11 Aug 2015 UACCM announces new program

The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton announces a new Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology program starting this fall. 

The program has been in the works for several months and has recently passed the final stages of approval by the University of Arkansas System and the Arkansas Department for Higher Education.

The Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology program is designed to prepare students in general electromechanical safety, maintenance and troubleshooting practices that are applicable to multiple industrial settings. Students will be trained to perform a variety of skills to repair, install, adjust and do preventive maintenance to high-tech industrial machinery.

UACCM instructor Robby Tipton will teach many of the classes offered in the new program.  “We built this program using information collected from several different industries in the area,” he said. “It will be very hands-on and offer safety training that is used widely in several different industries.”

After successful completion of the program, students will be able to enter the workplace and fill highly-skilled positions which require a technician to install, operate, support, upgrade and/or maintain the software, hardware, automated equipment and systems that many companies are dependent upon.

UACCM Chancellor Dr. Larry Davis said, “We are constantly working to bring new and relevant programs to UACCM, expanding options for students and allowing them to enter the workforce with a skillset that our industry partners have told us is valuable to them. This is exactly what we have done when developing the Industrial Mechanics program to ensure our graduates are equipped for their future in the industry.”

The program offers courses allowing students to work toward a certificate of proficiency, technical certificate or associate of applied science degree. Some of the classes offered within the program include Schematics, Introduction to Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Fundamentals of Electricity, Arc Flash Safety, Motors and System Controls, Introduction to Analog and Digital Electronics, First Aid/HSE, Understanding OSHA Regulations Basic, Hydraulic and Pneumatics, Introduction to Programmable Logic Controllers and Electromechanical Troubleshooting.

“My goal is to have conveyors, robotic arms and other items that we can use to build a small factory so students get a real-world feel,” Tipton said. “This will prepare our students and make them more desirable applicants equipped with a degree and experience that help them advance quicker in today’s workplace.”

For more information about the Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology program, visit uaccm.edu and select “Programs of Study” from the drop-down menu at the top of the page.