Need a job? Need a better job? Get educated!

By Lynn Brisson
RCC
Published: July 14, 2008

Think about this: How many buildings do you enter that have no heat, air conditioning, refrigeration or electricity? No electronic/electrical devices? Bare yards?

Also, how many companies use equipment?

Now you know where the jobs are: Air conditioning/heating/refrigeration, electronics, electrical, machining and horticulture. Rockingham Community College can train you in all of these fields. And women, don’t think these jobs are for men only.

Electrical/electronics: This field is amazing. In addition to self employment, consider where our graduates are working: Lorillard Tobacco Co., AFG Wipes, Nestles, Goodyear Tire and Rubber, Miller Brewing, Tyco Electronics, Annie Penn Hospital, Rockingham and Forsyth county schools, Duke Power, Tiger Tech, Honeycutt Electric, BellSouth, and more. It’s like a Who’s Who of business and the job outlook for upcoming graduates is excellent.

Graduates can assist or be responsible for layout, installation and maintenance of electrical/electronic systems and equipment. Entry pay usually starts at $10 an hour. Depending on education and experience, this can increase up to $35. Employers often prefer applicants with an associate degree. RCC offers both an associate’s degree and a diploma. The diploma is a two-year, part-time evening program. The new associate in applied science degree is a three-year, part-time evening program.

Electronics engineering: This is the career for those who want more. Graduates are well qualified for electronic/electrical jobs such as testing, service or maintenance, but for those who want a little oomph in their work, this degree opens the door to custom control panel design, robotics, engineering assistance, systems integration and more. Who’s hiring? Tobacco companies, breweries, industrial and manufacturing establishments, educational institutions, computer/ networking facilities, custom panel fabrication facilities, field-service based companies and electronics tester, repair and bench repair operations. The pay is typically $14 to $20 per hour.

Further education yields higher wages. Graduates can pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology. RCC’s agreements with other schools make this an easy option. In addition, students can enter programs or take courses in fields such as computer and networking, which build on their electronics knowledge.

Electronics engineering technology is a five-semester, day program.

HVAC/R (heat/air/refrigeration): Air conditioners, heaters and refrigerators still need to be installed, maintained and repaired regardless of what is happening with the U.S. economy. Individuals with a degree, diploma or certificate from this program are hired by HVAC/R companies, companies with maintenance crews or departments and apartment complexes. These jobs can be found locally. They are plentiful in the Greensboro area. Entry pay is typically $12 to $14 per hour.

The HVAC/R diploma is a two-year, part-time evening program. If you decide to further your education, all credits earned in the HVAC/R program can be applied to RCC’s general occupational technology associate degree.

Horticulture: Landscapers, retail garden outlets, greenhouses, nurseries, maintenance departments, schools, golf courses, cemeteries, athletic organizations, homeowners, real estate firms and property management businesses are places horticulturalists can find employment. Because individuals and businesses are “going green,” those with horticulture training are even more in demand. As a horticulturalist, you can work on a crew, as a designer, or in a greenhouse or nursery. You may also perform specialty work — trimming trees, lawn care, pest control or spraying. You can also become self-employed.

Typically, entry-level pay is as follows: Landscape crew worker, $8 – $12 an hour; designer, $25 – $30 an hour; crew leader, $15 – $18 an hour; grounds crew, $24,000 – $36,000 per year. The best pay can be found around the Greensboro and Winston-Salem areas. A four-year degree can be obtained in plant science or landscape management. With these degrees, pay typically jumps 20 to 25 percent.

Horticulture technology is a one-year, full-time evening diploma program or a two-year, part-time evening program.

Industrial systems: Companies or industries with machinery or equipment need people to keep the machinery running. The outlook for these jobs is excellent and work can be found locally as well as surrounding counties. Entry-level pay is typically $10 to $13 an hour for those without experience and $15-$31 an hour for those with experience and a diploma.

Companies with more technical or sophisticated equipment need people with formal training, like that provided at RCC. A great complementary degree is RCC’s general occupational technology, which teaches scheduling, writing reports and using statistical data for short-term and long-term planning and thus prepares you for supervisory positions.

Industrial systems technology is a part-time, evening program.

Every program at RCC is designed to be completed within a designated amount of time. If you need remedial courses, fail courses, or cannot take all of the courses designed for a particular semester, the time needed to fulfill the requirements for the program may be extended.

For complete information call 342-4261.

The end result is priceless: A career and job made just for you.

• Lynn Brisson is assistant director of public relations for Rockingham Community College.