Kellogg Community College opens in-person instruction for all Industrial Trades students at the College’s Regional Manufacturing Technology Center campus Feb. 1. But unless you’ve already studied or trained there, you may be wondering: What is the RMTC, and what can you do there? What makes RMTC programs different than other programs at KCC?
What Is the RMTC?
The RMTC is KCC’s campus for Industrial Trades and workforce training students. Located at 405 Hill Brady Road in the Fort Custer Industrial Park in Battle Creek, the facility is built like a true industrial facility, with hundreds of working machines, technical tools and equipment in dozens of training labs to offer students and trainees hands-on, real-world experience in their chosen career field.
The facility also includes many of the amenities available on other KCC campuses, including classrooms, computer labs, a student resource center and a break room. RMTC students can also register for training modules onsite.
What Can You Do at the RMTC?
The RMTC is home to KCC’s Industrial Trades programs, including:
- Industrial Electricity and Electronics
- Industrial Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC-R)
- Industrial Machining Technology
- Industrial Pipefitting
- Industrial Technology
- Industrial Tool and Die
- Industrial Trades
- Industrial Welding
- Instrumentation
- Renewable Energy
Depending on the program, Industrial Trades graduates can walk into careers making $50,000 to $60,000 per year with as little as two years of training, sometimes less.
The facility also offers onsite training for local employers, as well as apprenticeship programs and workforce training opportunities through the College’s Workforce Solutions Department.
A lot goes on at the RMTC, but it’s all focused on one thing: Preparing students for the workforce by giving them practical, hands-on experience. Industrial Trades students at the RMTC will begin doing the job they’re preparing for on day one of their studies, working not in a classroom, but in actual training labs with real equipment.
What Makes RMTC Training Different Than Other Programs?
One of the most unique aspects of training at the RMTC is that it’s open-entry. Instead of students attending classes at specific times in classrooms, RMTC students complete training modules on their own time in actual training lab environments. And instead of classes that require a full semester to complete and get a grade, RMTC programs are “competency based,” meaning they can be completed in short modules that students can take as much or as little time to complete as they need.
The RMTC is also open late two days per week — starting Feb. 1, labs will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays — meaning full-time workers can come in after regular work hours to complete their training when it’s convenient for their schedules.
Additionally, unlike for other programs and classes at KCC, registration for RMTC modules is open on a rolling basis, meaning you can sign up for new modules at any time after registration opens for the semester.
For More Information
Interested in learning more about training at the RMTC? Visit www.kellogg.edu/industrial or contact the RMTC directly at 269-965-4137 or RMTC@kellogg.edu.