Students in Randolph Community College’s Electrician Assistant Certificate Program are uniquely positioned to take advantage of a situation developing in the electrical field, according to instructor Mike Whitt. “The average age of an electrician in the state of North Carolina is 55,” said Whitt. Those students in training now will be poised to take over for the slew of electricians who will be retiring in the next 10 years, he said.
The next Electrician Assistant class at RCC is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 17. The class will meet Monday through Thursday mornings, from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., on the Asheboro Campus.
Student Hector Alvarado of Candor, who finished RCC’s program on Dec. 14, already has a job lined up at Pope Electric in Southern Pines. “This class helped me get the interview,” he said. Alvarado was working as a safety director for a construction company when he was laid off. “I had wanted to do electrical for awhile,” he said. “So I decided to take this class to better myself. This is a real good class. No one can take knowledge from you.”
Other students in the class said they have similar goals. Michael Smith of Asheboro, who is just 17 and is finishing his GED at RCC, plans to go to work for a heating and air company after he is finished. Jesse Perry of Burlington said he was laid off and decided electricity would be a good industry to get into. He plans to take RCC’s HVAC class next semester before looking for work.
Whitt is on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina chapter of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors and serves on the education committee. He participates in the rewriting of instructor manuals for electrical inspections to make sure they conform to the National Electrical Code.
Randolph Community College also offers Standard Inspection Courses for electrical inspectors.
Tuition for the Electrician Assistant Program is $175, plus a $1.25 supply fee. Students with financial need should check with the Continuing Education office about scholarships or financial aid available.
For more information or to register, call 336-633-0268. RCC’s campuses will be closed Dec. 21 – Jan. 2 for the semester break. Interested students should call after Jan. 3.
