Industrial Systems

Do you find creativity in a piece of steel or see a house in a stack of lumber and a box of nails? If you were the kind of child who took things apart to see how they worked, then a career in welding, plumbing, building construction, electrical wiring or automotive technology might be right for you. Typically, the men and women who enter these fields enjoy creating something from its many parts or fixing things that are broken.

Imagine working with your hands as well as your mind. Chemeketa can take you there.

The employment outlook for men and women entering occupations in the various fields of Industrial Systems is generally good, and according to occupational information from the Oregon Employment Department, if you have an associate degree or some type of post-secondary training, you have a competitive advantage for most jobs in this labor market.

Automotive

Associate degree/certificates

Chemeketa offers four options for an automotive career: a two-year Automotive Technology degree, which prepares you for a job servicing, diagnosing and repairing automobiles, and three, one-year certificate programs. Certificates can be earned in Automotive Body Repair, Automotive Machine Shop, and Automotive Parts Merchandising. Short-term training (one to three terms) is also available in Brake Systems, Transmission/TransAxle, Heating and Air Conditioning, Engine Repair, and Suspension and Steering. Between now and 2010, the Oregon Employment Department projects the number of jobs in Automotive Technology will increase by 17 percent, and currently the demand is high. Median hourly wage for automotive technicians is approximately $15 an hour. Chemeketa's program is fully certified by the National Automotive Technicians' Education Foundation (NATEF), and faculty members are certified by Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).

Welding

Associate degree/certificate

Think of all the cars, trucks, bridges and skyscrapers held together by the strength of a welded seam. Making those welds takes skill and knowledge that Chemeketa's Welding Technology program can give you. You can earn either a Welding Technology certificate, which can be completed in about three terms, or a Welding Fabrication Associate of Applied Science degree, which usually takes about two years. Jobs are typically well paid, with welders and cutters earning approximately $14 an hour. Employment in this area is projected to rise 14 percent by 2010.

Graduates in either Automotive or Building Construction who wish to further their education might consider transferring to a school such as Oregon Institute of Technology to complete a bachelor's degree in Industrial Management.

Building Inspection

Associate degree/certificates/transfer

The Building Inspection program has two options: four four-term focused plans for students with experience in the building trades, and a two-year option for those new to the field. As a graduate of either program, you may qualify for State of Oregon certification as a building inspector at the C level or higher, depending on your experience. Certified building inspectors are in demand and, as a median hourly wage, earn approximately $21 an hour. Jobs in this field are projected to rise by 20 percent by 2010.

If you graduate with an associate's degree and meet the admission requirements, you can be accepted by Western Oregon University in Monmouth as a transfer student for a bachelor's degree in Public Policy and Administration with a concentration in city and county government and a minor in Social Science. For more information about this program, call the Office of Admission at Western Oregon, 503.838.8428.

For more information about these programs, including information about any additional fees or requirements, call:

Automotive Technology — 503.399.6521
Building Inspection Technology — 503.399.5073
Welding Technology — 503.399.6059

Apprenticeship

Chemeketa Community College offers six different general journey-level apprenticeship programs, all of which include a combination of academic preparation and on-the-job, paid training. Depending on the program, you are required to have anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000 hours of paid, on-the-job training with a qualified training agent, and complete a minimum of 144 hours of academic preparation per year. The Brick Mason and Concrete Finisher program takes three years to complete; all the others can be completed in four.

Programs offered:

• Electrician
• Brick Mason and Concrete Finisher
• Sheet Metal
• Plumber
• Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning/Refrigeration

For more information about any of these apprenticeship programs, please call Marilyn Hart Reed, 503.399.5255, or send your questions by e-mail to reem@chemeketa.edu.

Getting Started

If you haven' t been to Chemeketa recently, your first step should be a visit to the college. While there you can talk to an advisor and learn what the college can do to help you reach your goal. You can arrange a time to take the college's free placement tests, which will help determine whether or not you need to take some basic skills classes in mathematics, reading or writing before enrolling in the program.

You may be able to get credit for college classes while you are still in high school, so check with your high school career and counseling office to see it this is an option for you.

Through Chemeketa's Credit for Prior Learning program, you may be able to earn credit for learning acquired through job, community or volunteer service, non-credit classes or individual study.

If you would like to eventually be a manager or own your own business, you may want to take additional classes in Accounting or Management.

Updated October 2006 by the College Advancement Department.