Earning a high-paying job doesn’t mean you need a four-year degree
Del Mar College’s new Electrician Program offering Electrical Helper courses during second 8-week session as first step toward certificate or associate’s degree; classes start Oct. 25
Article by Melinda Eddleman
If you thought you had to attend college for four years and earn a baccalaureate degree to make good money, you don’t. And, you don’t even have to wait until next spring to start taking credit courses at Del Mar College, especially courses in the new Electrician Program offered by the Architecture, Aviation and Automotive Department.
Registration is now underway with 8-week credit courses beginning Monday, Oct. 25. Admissions, registration and other information to get you started is available by visiting www.delmar.edu/registration or contacting the Student Enrollment Center at 361-698-1290 or enroll@delmar.edu.
Highly sought-after by the construction industry, the electrical trades are listed on the Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend’s Target Occupations List with nearly 1,440 jobs needing to be filled. In fact, Projections Central shows a projected growth rate of 14% in the electrical trades in Texas over the next eight years. The median salary in this field is about $50,300.
In general, electrical trades programs follow a structured apprenticeship program and licensing process. The College’s new Electrician Program aligns with this process and currently offers that first step to get your foot in the door with the Electrical Helper Occupational Skills Award (OSA), which began this fall and has courses students can start taking during the next fall 8-week session.
The OSA curriculum encompasses 13 total credit hours, including the following courses: CNBT 1110 Basic Construction Safety (completes OSHA 30), CNBT 1300 Residential & Light Commercial Blueprint Reading, ELPT 1321 Introduction to Electrical Safety and Tools (completes NCCER Core Curriculum), ELPT 1311 Basic Electrical Theory and ELPT 1325 National Electrical Code I.
In fall 2022, individuals can begin taking courses toward a Level I Certificate in Residential/Commercial Electrician, Level II Certificate in Industrial Electrician and an Associate in Applied Science degree in Electrician.
The new DMC Electrician Program curriculum is focused on training in basic electrical theory; industry safety; National Electric Codes; residential, commercial and industrial wiring; motors and transformers; electrical testing and maintenance; and electrical and power transmission. Courses provide students with practical training needed to function as an entry-level electrician and prepares them for the Journeyman Electrician License Exam. The program also includes OSHA 30, NCCER Core and NCCER Electrical Levels 1-4 curriculum.
To learn more about the new Electrician Program and the Electrical Helper OSA, visit www.delmar.edu/electrician. Individuals can also contact Adjunct Instructor Norman Walters at nwalters@delmar.edu or call the Architecture, Aviation and Automotive Department at 361-698-1725.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.