Prospective students interested in becoming certified in various maintenance fields may find opportunities to expand their education off campus. One option is attending expos and conferences hosted by experts and mentors various industries.
One such event that recently took place was the First Annual Maintenance Expo, held at the Mid East Career and Technology Center in Zanesville, Ohio. During the event, future certificate holders met with 28 vendors, which offered networking opportunities and allowed students to meet company representatives face-to-face to discuss information that may not be covered the a classroom.
Also featured at the event was a project that was presented by a team of 17 students entitled The Widget Machine, which focused on the importance of distribution to local businesses.
Dan Marion, a maintenance instructor, said that "they [students] have the ability to interface and network with both suppliers and maintenance individuals, and then sometime down the road there will be a position open and they [employers] will remember their name and they will hopefully be able to ascertain a job."
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics by 2018, employment for general maintenance and repair workers is expected to increase by 11 percent, rising from 1,361,300 in 2008 to 1,509,200.
