Through a grant given by Duke Energy, Beaufort County Community College has bought equipment to establish an Industrial Maintenance Program, a six-month training program that will begin in mid-January.

According to Lou Stout, director of Workforce Initiatives, Duke awarded BCCC $141,029 to fund the program. With that grant money, the college purchased industrial equipment for the program, including welders, electrical training systems, electrical wiring trainers and other basic tools of the trade like saws, wrenches and other hand tools, Stout said.

Students will receive training in basic forklift operations, blueprint reading, wiring for electrical systems, hydraulics and pumps, plumbing, compressors and pneumatics and mechanical systems, Stout said. Students will also receive human resources development training and a Career Readiness Certification (CRC), Stout said.

Stout said those who complete the course will be certified as industrial maintenance mechanics and will be qualified to repair and maintain a variety of commercial and industrial machinery. The course work will focus on the Level I IMM developed by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). Level I topics include orientation to the trade, tools of the trade, fasteners and anchors, oxyfuel cutting, gaskets and packing, craft-related mathematics, construction drawings, pumps and drivers, valves, introduction to test instruments, material handling and hand rigging, mobile and support equipment, and lubrication.

Included in the IMM Program will be Forklift Training and OSHA 10 Certification, Stout said.

Median income for trained industrial maintenance mechanics is $55,000 per year, and jobs in the field are expected to increase by 35.5 percent over the next decade in Beaufort and surrounding counties, particularly as current workers retire and their positions become vacant, according to a BCCC press release. BCCC President Barbara Tansey spoke about the grant, facilitating the new program at BCCC.

“As an important partner in the economic development of our region, Beaufort County Community College worked with local industries to develop this curriculum and I am delighted that Duke Energy has joined with us to provide equipment for this needed training for our work force,” said BCCC President Barbara Tansey.

Stout said the classes will begin Jan. 17 and will last until mid-May.

“What these students will do is there are 10 or 15 modules built around the program,” Stout said. “They’ll take individual modules and take a credential exam. Then they are issued a level 1 Industrial Maintenance Mechanic credential. Part of that is they’ll learn tools of the trade and learn about things like basic welding, valves and construction drawings. We bought some electrical training systems where it comes with all the parts to learn how to do wiring. Students take parts and build it on the trainer and the instructor checks it and disassembles it so the next student can do it.”

Stout said the college has become a training provider for the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) as a result of the grant and starting up the new program. All classes will meet at the Beaufort County Skills Center located in 705 Page Road in Washington. The CRC class will meet on the campus of Beaufort County Community College (BCCC). Class times may vary and a detailed schedule will be provided at the time of registration, Stout said.

For information about the new program, including cost, please contact Lou Stout, Director of Workforce Initiatives at 940-6307 or by email at lous@beaufortccc.edu.