Manufacturing Technology Abounds at North Arkansas College

SAVANNAH MONROE

AGE: 18 EDUCATION: Senior, Mountain Home High School SNAPSHOT: A recent transplant from Montana, Monroe has learned through her high school experience how to turn a cherished family hobby into a lucrative career.

WHAT SKILLED CAREER DO YOU PLAN TO PURSUE AND WHY? I chose to follow the automotive courses because I grew up around cars and I thought it was interesting and I wanted to go into that field. I’ve been wanting to go into that field for a while.

I had some experience in it coming in. I work on my truck a lot, and I worked with my grandpa on classic cars. In fact, one of the restoration projects I worked on with him was my first truck that I had. I also worked on my uncle’s race car that he used to race.

WERE THERE OTHER GIRLS IN YOUR CLASSES AND IF NOT, WAS IT INTIMIDATING TO BE THE ONLY ONE? I was it, and while it was kind of intimidating at first, I kind of put the boys in their place. And then it was fine.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ANYONE YOUR AGE WHO’S LOOKING TO GET INTO A SKILLED CAREER? My best advice to them is to just try to pick something that you would possibly like or that you find interesting and then just keep up with it and work hard because in the end, it’s going to be worth it.

WHAT WAS THE HARDEST THING FOR YOU TO GET YOUR HEAD AROUND IN YOUR TECHNICAL CLASSES? I don’t like doing book work that much, so I was like, "I don’t really need this." But I found out in the long run I was definitely going to need all those measurements because that’s what mechanics is. It’s just math with tools and that actually helped a lot with my math skills.

You have to be a leader in some things in your career, but also a follower in a lot of things. Like, if you don’t know something, and an instructor is teaching you, you don’t want to be stubborn and do it your way. You actually have to learn how to do it the right way.

FOUR FAST FACTS

INDUSTRIAL TECHS • Demand for industrial maintenance technicians expected to jump 13% in Arkansas. • Inspect, troubleshoot and repair equipment on job sites and in factories. • Median annual salary almost $50,000. • Welding and plumbing skills a plus, commanding higher pay.

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Manufacturing technology abounds at North Arkansas College

If you think you have to leave Arkansas to find cutting-edge manufacturing jobs — or if you think those jobs are low-tech, low-wage manual labor — think again. Today’s manufacturing jobs employ the latest in robotics, lasers and other automation in clean, climate-controlled work spaces. Best of all, manufacturing jobs are plentiful and well-paid for those with the right skills.

North Arkansas College in Harrison prepares students to step into these careertrack roles. Two programs in high demand include the school’s associate degree in automation and systems integration and its manufacturing technology certificate.

The automation and systems program takes the student through 61 credit hours with two emphasis tracks: electronics and manufacturing. Both tracks in these twoyear degrees study basic electronics theory and principles and use of basic test equipment, with detailed study in electronic devices and circuits. Hands-on troubleshooting, programming and operation of industrial equipment, such as microcontrollers, programmable logic controllers (PLC), drive systems and robotics, are also part of the program. North Arkansas College is the only FANUC Authorized Satellite Training Center in Arkansas for robotics.

Job titles vary, but all share the same basic job responsibility, which is to keep the highly technical and computerized machines working productively. Selected median salaries in this field include $41,360 for maintenance machinery techs and $58,350 for robotics and automation techs.

The manufacturing technology certificate provides training necessary to thrive in the machine tool technology industry. Students learn a variety of subject matter in this area, including safety and blueprint reading, technical math skills and various skills setting up and operating computer numeric controlled (CNC) machinery. Soft skills, such as job planning and management, quality and inspection, process improvement and technical communication, are also stressed.

Students completing the program are eligible to take National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) certifications, which employers are looking for. Both programs transfer or stack on other education programs to meet students’ long-term goals.

For more information, visit northark.edu.