Mar 11th, 2020
The Engineering Systems Technology program at Jackson State Community College is currently accepting applications for the Advanced Maintenance Technician (AMT) work cooperative. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, May 1.
"The AMT work co-op is a tremendous opportunity," said Cathi Roberts, AMT completion coach. "Our students go through an intensive interview process, are hired by a world-class manufacturing partner, get hands-on work experience three days a week, and take classes at Jackson State for two days a week."
The program requires students to go to school for 5 contiguous semesters. AMT students are paid $12 per hour in their first semester and are given a 50-cent raise for each consecutive semester through the end of the program. High school graduates that use the Tennessee Promise scholarship can actually earn over $21,000 while attending school and not incur any educational debt.
Upon graduation, students will receive an associate of applied science in Engineering Systems Technology and will have also earned several industry certifications. "When an AMT student graduates on Saturday, they could have the opportunity to walk directly into a full-time position on Monday earning an average of $21 per hour to start," said Roberts. "Many of our graduates do much better than this and advance rapidly."
Roberts says that AMTs are not production jobs that so many people equate with manufacturing. These are skilled positions that require an individual to work both independently and as part of a team. They must be able to troubleshoot and fix problems in areas such as robotics, pneumatics, hydraulics, and programmed logic controllers.
"Manufacturing facilities are not like they were a generation ago," said Roberts. "Safety is the number one priority for all 26 of our manufacturing partners. The pay and benefits are also great!"
To learn more about the Engineering Systems Technology program and the AMT work cooperative at JSCC, visit www.jscc.edu/est or call Cathi Roberts at 731-425-9584.