I guess it really depends on what part of the country you live. In the South, some trade schools require you to own a list of tools to even get past the first semester of school. The one I went to required tools and even one of two different brands of tool boxes. Either a Kennedy or a Gerstner. Our instructor would not allow any other brand into the classroom. It was his opinion that your box says a lot about what kind of machinist you were... a professional or a 'shade tree'. Professional machinists chose one of the two earlier mentioned. Here is what I can remember that was required of us in trade school...

Combination square
Calipers
Micrometer
6 inch 4R scale
Compass and scribe
Box of 3/8 cobalt lathe tool blanks
Bastard file & fine file
6 inch machinist square
Starrett indicator (model 196)
1 inch dial indicator
Mighty mag
Rubber mallet
Metric and standard hex key sets
Standard and Phillips screwdrivers
Set of metric and standard wrenches
1-2-3 blocks
Set of parallels
and a small notebook to log all your daily shop activities.


Now, out here in Southern California, all they require is a warm body that can sit through six months of a local community college CNC course and has the ability to memorize a bunch of G codes. Pretty much they breed idiots out here. Take that for what its worth.