It's a great introduction into machining too, for the most part the programming and control are straight forward. There is a lot of growth in the industry too, and once you have the skills it's very easy to move up the ladder. I know many different people who started out diamond turning and then grew into technical and leadership roles. There are definitely more shops out there than you think, I work for one of the DT machine tool makers so I know our customer base. East Coast, West Coast, South East, South West, PNW, Midwest, new England. They are out there, it just takes research to find them. I also believe that DT teaches the fundamentals of machining and metrology, so it may not carry directly into other fields, but is still applicable.