Ogeechee Technical College and WorkSource Coastal are partnering to recruit individuals for OTC’s new Industrial Maintenance Fast-track program.  Designed to train workers for positions within various industries, industrial maintenance experts are the people who help keep an industry’s manufacturing lines running.  “When a vital piece of machinery malfunctions or breaks, it can completely stop production in many cases,” said OTC’s Vice President for Economic Development, Jan Moore.  “At that point, the person who can repair that machinery, and get the production back on-line, becomes the most vital person in the plant.” 

The Fast-track program allows students to complete the curriculum through Ogeechee Tech’s Continuing Education department in just 12 weeks, according to Kathleen Kosmoski, OTC’s Director for Continuing Education and Industry Training.  “This really is one of the fastest training programs I know of that can result in a good job right away,” said Kosmoski.  “Industrial maintenance is perfect for someone who is mechanically inclined, who likes working with their hands, and who wants a steady job with any variety of exceptional industries.”  OTC and WorkSource Coastal have a great relationship with area industries, and in fact, many local industries are encouraging current employees to seek this training to allow them to move to a new position within the company, according to Kosmoski.  “Industrial maintenance technicians are critical to the operation of any industry,” she said.

Several years ago, a need for industrial maintenance technicians was identified, and through the cooperative efforts of local industries in OTC’s service delivery area of Bulloch, Evans, and Screven Counties, training equipment was purchased for the industrial maintenance lab at the College.  “Through the efforts of local industries and the Ogeechee Technical College Foundation, we were able to acquire state-of-the-art training equipment, which allows us to prepare students for a variety of applications to meet industry needs,” said Moore. 

According to Industrial Maintenance program instructor, Justin Goodman, it can take up to a year to properly train an industrial maintenance technician on the job, compared to only 12 weeks with the intensive classroom and lab experiences received at Ogeechee Tech.  “We train in broad curriculum sets in a very short amount of time, but the training allows students to go right to work applying what they learned in a work environment,” said Goodman.

WorkSource Coastal and OTC have teamed up with local industries to ensure that graduates of the program will get at least two job interviews upon successful completion of the program.  With entry level jobs paying about $15 per hour to start, it can turn 12 weeks of training into a potentially great career, according to Kosmoski.  Those who qualify can also complete the program free of charge, through the cooperative efforts of WorkSource Coastal, local industries, and OTC.