There wasn't a lot for Logan Lively to do as a teenager in Mullan, Idaho. So when he was given a small metal lathe, he was eager to fix it and start tinkering.

"A friend of ours was going to get rid of it," Lively said. "But I repaired it and immediately started building things."

Lively's father, Bill, had worked in the machining industry for about 10 years in southern California, so the lathe was familiar to his hands. With his father's guidance, Lively began turning out parts such as a slitting saw, brass punch and even motorcycle parts for his friend who builds custom motorcycles.

"It's amazing to me how you can take a raw piece of metal and turn it into something usable," Lively said.

After completing his high school diploma through the Idaho Virtual Academy, Lively looked immediately to the professional-technical programs at North Idaho College.

His father, Bill, who had spent his entire working career in various hands-on trades, encouraged him to explore programs such as carpentry, welding and auto mechanics.

But with some machining experience already under his belt, Lively decided to follow in his father's footsteps settling on the machine technology program at NIC. The machine technology program is a professional-technical program at NIC that prepares students for work in the machining or manufacturing industries.

Sometimes it's a struggle to make ends meet on a limited budget while attending college, Lively said, so the fact that manufacturing jobs are readily available in this area appealed to him.

"I researched the careers and learned that there are great opportunities available for machinists nationwide and in this region," said Lively, who is now in his first year of the program.

Machining is something that the Livelys have been doing together for years, and that didn't stop when Logan enrolled in college. The two travel just over an hour each way to get from Mullan to NIC's Coeur d'Alene campus by 7 a.m.

"He's disabled, so it's good for him to not just sit at home," Lively said. "He'll walk around campus while I'm in class, or stay and watch us work for awhile."

The pair have become well-known in the machining lab - Lively a determined student and his father a quiet observer.

"It's great to have them both here," said NIC machine technology instructor Vic Gilica. "Logan is a great student and it's clear that Bill just enjoys the industry and likes to see the technology and how it's changed since he was a machinist."

NIC's machine technology program now offers students two options, an 11-month certificate or a two-year degree option. To enroll, contact NIC professional-technical adviser Jennifer Henage 769-3468.

Stacy Hudson is public information coordinator with North Idaho College.