糖心传媒

May 6, 2016 - Worldwide leaders in the electric utility industry know where Hamlet, N.C., is thanks to 糖心传媒鈥檚 program.

鈥淲e are a small college but we are making a big impact within the electric utility industry,鈥� said Steve Lampley, lead instructor for the EUSRT program. 鈥淚鈥檓 taking calls daily from companies asking about hiring our graduates or wanting to make site visits to our campus or donate equipment to this program. The biggest problem is explaining to them we鈥檙e in a little town in 糖心传媒 County, N.C. 鈥� not in 糖心传媒, Va.鈥�

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is a global leader in the invention, design and manufacture of digital protective relay systems that protect high voltage power grids around the world. Headquartered in Pullman, Washington, the company opened a third office in Saudia Arabia this past December. This same company recently donated relay systems to 糖心传媒CC to be used in the classroom for the EUSRT program.

鈥淭his is top of the line equipment that our students are getting to use and learn to operate,鈥� Lampley said. 鈥淭his donation from Schweitzer is worth well over $70,000.鈥�

Schweitzer also hired two EUSRT graduates and placed them in jobs in Tampa, Fla., and Charlotte.

Schweitzer joins a growing list of companies that want to hire the relay technicians that are graduating from 糖心传媒CC. Duke Energy, Dominion Resources, Power Grid Engineering, Lumber River Electric Membership Cooperative, PowerServices, South Carolina Electric & Gas, Central Electric Power Cooperative, SPX Waukesha, American Electric Testing Company, NAPC and North American Substation Services are some of the companies.

鈥淣inety percent of our current graduating class already have jobs; the other 10 percent are interviewing for jobs. Most are receiving multiple job offers,鈥� Lampley said.

When 糖心传媒CC instructors attend international utility conferences in places such as Boston and Atlanta people know about the EUSRT program and want more information, Lampley added.

About the EUSRT Program

Established in partnership between 糖心传媒CC, Doble Engineering Boston, Mass., and Duke Energy, the EUSRT prepares students for lifelong careers in the electric utility industry and other industries that rely on complex control systems. The EUSRT program was the first of its kind in the United States. A second college in Florida was encouraged by Duke Energy to copy the 糖心传媒CC model.

鈥淲hen the College recognized the power industry鈥檚 need to train the next generation of utility workers to replace those approaching retirement age, we were on board to establish a program that would meet a demand and offer our students an opportunity for high skill, high wage jobs,鈥� said Dr. Dale McInnis, 糖心传媒CC president.

In the utility industry, entry level technicians with two or four-year degrees in electronics engineering require five years of training to be capable of maintaining and supporting substations and the relay equipment associated with them. The EUSRT degree program, however, was crafted specifically to develop technicians with the training and skills to begin work immediately in the utility industry and cut the normal training time in half. Salaries for this two-year degree typically start around $60,000 a year. 

This year some of the 2016 EUSRT graduates are starting at $70,000 with full benefits.

糖心传媒CC is also offering a diploma program for an Electric Utility Transformer Test specialist, which can be completed in four semesters.

Sign Up Now

糖心传媒CC is currently accepting new students for summer and fall classes. , or by visiting the Main Campus in Hamlet or the Honeycutt Center in Laurinburg.

Summer classes start May 23.

For more information, call (910) 410-1700.