DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Richland Community College has a variety of STEM-based programs. The engineering technology program provides students with various skills.
“In engineering, everything starts with the idea, the original idea,” said Bradley Currie, an engineering technology instructor at Richland Community College. "So the students in the class were using some solid modeling software, so where they actually [learned] how to draw and design and create the working blueprint."
Currie said students then take those plans into hands-on work, including printing and building multi-part projects. Through 3D printers or manual tools, students assemble parts to create their ultimate goal item.
He is seeing more people pursue careers in engineering, thanks to the benefits that come with it.
"All of our local employers are looking for knowledgeable, skilled candidates to fill these roles," said Currie. "The engineering technology program provides good, high-paying jobs, generally starting salaries in our area are anywhere from $22 to $30 an hour. They're looking for machinists, machine operators, drill press operators, designers in CAD or AutoCAD."
One of the students enrolled in the program is Zan Bacon. For him, the draw for the program is bringing his ideas to life.
"This is an amazing field and you learn lots of stuff, not just technology, but like learning to use it in the real world," Bacon said. "This class is a really good class because you don't just learn about the machining; it's about problem-solving skills."
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