Do you need to start a career, and fast? What is the secret to getting the training employers want? The latest research shows there are lots of positions waiting for qualified applicants in North Carolina.
What do many of these in-demand jobs have in common? They are innovative fields with interesting and challenging careers. And they require only a two-year associate degree or certification—available right at Isothermal Community College.
Take your pick from opportunities in growing fields where a bachelor’s degree isn’t a requirement. You can avoid feeling trapped by student loan debt with an affordable education—don’t forget to fill out the FAFSA to get all the help you need. The Powers Promise means citizens of Rutherford and Polk counties may be able to attend tuition-free.
By enrolling in specialty programs, you finish with highly sought-after skills and credentials. Think about your natural interests and abilities and choose from many of the growing career fields in North Carolina.
Rise of the Machines
Are you a techie? Do you like to work with your hands and problem-solve? Does the complexity of machinery fascinate you?
One of the hottest job markets today is industrial manufacturing. While it may sound old school, the manufacturing trades have come a long way technologically. Mechatronics combines skills in mechanics, pneumatics, programming, and robotics and systems development. Mechatronics technicians design, build, maintain and repair automated equipment and program equipment control systems.
A major plus is stackable credentials. Maybe you’ll begin training as a computer numeric controlled (CNC) heavy machine operator, and add machining, welding and industrial maintenance. The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics forecasts that CNC heavy machinery operators jobs will grow by 17 percent from 2014 to 2024 while mechatronics will grow 15 percent from 2017-2027.
Median hourly wage in North Carolina
Mechanical Engineering Technician: $38.66
Electronic Engineering Technician: $44.67
Engineering Technician: $29.92
A healing profession
Are you a “people person” with a big heart? Nurses at all levels are in demand everywhere. Isothermal Community College offers a range of opportunities to enter these professions. There are many possible specialties: associate degree nursing, dental assisting, pharmacy technology, practical nursing, massage therapy and many others.
Classes will begin as early as August 2019 (pending SACS approval) for the new Dental Assisting Program in Columbus at the new Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) facility, right next to St. Luke’s Hospital. Isothermal’s RIBN Program allows you to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Western Carolina University, while completing most of your coursework right here near home. Other allied health programs begin at various times throughout the year, so call today.
Not only are these jobs available now, employment projections for the healing professions continue to increase as baby boomers age over the next decade.
Median hourly wage in North Carolina
Pharmacy Technicians: $16.25
Registered Nurse: $29.32
Dental Assistant: $18.09
Licensed Practical Nurse: $19.26
Jobs of the Future
Do you thrive on problems of logic? Love to code? The world is increasingly interconnected with new technologies, devices, networks and systems creating great convenience—and lots of new jobs. And these high-tech jobs are not just for those with advanced degrees.
The more information produced and made available on the internet, the more complicated it becomes to process. “Big data” is more than just the data itself. It is a field of computing that involves new methods of capturing, selecting and analyzing all that information.
You may have heard of “wearable technologies” and the “internet of things.” Computer technology is being woven into every aspect of our lives. Cybersecurity is one of the hottest jobs with a wide range of applications. Information security jobs are projected to grow by 40 percent or more over the next 10 years.
If information technology is your passion, Isothermal can set you on the pathway to a job in business or government.
Median hourly wage in North Carolina
Web Developer: $39.01
Software Applications Developer: $45.72
Security Analyst: $33.40
Think green, join the agricultural revolution!
A crop of new, cutting-edge jobs in agriculture is already here. Interested in being a research technician? Want to get your hands dirty as a horticulture specialist? Maybe you’d like to get into drone and data technology?
The demands for sustainable food systems, adequate water resources and renewable energy under conditions of population growth and climate change make jobs in agriculture technology critically important. Job openings in agriculture and natural resources outnumber graduates in these fields. Purdue University reports that in the next five years, there will be nearly 58,000 openings every year for those qualified in agriculture, food, renewable natural resources, and the environment.
Excellent local, regional and state employment opportunities exist in a myriad of specialties.
Median hourly wage in North Carolina
Farm Manager: $38.59
Agricultural Inspector: $19.25
We’re here to help you on your new career path. For more information on how Isothermal Community College can help you succeed in a career of your choice, visit www.isothermal.edu/admissions.
