SAN ANTONIO – A new degree program designed to support the demand for occupations required to sustain advanced manufacturing operations in the San Antonio area is being offered by Alamo Colleges-Palo Alto College.
College officials said the Associate of Applied Science in Industrial Technology consists of two program tracks: manufacturing specialization and instrumentation specialization.
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"Providing accessible education and training to promote the economic life of our community is central to Palo Alto College’s mission," president of Palo Alto College Dr. Mike Flores said. "We know our students are the future workforce of San Antonio, and we want to ensure they’re prepared to continue the work done to develop south San Antonio."
Students who complete the industrial technology program will gain extensive practical experience in areas such as mechanical and electrical maintenance, measurement and instrumentation technology. College officials said students will also learn to apply instrumentation fundamentals, explain common material properties and characteristics, outline the structure and operation of a manufacturing system and demonstrate competence using various industrial equipment.
Specialized curriculum and key skills outcomes for the new program were designed with input from the San Antonio Manufacturing Association, which is an organization composed of representatives from manufacturing businesses throughout the San Antonio area, officials said.
SAMA members serve as the advisory committee for the program. Median salaries in Texas for careers in the Industrial Technology Instrumentation or Manufacturing technician area average $55,000 per year, according to America's Career Infonet. Students who complete Palo Alto College's program will be dually prepared to use curriculum skills in other industries, such as energy utility.
Palo Alto College said it will join a handful of other colleges in Texas to offer the program.