I went through a machining certification program at a local technical college... under the instruction of an 'old school' machinist/ instructor... I learned how to run all of the manual machines...
I have worked as a machinist for @25 years... at one time, I applied at a company that had different 'skill levels' (machinist 1, machinist 2, machinist 3, and senior machinist)... when you apply, they give you a 2 hour written exam and your score determines what level you hire in at...
I scored well enough to hire in as a senior machinist... and found out that most everyone in the shop shuns guys that do that. Nobody would talk to me, help me, tell me where the break room was, etc... I worked there 10 weeks and moved on to a better job...
I have had to chase threads on a lathe once in the last 20 years... and that was at home on a rifle barrel tenon... but I'm confident that I could do it if I had to, but I would be slow at it the first time.
I haven't touched a surface grinder since I got out of school... I simply have not been tasked with having to operate one... I think I would have to face a learning curve to relearn that.
Nowadays, I spend most of my time programming and operating CNC vertical lathes.
If I'm not considered a machinist because of that, well, so be it... I take a lot of pride in the work that I do, anyway...
-Bear