For individuals interested in industrial maintenance, there are lots of opportunities. Here are some possibilities.
Every person has unique talents and interests - if industrial maintenance is an arena of interest,
there are ample opportunities. When an elementary school teacher looks at his or her classroom full of children, it's sometimes fun to ponder where they will end up in the world. The child who always straightens up the classroom, rearranges the furniture and brings flowers to display on tables may end up being an interior designer. The little boy who belts out musical tunes in the lunch line may just be the next American idol or rock star du jour. How about the girl who loves to clean up the lunchroom? Will she become a waitress? And that little boy who always takes apart the clocks and radios to see how they work - he will likely be the kid drawn to a career in industrial maintenance. He is the child the teacher calls on to help her work the video machine, overhead projector or figure out what's wrong with her cell phone.
Natural Talents & Abilities
In order to be successful in this field, a person should have excellent fine motor coordination as there will be lots of maneuvering with tools by hand that will require finesse. He or she will also need to have superb mathematical ability and reading comprehension. There will blueprints to read, directions to follow, and puzzles to solve. Being physically fit will be important, too, as the worker will need to carry heavy items, bend, squat and walk all over the place.
Academic Education & Training
In order to become educated, trained and certified in various aspects of industrial maintenance, a person could attend a private technical school, attend community college, or join the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard or Air Force. This individual can get an AS or AA degree which is an Associates of Science or Arts degree. There are also one year certification programs available. Some of the coursework would be in welding, auto mechanics, computer technology, machinery installs, how to maintain power plants, hydraulics systems and more.
Job Duties
An industrial maintenance employee might get his or her paycheck from a factory, plant or assembly line of an auto manufacturer or other machine maker. He or she might spend time repairing, installing, maintaining, lubricating, welding all sorts of gizmos and gadgets such as pumps, electric components, hydraulic and pneumatic items and more. He or she will need to stay in good physical condition in order to be able to climb up ladders, trek all over the factory or plant, lug machinery and tools. His or her brain must be in tiptop shape, too, as it will need to think fast in order to come up with solutions, mathematical and otherwise, to an array of challenges and problems.
If that little boy or girl in a class who could always troubleshoot the electronics and mechanical equipment of a classroom wanted to, he or she could grow up to have ample job opportunities. When that child has grown up and needs to find a job, getting trained in industrial maintenance would be a wise move for the future.
