Do you tinker with electronics? Are you a problem solver? Would you like to enter the workforce quickly? Are you interested in a rewarding career that brings people and technology together across a wide variety of industries?

Then register now, like Andrew Granger did, for Lone Star College-CyFair’s Industrial Electronics Technology program, which offers a one-year Field Service Technician Certificate and Associate of Applied Science degree at the LSC-Cypress Center location.

“One of the most valuable aspects of the Electronics Technology program was the ability to hit the ground running and being a valuable technician quickly,” said Granger, who graduated Magna Cum Laude in spring 2019 with both the certificate and degree, while working full-time.

Upon graduation, Granger was excited to accept a part-time internship as a flight simulator technician at CAE Dallas West training facility - the world’s largest corporate aviation training center.  He worked on a wide realm of preventative maintenance functions on simulators with day-to-day tasks, such as testing and replacing defective parts, conducting repairs, performing diagnostics on equipment and electronic circuits, managing logistical operations, and documenting findings of work orders, repairs, inventory and other control processes. He used block, wiring and schematic diagrams to trace circuits. Moreover, he contributed a number of processes and procedures that significantly improved productivity.

Granger attributes becoming a full-time employee in five months, a promotion which usually takes one to two years, to the technical skills gained in LSC-CyFair’s Industrial Electronics Technology program.

“It fit me to a T.  I have always been a tinkerer in computers and anything with electronics. My mom will attest to me taking apart anything to see how it worked and what the insides looked like — phones, toasters, computers — anything, really,” he said. “I was drawn to the labs and hands-on approach of LSC-CyFair’s program. I am definitely a kinesthetic learner so being able to work directly on the projects we studied in class cemented the information.”

Another program benefit for Granger was the exciting, top-notch interaction with professors, who not only encouraged collaboration with peers, but were personally committed to their field and the success of each student, both in and out of the classroom, he said. Professors Mohamad Hishmeh, Michael Lynch and Michael Young were not just instructors, but instrumental mentors and since graduation, have been a continuing force in encouragement and advice, said Granger.

“I can’t say enough about the impact LSC and so many of my professors have had, not only in my technical growth, but toward my personal and professional development, overall,” he said. “I have benefited from the class challenges that fed my natural inquisitiveness, the guidance to develop my leadership skills, and the encouragement to meet every day with the goal to learn something new.”

Wanting to continue his education and grow as a technician and a leader, Granger returned to Houston and LSC in 2020 with plans to earn a Bachelor of Applied Science in Energy, Manufacturing and Trades Management in spring 2022.

“Again, with the advantages afforded by LSC’s value, scheduling options and proximity to home, I am able to continue working full-time, while gaining education and experience simultaneously,” he said. “That’s the best part about my experience at LSC – their ability to meet me wherever I was and provide what I needed.”

With several long-term career ideas in mind, Granger said he tries to remain flexible and open to discovery. He recently accepted a position as an electrical technician maintaining and troubleshooting facilities and medical equipment for a major hospital system.

“Opportunities for skilled industrial electronics technicians who can proficiently troubleshoot and solve problems are endless and apply universally,” he said. “All I know is that I want to be in places that are evolving and growing toward the future development and applications of electronics.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook in May 2020, employment for electronics engineering technicians and electronics engineers is projected to grow 2 and 3 percent from 2019 to 2029 with median annual wages of $67,550 and $107,540, respectively.

For information on LSC-CyFair’s Industrial Electronics Technology program, email Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Center at Michael.L.Young@LoneStar.edu or program professor Mohamad.M.Hishmeh@LoneStar.edu. LSC-CyFair is currently registering for the fall semester with classes starting August 30 at LoneStar.edu/registration.