shop works on most nonhazardous metal alloys and has a material yard and 10-ton crane for added flexibility and quick turnaround. The Weld Shop capabilities include processes such as shearing up to 96″ X 1/2″ in aluminum and steel and up to 3/8″ in stainless steel, rolling up to 1″ aluminum and sawing up to 24″ diameter.
Postdoctoral & Fellowship
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Pushing the boundaries of scientific research.
We offer postdoctoral appointments that allow recent PhD graduates to further their research and collaborate with our wold-class scientists. For more information, see the Postdocs page.
Possible Roles
- Postdoctoral researcher
- Lawrence fellow
- High Energy Density Science (HEDS) fellow
- Fernbach fellow

Magi Mettry
Postdoctoral Researcher
"Balance and moderation in all you do is the path to a happy and fulfilling life."
I love the balance in the LLNL work environment. This balance comes in two forms: work-life balance, and balance between different research projects. Moving here I immediately observed a healthy work environment and a great and supportive team from mentors to division leaders!
Public Affairs & Communications
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Communicating our work to the world.
Our public affairs and communications teams focus on distilling and sharing our cutting-edge innovations and complex scientific ideas, making them accessible to a wider audience and inspiring the public to get involved in our research.
Possible Roles
- Communications manager
- Public information officer
- Social media strategist
- Graphic designer
- Photographer

Brian Chavez
Graphic Design Associate
"I’m shoulder to shoulder with some of the smartest peeps in the world."
It actually may surprise you to see how many positions they offer that may fit your skill set. And don’t let that “degree” stop you. Even if you don’t have a degree, you may just have what they want in skill. Ain’t bad for a high school graduate and veteran with some college.
Security
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Keeping you and our nation safe.
Our security team ensures the uninterrupted protection of our physical assets, information, employees, and guests, allowing the Laboratory to fulfill the mission of protecting national security. Our team has extensive knowledge and experience in tactical and operational protection planning, information security, personnel security, physical security, performance assurance, and training.
Possible Roles
- Security police officer
- Classified matter and protection specialist
- Physical security specialist
- Electrician and locksmith
- Compliance and assurance specialist
- Investigator
- CCTV and call center dispatch operator
- Training and curriculum designer
Students
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Surrounding you with a culture of possibility.
Learn, grow, and explore while working here as an intern—and have fun along the way. You will have access to cutting-edge technologies that are transforming the world for the better and the opportunity to work and learn with world-class scientists and engineers. For more information, visit our Students page.
Possible Roles
- Undergraduate student intern
- Graduate student intern
- Trainee

Logan Echeveria
Summer Intern
"My passion for science grew more and more every day I was at the Lab."
I was a summer student in Materials Engineering Division during the summer of 2019. Here, I worked on a biochemical sensor project. I was able to contribute technical knowledge developed at my university in classes such as optics, signal processing, and electromagnetics. I sharpened my engineering skills by working in a laser laboratory and I was even introduced to an entirely new discipline by working part time in a bio lab.
Being a summer student at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory gave me the opportunity to explore research areas in my discipline, to network with professionals in my field, and to grow as a scholar. Outside of research, I enjoyed all of the events put on for summer students (like a BBQ and trivia) and touring the facilities on the LLNL campus.
Supply Chain
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Helping you get what you need.
Our supply chain staff work tirelessly to ensure everyone on campus has what they need when they need it. We focus on building professional partnerships with customers, suppliers, and colleagues.
Possible Roles
- Subcontracts analyst
- Cost price analyst

Alberto Rocha
Contracts Analyst
"A team is not a group of people that work together. A team is a group of people that trust each other. I am blessed to find this at LLNL."
Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion. Come to LLNL where people pull together as a team. You will love it!
Need more information? Contact Larry Sage at sage5 [at] llnl.gov (sage5[at]llnl[dot]gov) or (925) 423-8327 OR Jason Carroll at carroll17 [at] llnl.gov (carroll17[at]llnl[dot]gov) or (925) 424-4369.