Though a similar program is offered 23 miles away in Marshall, Kilgore College-Longview's dean says there is plenty of demand locally for another industrial maintenance program.
The Longview campus will begin offering degrees and certification in industrial maintenance technology this fall. Graduates from the three-semester course will qualify for employment at area companies such as Eastman Chemical-Texas Operations, LeTourneau Technologies and AEP Southwestern Electric Power Co. — three of seven area businesses that have endorsed the course curriculum.
An industrial maintenance technology course also is offered at Texas State Technical College Marshall.
"Between the two of us, we're still not able to turn out enough people to fill employment needs," said Julie Fowler, Kilgore College-Longview dean. "It's just incredible the needs that are out there ... These companies are so desperate for employees like any other industry — the Baby Boomers are coming up on retirement."
To start the program, KC-Longview will have 16 student slots, Fowler said. Classes will be held at a former church facility just south of the campus.
As for the technical applications in the course, Fowler said students will share equipment with other industrial-related classes until plans to build a new machine shop come to fruition.
Certification will cost $2,989 for in-district students and $5,733 for students who live out of the Kilgore College zones. An associate of applied science degree will cost $3,649 for in-district students and $7,128 for out-of-district students. Books and supplies will cost about $350 additional per semester.
The potential salary range is between $11 and $31 per hour, Fowler said.
"In a big manufacturing company, you have live folks producing the final product, and they are using machines to do this," Fowler said. "Your industrial maintenance technicians are making sure that the equipment keeps working. If the machines aren't working, production is shut down."
For information, call Kilgore College-Longview at (903) 753-2642. Classes begin in August.
