Lorain County Community College introduces new Multicraft Industrial Maintenance program

Lorain County Community College has introduced a new program that will equip students with the skills they need to meet the demands of the region’s workforce. The Multicraft Industrial Maintenance program will teach students electrical, mechanical, and automation engineering technologies in one program that will provide students with an associate degree plus two certificates.

According to an article on Lorain County Community College’s website, Paul Calaway, who serves as the Senior Director of Culture and Colleague Care at Beckett Thermal Solutions, explained the organization’s needs and how this program will help the company meet those needs. As an advisory board member, Beckett Thermal Solutions played a role in developing the curriculum for the new program. Calaway is quoted as saying, “We have a heavy need for maintenance technicians that have full capabilities to work on a variety of types of equipment at our facilities. We have automation and robots, but we also have mechanical needs. We are looking for that well-rounded experience. LCCC is really driving to understand what the community needs. They’ve taken the initiative on that and put together a program that will really help meet our needs as we go forward.”

The program offers students the opportunity to earn a Multicraft Industrial Maintenance Technician associate degree, as well as a short-term certificate and a one-year certificate all in the same program. Students will gain well-rounded industry knowledge that will prepare them to be able to repair, maintain, and test various industrial systems. Northeast Ohio as a region currently has roughly 500 job openings for positions that require these skills, with a salary in the neighborhood of $68,000.

Marcia J. Ballinger, Ph.D., the president of Lorain County Community College, said, “Today’s manufacturing equipment and facilities are smarter, more connected, and more automated. With this pace of technological change, the traditional siloed maintenance roles of the past no longer fit the realities of Industry 4.0. Equipment now blends mechanical systems, electrical components and PLC-driven automation. That means the workforce must do the same. Any organization operating complex facilities can benefit from this training to strengthen their ongoing maintenance operations. We already have hospital systems interested in graduates of this program to help maintain their infrastructures, which are more connected and comprehensive than ever.”

For more information about Lorain County Community College, visit the school’s website.