Area of Study

Energy & Industrial Technician

Today's modern, computerized industries require industrial technicians to be cross-trained and knowledgeable in a wide range of plant operations.

NPC's Energy and Industrial Technician (EIT) program prepares students to be technicians, operators and maintenance workers capable of understanding the entire industrial system within which they work. Core courses cover a range of complex related mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, thermal and sensory control systems in an ever changing industrial or energy production environment. NPC offers eight areas of specialization within the EIT degree program:

The Electrical specialization prepares you to be a certified industrial electrician, focusing on alternating current, motors, lighting, circuit breakers, grounding, various types of control systems, basic electronic theory and distribution systems.
The Industrial Plant Operations specialization prepares you to be a certified power plant operator focusing on plant safety, minor maintenance, reading diagrams, instrumentation and control measurement, plant boilers, turbines, water treatment and air and water pollution control.
The Instrumentation specialization prepares you to be a certified instrumentation technician, focusing on instrumentation, hand and power tools, fasteners, actuators and positioners, relays and timers, digital logic circuits, programmable logic controllers and distributed control systems.
The Mechanical Maintenance specialization prepares you to be a certified industrial maintenance mechanic, focusing on oxyfuel cutting, pumps, valves, rigging, hydrostatic and pneumatic testing, high-pressure steam systems, laser alignment, repairing gearboxes and conveyors.
The Operations and Maintenance specialization prepares you to be a certified operator and mechanical mechanic, focusing on electric generation and distribution, mining, water treatment, natural gas, refinery, semiconductor, petrochemical and pharmaceutical processes. The program also covers basic mechanical maintenance, including hydrostatic and pneumatic testing, low- and high-pressure steam systems and heat exchangers.
Electrical and Instrumentation specialization covers the principles and applications of a certified electrical and instrumentation technician whose job is to service and maintain electrical-related equipment, including high voltage systems, adjust and calibrate pressure, temperature, level, flow and control measuring and recording devices used in computer-integrated manufacturing.
Industrial Electrical, Motors and PLC's specialization covers the principles and applications of industrial electrical systems, programmable logic controllers (PCL), robotics, motion control, process controls and instrumentation involved in maintaining, troubleshooting and looking at predictive and preventative maintenance used in computer-integrated manufacturing.
Industrial Mechanics and Fluid Power specialization covers the principles and applications of mechanical drives, rotating electrical motors and fluid power, hydraulic components including maintaining, troubleshooting and looking at predictive and preventative maintenance used in computer-integrated manufacturing.

For more information about this program, please contact an NPC Academic Advisor. Also see the current NPC College Catalog and class schedule.

Read our story about the Energy & Industrial Technician program in NPC's Career Focus magazine.

Complete a NPC Student Application Form

Labs and Classrooms

Many of the courses required for an EIT associate degree or certificates are offered as "hybrid" courses, with instruction offered via the internet, combined with hands-on laboratory components.

Program Locations

Hands-on laboratories are offered at the Skills Center on the Holbrook – Painted Desert Campus and at the Coronado Generating Station outside of St. Johns. Labs at additional locations may be available. Check the current semester's class schedule for availability, or contact the program coordinator.

Work Environment

Industrial plant workers of all types may work indoors and outdoors, possibly in adverse weather conditions. They may have to work in confined spaces, or high places, may do rounds and check equipment. Their environment may be noisy and workers must follow safety precautions and use protective equipment. Most workers are employed full time, and many work rotating shifts, which can be tiring.

Job Outlook

Job prospects will be good, particularly for applicants with a broad range of skills in machine repair as older workers retire or otherwise leave the occupation. Increased automation, including the use of many computer-controlled machines in factories and manufacturing plants, and the need to keep increasingly sophisticated machinery functioning and efficient will continue to create demand for industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers and millwrights, growing an average of seven percent annually through 2026, creating over 32,000 new jobs.USBLS SOC 49-9041, 49-9043, 49-9044

In 2016, there were 85,206 energy sector jobs in the West (Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah). While employment in Natural Gas Distribution and Non-Nuclear Generation is expected to decline through 2026, expected growth in certain industries, including Solar Generation, Transmission and Distribution, and Wind Generation, will offset most of those losses. http://www.cewd.org/Workforce/

Students completing NPC's EIT program will have the broad range of skills to adapt as technology is constantly growing and changing very quickly within the manufacturing, distribution and energy production sectors.