In industries such as aerospace, that have very specialized programming, employers may prefer to hire engineers. Workers who wish to enter tool programming directly need experience with computers and electronics. Experience with machine tools is extremely helpful. Classroom training starts with an introduction to numerical control and the basics of programming. Later, students learn about computer-aided design.
Trainees start by writing simple programs under the supervision of an experienced programmer.
There are several different programming languages so programmers must be able to learn and adapt to new languages. Experienced programmers continue to take classes periodically to learn new skills. When new machines are introduced, they learn how they operate.