Industrial Electrical Technology FAQs

First step in getting started is to speak to a career counselor or program advisor. Each will be able to advise you of your options and guide you through the process.

You may visit our financial aid office conveniently located in the main administrative building (1400 Bldg.) Financial and career counselors will guide you through the process and help you make the right the decisions for you. You may call (509) 793-2061 or click on this link (Financial Aid) to visit the Financial Aid Home Page.

The answer is yes and no! Math and English placement tests are required of students wishing to take Math or English courses. These tests aid us in placing you in the right level course best suited for your ability. There are no other pre-entrance exams or requirements.

Generally, as much as previous courses apply and can be documented… yes. You should always check with your counselor or advisor for the final determination as to how previous course work applies to present course work.

The IST programs do not require you to purchase any minimum tool sets. The programs generally will provide everything you need for your course work. We ask that students provide their own safety glasses if they need or want special types. ** Students enrolled in Welding courses are required to purchase minimal tools.

At this time AAS degrees are not transferable to most four year institutions. These degrees are designed to certify technical course work (job skills). “Four year” degrees are generally suited to academic type studies. Misc. courses maybe accepted at some four year institutions. It is always advisable to check with your counselors or advisors.

Ninety one credit/hours is the minimum required for an AAS degree. However each professional/technical program has “program required courses” that must be completed. IST ~ Industrial Electrical emphasis requires 105 credit/hours in its entirety. Certificates of Achievement Require 45 plus credit/hours with successful completion of the written, oral communications, human relations, a mathematic, general education requirements and certain program courses.

College credit for military training is a possibility. You may contact the registrar’s office for information on how to pursue credit. You may also contact the program advisor for added details. Program advisors generally must look at military credits on a case by case basis to judge if program requirements were satisfied by military training

The latest reports from the Dept of Labor indicate that Nationwide, Industrial Electricians will enjoy a very favorable employment market. The DOL projects that employment of electricians will “grow faster than average.” Many working Industrial electricians will be retiring in the next five to ten years leaving a lot of opportunities, with few, qualified younger workers available to back fill the open positions. Locally, we see numerous openings advertising for Electrical related openings. We see many employment opportunities annually.

Many qualified Industrial Electricians with a few years experience, make salaries that rival or exceed salaries earned by individuals with 4 year degrees. Electrical Maintenance personnel usually have high job security also.

The IST degree program is designed the individual that wishes entry level in an electrical maintenance department. The degree certifies that the holder has successfully completed the program. It tells the employer that the graduate has put a great deal of effort into their career choice, is motivated, interested, is trainable, and most importantly is worthy of their future investment.

The IET program is approved by the Dept of Labor and Industries to apply up to 1488 hours of instruction toward apprenticeship requirements for (07) Non Residential Maintenance Electricians. Students must acquire and maintain trainee cards from the Dept. of L & I to qualify.

Generally no. Utility workers and linemen must serve an apprenticeship. Linemen Apprentices are taught by Journeyman Linemen. The utility organizations hire apprentices into their individual apprentice programs. They look for highly qualified and motivated individuals who may have good math backgrounds, ability to read blueprints and schematics, be well versed in electrical theory and have a general aptitude for utility work. Our IST coursework certainly is great Pre-apprentice training. This doesn’t guarantee that a graduate will be considered by the utilities’. We have some former students that have been interviewed and a few that are either in apprentice programs or are Journeyman Hydro-workers.

Generally, most IST classes are scheduled Monday through Thursday from 9am to 3:30 pm. There are exceptions. We do offer some classes in the evenings. We try to be as flexible with scheduling as possible. Contact the program advisors or career counselors for the best source of information about overall class schedules.

You can’t afford not to! Fitting school into anyone’s life, generally means certain life style changes. Studies prove over and over that individuals who pursue higher education have significantly higher earning power over their lifetime. Many financial aid programs exist that may soften the financial burden. Speak to the financial aid counselors. Explore your options.