Hinds Community College Blog

What do you want to be when you grow up? From a young age it was just understood that I was going to college. I would have to figure out what I wanted to be but, I was going. College wasn’t an option; it was just an afterthought...an extension of high school you might say. It would be where I would learn to make a living because everyone works these days. With that being said, you need some common knowledge to know which career path to go down. 

• Analytical skills

• Detail oriented

• Math and computer skills

• Mechanical skills

• Stamina

• Technical skills

If you answered "yes" to any of these qualities, Machine Tool Technology might just be the career option for you.

• Work from computer-aided design (CAD) or computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) files,  blueprints, or sketches

• Set up, operate, and tear down manual, automatic, or computer numeric controlled (CNC) machine tools

• Install, align, secure, and adjust cutting tools and work pieces

• Monitor the feed and speed of machines

• Turn, mill, drill, shape, and grind machine parts to specifications

• Measure, examine, and test completed products for defects

• Compute and verify dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of work pieces

• File, grind, and adjust parts so that they fit together properly

• Test completed tools or dies to ensure that they meet specifications

• Inspect for proper dimensions and defects

• Smooth and polish surfaces of tools and dies

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for machinists and tool and die makers should be excellent as employers continue to value the skills of these workers.  Employers in certain parts of the country including Mississippi report difficulty attracting skilled workers and apprenticeship candidates with the abilities necessary to fill job openings. Manufacturers continue to rely heavily on skilled machinists as they invest in new equipment, modify production techniques, and implement product design changes more rapidly. Machinists are still necessary to set up, monitor and maintain automated CNC machine tools.  Typical jobs filled by students who have completed this program include apprentice machinists, production machinists and maintenance machinists. 

Need More Information?

This program is located on the Raymond campus of Hinds Community College.  For more information, contact Norman Trimble via email at Norman.Trimble@hindscc.edu or give him a call at 601.857.3423. 

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.