Hinds Community College Blog

What do you want to be when you grow up? Know yourself; that is the first and most important step in selecting a career pathway. This is true whether you are considering a career change, contemplating a new career for your retirement years or a true college freshman.  In order to make a well-informed decision you must identify your interests, values, skills and personality preferences. 

Do You Possess The Following Traits?

• Business skills

• Concentration

• Cultural sensitivity

• Dexterity

• Listening skills

If so, the Interpreter Training Program might be just the program for you! The program is designed to prepare students to interpret/transliterate spoken English into American Sign Language and American Sign Language into spoken English while working with the Deaf and hard of hearing. The interpreter works in a variety of settings including educational, medical, community, business and occupational. The primary goal of the program is to prepare students to have and knowledge and understanding of the work a sign language interpreter, develop language skills and be ready to take the state level screening. After a student has passed state level screening, they are ready for an entry level position where they will continue to gain knowledge and skills and prepare for national certification.

Students will not only receive hands-on learning experiences in the classroom with industry-standard equipment, but they will venture out into the deaf community to apply their knowledge. In fact, experience in the deaf community is what helps the student be successful. All training activities and instructional material emphasize the importance of maintaining high personal standards. Work habits and ethical practices required on the job are an integral part of the instruction. 

What Do Interpreters Do On The Job? 

• Convert concepts in the source language to equivalent concepts in the target language

• Relay style, tone and affect

• Manage work schedules to meet deadlines

• Render spoken ideas accurately, quickly, and clearly

Will I Be Able To Find A Job? 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of interpreters is expected to grow 42 percent from 2010 to 2020. Driven by the increasing use of video relay services, which allow people to conduct online video calls and use a sign language interpreter demand for American Sign Language interpreters is expected to grow rapidly. Job opportunities should be best for those who have professional certification. In addition, urban areas should continue to provide the largest numbers of employment possibilities, especially for interpreters. Interpreters for the deaf will continue to have favorable employment prospects because there is a shortage of people with the needed skill levels.

Need More Information?

This Interpreter Training Technology program is located on the Raymond campus of Hinds Community College. For more information, contact Sandra Hester at SDhester@hindscc.edu or 601.857.3487. 

What do you want in a career? Do you have good eye-hand coordination?  Do you enjoy taking things apart and reassembling them? Are you good at troubleshooting and figuring out why something is not working?  What about technical instructions, can you follow them? If you answered yes to these questions, then the Industrial Maintenance Trades program at Hinds Community College might be the career for you!

Industrial Maintenance is a career–technical program designed to prepare students for entry-level employment as multi-skilled maintenance technicians. Industrial maintenance trade technicians are responsible for:

• Reading technical manuals to understand equipment and controls

• Disassembling machinery and equipment when there is a problem

• Repairing or replacing broken or malfunctioning components

• Performing tests and running initial batches to make sure that the machine is running smoothly

• Adjusting and calibrating equipment and machinery to optimal specifications

• Detecting minor problems by performing basic diagnostic tests

• Cleaning and lubricating equipment or machinery

• Checking the performance of machinery

• Testing malfunctioning machinery to determine whether major repairs are needed

• Adjusting equipment and resetting or calibrating sensors and controls

Industrial machinery mechanics and maintenance workers maintain and repair factory equipment and other industrial machinery, such as conveying systems, production machinery, and packaging equipment.

Will I Be Able To Find A Job?

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, overall employment of industrial maintenance workers is projected to grow 17% through 2022. Employment growth will vary by specialty. The increased use of sophisticated manufacturing machinery and computer-controlled machines in factories and manufacturing plants should drive the demand for industrial maintenance technicians. 

Typical job placement in this field can be found with industrial or commercial employers in positions such as mechanical/electrical repair and preventative maintenance. 

Additional Certifications:

The Industrial Maintenance Technology Program works with the Mississippi Construction Education Foundation to provide national construction education certification to its students for Core, IMM Level 1 and IMM Level 2. 

Need More Information?

This program is located on the Raymond campus of Hinds Community College. For more information, contact Randy Wilson at RLWilson@hindscc.edu or give him a call at 601.857.3317. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? Some people are lucky and find the perfect career right off the bat, but many of us try different jobs and career paths, hoping the next one will be “it”.  Don’t let chance decide what the best career path is for you, research the possibilities! Use your friends and family to introduce you to acquaintances employed in positions that peak your interest.

Are you friendly, polite and punctual? Those are all customer service skills which are important when dealing with the public.  What about detail oriented?  Well maintained records of work is a plus in some career paths.  Are you mechanically adept and able to identify problems and then determine how to repair them?  Those are troubleshooting skills that are essential to many career paths.  These are all qualities that are important to HVACR technicians. 

The Heating and Air Conditioning Technology program at Hinds Community College is designed to prepare individuals to work in engineering departments or private firms installing, maintaining, and operating small or medium air conditioning, heating and refrigeration systems. It also prepares individuals to work in a commercial setting performing special tasks relating to designing ductwork, assembly, installation, servicing, operation, and maintenance of heating and cooling systems according to industry standards.   Included are air-conditioning, heating, and refrigeration devices; equipment, techniques, and systems; and maintenance and operation of these systems.

What Do HVAC Technicians Do?

• Install or repair HVACR systems using blueprints or design specifications

• Connect systems to fuel and water supply lines, air ducts, and other components

• Install and test electrical wiring and controls for proper operation

• Inspect and maintain customers’ HVACR systems

• Determine necessary repairs by testing individual components

• Repair or replace worn or defective parts

• Make recommendations to improve efficiency

• Travel to worksites

Will I Be Able To Find A Job?  

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers is projected to grow 21 percent through 2022. This increase is being driven by commercial and residential construction. Sophisticated climate-control systems are also increasing the demand for qualified HVACR technicians as is the need for replacement of systems which typically need to be replaced every 10 to 15 years. 

Job opportunities for HVACR technicians are expected to be excellent, particularly for those who have completed training at an accredited technical school or through an apprenticeship. Candidates with the best job opportunities will be those familiar with computers and electronics, as well as those who have developed troubleshooting skills. Typical jobs filled by students who have completed this program at Hinds include apprentice HVACR technicians.

Need More Information?

This program is located on the Raymond campus of Hinds Community College. For more information on the HVAC program, contact Eddie Carson (WECarson@hindscc.edu) or Pat Granger (Michael.Granger@hindscc.edu) or call them at 601.857.3319. 

What do you want to do when you grow up? Jobs are temporary, but careers are life plans.  Are you a little bit nervous about choosing a career? Choose your career based upon what you want after researching the careers that interest you. Be realistic. Don’t make your decision based upon what someone else wants you to be! 

Do you possess good communication and basic computer skills? Are you competent in basic math?  Do you pay attention to detail? Do you possess mechanical aptitude? If your answer is yes to these questions, you should explore printing technicians and related fields as a career option. 

Graphics and Print Communication prepares individuals to engage in entry level positions in the graphic arts field by providing classroom instruction and laboratory experiences using equipment and software comparable to that found in industry. Students learn industry terminology, history, and theory. They develop fundamental process skills in operations related to graphic and print design, paste-up and layout, film assembly, platemaking, press operations, and binding and finishing.

Artists, writers, graphic designers and office workers all depend on printing technicians to reproduce their work. Read on to learn about the job duties and training requirements for printing technicians, and find information about job growth and salary that can help you make an informed career and educational decision.

Will I Be Able To Find A Job?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of print related positions will experience steady demand, including print logistics (labels, wrappers, and packaging) and print marketing (catalogs and direct mail). Typical jobs for students who have completed this program include apprentice pre-press technicians and workers, printing press operators and print binding and finishing workers

What Do Printers Do?

• Arrange pages so that materials can be printed

• Operate laser platemaking equipment in order to convert electronic data to plates

• Determine quantities to be printed, paper specifications, colors, and special printing instructions

• Adjust equipment controls and feed paper through press cylinders

• Identify any needed adjustments by inspecting random samples during print runs

• Use hand tools such as bone folders, knives, hammers, or brass binding tools to bind new books

• Fitting and gluing material to binder boards by hand or machine by cutting material to specified dimensions

• Compress sewed or glued sets of pages by using hand presses or smashing machines

*The printing process has three stages: prepress, press, and binding or finishing. In small print shops, the same person may take care of all three stages. However, in most print shops workers specialize in one of these three stages:

Need More Information?

This program is located on the Raymond campus of Hinds Community College.  For more information on the Graphic Print Communications program, contact Jim Porch at JCPorch@hindscc.edu and/or 601.857.3319. 

Students enrolled in the Diesel Equipment Technology program at Hinds Community College on the Raymond campus may choose to combine their classroom experience with actual on-the-job training by enrolling in DET 2923, Supervised Work Experience during their last semester.  So what are the benefits of this type of class? Experience, Career Development, Reinforced Learning, College Credit and Money! Now money is not the primary purpose of any type of supervised on-the-job experience, but it certainly does help.

John Temple, a Diesel Equipment Technology student, is currently employed with Magnolia Marine in Vicksburg, Mississippi while completing his degree requirements. John works on barges servicing and maintaining diesel engines. Temple was able to land the job with a two-year degree from our community college. 

For half the cost of a four year education, John has the potential to make up to $70,000 per year (equal or in many instances more than those possessing a bachelors or master’s degree in other fields). According to USA TODAY, an estimated 2.5 million new, middle-skill jobs like John’s are expected to be added to the workforce by 2017. These middle-skill jobs will make up 40% of all job growth. 

Community colleges offer career-tech programs, which provide training for many of these positions which require far less than a bachelor’s degree. Hinds offers over 70 career or technical programs which train for these high-wage, high-skill and high-demand jobs.  Students may choose to earn a career certificate in just 30 hours, technical certificate in 45 or an Associate of Applied Science with 60 hours.

This past week, John traveled to Greenville, Ms. to work on barges undergoing Coast Guard inspections. Among his duties were to make sure the emergency shut off to the engine was working properly and to remove air in the fuel line of a diesel pump engine. Both barges passed the Coast Guard inspections with flying colors for river trips. Later that week, Temple overhauled an engine in their shop. 

Did you know that Magnolia Marine operates the largest inland waterways asphalt transportation fleet in the United States? Their fleet consists of 20 towboats and more than 75 barges which move product throughout the Mississippi River system as well as the intracoastal waterways of the Gulf of Mexico. 

http://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2014/10/14/16261275/