New Industrial Electrician Certificate offers Quick Entry to High-Paying Career Options

Thanks to a new certificate offered by Central Ohio Technical College (COTC), an in-demand job as an industrial electrician could be yours within a year.

Beginning this autumn, this six-course Industrial Electrician Certificate is an efficient option for students looking to enter the job market quickly while also laying the groundwork for a long-term career.

Graduates who earn the Industrial Electrician Certificate will work closely with electrical engineers to design and develop industrial equipment. This certificate offers an introduction to the field of electrical engineering, including computer-aided drafting (CAD). Students who complete the Industrial Electrician Certificate can enter the workforce as engineering technicians. The median hourly wage in Ohio for electrical and electronic engineering technicians is $31.36, according to Ohio Labor Market Information.

Due to Intel’s announcement in January that they will invest $20 billion in two semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Licking County, creating 3,000 permanent jobs, the region’s high-tech industrialization will continue to accelerate rapidly. Plus, Intel’s public announcement that they plan to hire 70% of their Ohio workforce at the associate degree level draws welcome attention to the relevance of associate degrees.

Credits from the industrial electrician certificate can be applied directly to COTC’s electrical engineering technology associate degree program, offering graduates a seamless path toward professional development and setting them up for success in their long-term career goals.

This new certificate will be available at COTC’s Newark, Knox and Coshocton campuses this fall. Autumn semester starts Aug. 24. Students can apply to COTC for free at cotc.edu/apply.

To learn more, contact the COTC Admissions Office at cotcadmissions@mail.cotc.edu or 740. 366.9222. 

College Affordability

Thanks to funding from the Ohio Department of Education, students can apply for a short-term certificate grant of up to $2,000 to assist with tuition and fees for this program. The grants are available to students who indicate that they have financial need as well as students who are currently in or exiting foster care. Financial need may be the result of unemployment or underemployment (working in low-paying or low-skill jobs) or simply lacking resources to fully meet current expenses. 

COTC also offers more than $1 million in scholarships annually. In Coshocton and Knox counties, the COTC Promise guarantees to fund the gap between tuition (instructional and general fees) and remaining student need after all other private scholarships and institutional, federal and state aid are exhausted. Under the program, all tuition will be covered for students annually reporting a household income of $60,000 or less on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The COTC Promise programs are open to new, current or returning COTC students who do not already hold a bachelor’s or associate degree and can be used for classes at any COTC campus. Eligible students must be current Coshocton or Knox County residents who have lived in the county for at least one year.

To apply for a short-term certificate grant, COTC students must complete a brief application available at cotc.edu/grants. For more information about the short-term certificate grant, contact Student Financial Services at 740.366.9435 or nwk-studentfinancialservices@mail.cotc.edu.