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By Nancy Sweet, Dean, Applied and Emerging Technologies, Lincoln Land Community College
Nancy Sweet

 

 

 

Lincoln Land Community College is certainly known in our area for providing education at a value, especially for those looking to stay local before transferring on to a four-year university. But for some, a two- or four-year degree doesn’t provide the career path they  desire. For those who didn’t seem to “click” in a traditional classroom – sitting at a desk, listening to a lecture, struggling to concentrate, knowing that college is not for them – a certificate program in a trade may be a much better fit. LLCC’s short-term certificate programs offer just that: higher education that focuses strictly on building workforce skills without the formal degree.

Our area’s economy is dependent on educated, skilled workers. Many employers in a range of industries and sectors say they cannot find skilled workers to fill their current job openings and grow their businesses. Some of those industries in central Illinois include auto techs, heating and cooling service technicians, welders and aviation mechanics.

HVAC/R jobs will always be in demand. Because nearly every building has a climate control system, Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) will always be a career with opportunity. While many industries are being taken over by robotics and computers, HVAC/R will be in demand for years to come.

Welding is an extremely versatile field, and there is opportunity for so many different welding positions. Entry-level welders earn $40,000 on average, and the increase continues regularly. The better you get at welding, the more you can earn with the average annual salary of experienced welders topping out at over $100,000.

Though the pandemic has slowed commercial air traffic, there is still high demand for aviation mechanics as cargo flights never stop. In fact, industry experts say that long-term need remains robust. These are the professionals who work to diagnose, troubleshoot and repair airplane engines, systems and technology. Median average salaries are upwards of $65,000.

LLCC offers training in all of these areas. Each program has several start times a year and most take less than a year to complete, with aviation mechanics taking 18 months. All of these programs start at the beginning of January, and now is the perfect time to prepare yourself to start training for a new career.

Choosing the right classes can be stressful. With these programs, your classes are set from day one so you can focus on your training, and not worry about making sure you are taking the right classes. Plus, none of these certificates require any general education courses. Every course is focused on building the skills you need for a high-wage, high-demand career. And, when you sign up for your program, you’ll know your exact schedule from start to the very last day, so you can make sure it works for you and your life. Instead of a “typical” college schedule where you may have classes scattered throughout the week that are hard to juggle life and work around, these programs offer convenient block schedules where you can choose all day or evening classes. And every program is financial aid eligible.

To get trained, hired and start work in a career, explore LLCC’s high-quality, affordable workforce programs starting in January. Darla Cochran, workforce enrollment specialist, will walk you through our easy enrollment process and get you ready for your first day of class. For more information and assistance, call Darla at 217-786-2407 or email darla.cochran@llcc.edu.

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