Look to modern manufacturing for high-paying, high-impact
careers
Did you know that manufacturing plays a significant role in
our local, central Illinois economy? From small- and medium-sized local
businesses to national brands employing almost 1,000 people, the effect of
these businesses is critical for our area. However, after spending much time
talking with these employers, I know they struggle to maintain a full – and fully
trained – workforce. One of their most serious struggles is finding industrial
maintenance technicians.
What is a maintenance technician? What do they even do? Who
works in manufacturing? Isn’t it dirty and dangerous? And can you make a living
doing that kind of work?
These are common, outdated perceptions we have heard when
talking to potential students about this career path at the Workforce Institute
at Lincoln Land Community College. Those perceptions couldn’t be more out of
step with what actually goes on in manufacturing.
Manufacturing is far more than just the process of making
things. It's the engine that powers innovation, drives economies and shapes the
modern world. It blends science, technology and human ingenuity – a field in
which problem-solving meets production.
Much of today’s manufacturing facilities are clean, bright
and very high-tech, utilizing cutting edge robotics and advanced automation
systems. And industrial maintenance techs are the people who keep these entire
systems running.
These highly skilled technicians keep production lines and
whole facilities such as hospitals, power plants and large commercial complexes
operating smoothly. They use mechanical know-how, excellent communication
skills and serious critical thinking to be the fixer who saves the day almost
every day. Using robotics, electrical systems, pneumatics, hydraulics and
automated machinery, they fix the things that break (and help prevent things
from breaking in the first place). It is highly technical, hands-on and always
changing and challenging.
This field offers great pay, job security and solid career
growth. Most entry-level techs start between $22-$29 per hour locally and, with
experience, can eventually see $70,000-$85,000-plus per year. The demand in our
area is huge. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 15% job growth
nationally through 2033, which far outpaces the average of 4% across all other
occupations. Older workers are retiring, and there are simply not enough younger
people entering the field to replace them. From factories to distribution
centers to energy companies, openings continue to grow. Being an industrial
maintenance technician is not just a job – it’s a stable, skilled trade. These
machines don’t run themselves; automated robots and systems need skilled humans
to keep them going. And with this experience, techs can move into roles like
maintenance supervisor, facility manager and plant engineer.
Plus, you don’t need a four-year degree. LLCC has both a
certificate program and an associate degree option, which both provide for
great career choices that allow you to get into the field quickly and advance,
earning more than many four-year college grads. At LLCC, you’ll learn
electrical and mechanical skills to build a foundation that makes you extremely
in demand. You’ll spend your time in our labs, working on similar equipment
used in real-world settings, learning how to troubleshoot and repair high-tech
equipment including precision measurements, calibration, vibration analysis,
PLC programming, blueprint reading, process controls and so much more. And
you’ll start networking with local employers from day one by utilizing our
strong employer connections.
LLCC’s flagship industrial maintenance program is located at
our main campus in Springfield. After receiving funding from a grant for mobile
hands-on trainers, we will also start offering our certificate program at
Litchfield this fall and in Jacksonville this coming spring. We currently have
spaces left at all areas, but they are filling up fast.
You can learn more by joining us for our next info session from
5:30 to 7 p.m. July 9. It will be at our lab in the Workforce Careers Center on
the Springfield campus. Can’t make the information session? Contact Doug Hoy,
our industrial maintenance program director, at doug.hoy@llcc.edu or by
calling/texting 217-786-3447. For more information and to register for the info
session, visit www.llcc.edu/industrial.
Dr. Nancy Sweet is dean of the Workforce Institute at
Lincoln Land Community College.
