Workforce & Community

Workforce & Community

Southwest Tech's stated purpose runs past its own students: customized training for area employers, apprenticeship programs built with local trades, continuing education for working adults, and community classes open to anyone in the district.

Apprenticeships

Southwest Tech runs registered apprenticeship programs built with local trades, pairing paid on-the-job hours with related instruction on the Fennimore campus.

• Apprenticeships

  Apprenticeship Program

  Construction electricians lay out, assemble, install and test electrical circuits of fixtures, controls and switches, alarms, communications, and light and power systems. Industrial electricians install, maintain and repair all types of electrical equipment including motors, transformers, generators, controls, instruments, and lighting systems.

• Construction Electrician

  Apprenticeship

  Construction electricians lay out, assemble, install and test electrical circuits of fixtures, controls and switches, alarms, communications, and light and power systems. The Construction Electrician Apprenticeship Program is five years in length, consisting of 8,000 hours. The apprentice attends 576 hours of paid related instruction classes at Southwest Tech. Classes are usually one 8-hour day every other week between August and May. Apprentices must also complete unpaid related instruction in OSHA safety, NEC code, First Aid, CPR, and Transition to Trainer. Apprentices must take and pass the State Electrical Journeyman Exam prior to the completion of the Apprenticeship Contract.

• Plumbing

  Apprenticeship

  Plumbers install, repair and maintain the water supply, waste water treatment, drainage and gas systems in homes, commercial and industrial buildings. The work includes plumbing tasks to assemble, install and repair pipes, fittings, and fixtures of heating, water and drainage systems according to specifications and plumbing codes. The Technical Plumbing Apprenticeship program is five years in length, with a minimum of 8,000 hours. This includes 572 hours of paid related instruction and 260 hours of unpaid instruction, plus an 8 hour Plumbing Prep Test-Out Exam or a 54 hour Plumbing Code Review Course.

• Industrial Electrician

  Apprenticeship

  The industrial electrician maintains and repairs many different types of electrical equipment. They may also modify or install electrical equipment like motors, transformers, generators, machine controls and lighting systems in industrial, commercial and public establishments. The electrician is responsible for the periodic inspection of equipment to locate and repair defects before breakdowns occur. The Industrial Electrician Apprenticeship Program is four years in length. The apprentice attends 720 hours of paid related instruction classes at Southwest Tech.

Continuing education and community classes

Southwest Tech offers continuing education to both enrolled students and the general public: driver education for teens and adults, CPR and EMS training, fire services and law enforcement continuing education, allied health classes, and public and traffic safety courses, alongside farm and business training for people who already work in the district.

• Business & Industry Services
• Driver education, face-to-face and online
• CPR/EMS and fire services training
• Law enforcement and public safety continuing education
• Allied health classes
• Traffic safety courses

Southwest Tech also trains new driver-education instructors through Driver Safety Education Certification, for the commercial and private driving schools that serve the district.

See every Southwest Tech program, A to Z.