NEMCC Tech Fair

BOONEVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Careers in construction, engineering, mechanics and other industries are flourishing throughout Northeast Mississippi.
That’s one reason Northeast Mississippi Community College invited more than 30 companies to its campus, as part of a tech fair for students.

In the past year, four graduates from NEMCC have gone to work for Cyient, a worldwide engineering firm, with an office in Tupelo.  Brent Farrar says business is booming. That’s why he set up shop at the tech fair.

“We probably have more job openings than what we can fill with community college graduates,” Farrar said.

The tech fair attracted area high school vo-tech students, along with NEMCC students.

Industries representing automotive, trucking, manufacturing and construction were at the event, giving students an opportunity to explore possible career paths.

“We need more than just education we need the skills to go along with that, and that’s what we try and provide in our career technical programs,” said Jason Mattox, associate vice president of career and technical education at NEMCC.

Students also get to see that not all of the programs require a two year commitment. Structural welding is a 12 week program. Its graduates are ready for the job market and they can make good money.

“Typically a welding job in our area starts out around $12 to $15 an hour, and they go up pretty rapidly, within a year you can be making $17 to $18 an hour pretty easy,” said Instructor Anthony Hardin.

It’s David Mincy’s first semester at NECC. Not only is he getting to show off his dad’s drag racing truck, but he’s learning more in the world of auto mechanics.

“There’s no limitation to it, you can keep learning, they are always coming out with something new and a person can always make a living on it, you can go anywhere in the world and work on an engine,” Mincy said.

Organizers say more than 500 students attended NEMCC’s tech fair.

Instructors say they plan to make the tech fair an annual event.

For more information visit: nemcc.edu