High Tech Means Hot Jobs

“The job market for CAD and IT professionals is the best it’s been in several years. Many of our students have job offers before they graduate. And these are high-paying jobs.”    

J.C. Malitzke
department chair of Computer-Integrated Technologies

“The job market for CAD and IT professionals is the best it’s been in several years,” says J.C. Malitzke, department chair of Computer-Integrated Technologies. “Many of our students have job offers before they graduate. And these are high-paying jobs. Some of our students are making very good salaries only a few years after graduating.” If you’d like to pursue a career in an exciting high-tech industry that offers excellent job prospects, check out Moraine Valley’s CAD (computer-aided drafting), Mechanical Design/Drafting, Computer Animation, and Information Technology programs!

Students who earn a degree or certificate in CAD, Mechanical Design/Drafting, or Computer Animation can work in such diverse industries as engineering, forensics, movie production, construction, manufacturing, graphic arts, and more. Moraine Valley’s programs are award-winning and offer students the opportunity to work on the latest hardware and software such as Revit. We have an advisory committee made up of industry professionals who keep us informed of changes in the field, so we can adjust our curriculum to ensure our students gain the skills and knowledge they’ll need in the workplace. “Our relationship with working professionals means we know we’re teaching what industry is demanding,” says J.C. Students also can participate in internships to expand their opportunities. “The real-world experience you get in an internship is invaluable,” says George Dalka, who’s currently an intern at Electromotive.

Moraine Valley also is on the cutting edge of the fast-growing field of information security. Companies are more concerned than ever about ensuring their confidential data is protected. We offer comprehensive training on the latest technologies such as wireless, VoIP, and video streaming systems. We also prepare students for industry certification tests that demonstrate competency in the information technology field. “Our instructors periodically re-take these tests, and some serve on the boards that help write them, so students can be assured we’re teaching them exactly what they need to know to pass,” says John Sands, coordinator and professor of Information Technology. Students pursuing any of these fields can follow three different learning pathways. Some choose to earn an associate’s degree or certificate and go directly into the workforce. Others continue on to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Angie Gutierrez had a job lined up at Teng and Associates, a national engineering and architectural design firm, before she graduated in 2007, and is earning her bachelor’s degree in architecture at Robert Morris College. “The real-world training I got here was excellent,” she says. “I felt very prepared for my future.” Students who wish to earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering can take advantage of our 2+2 partnership agreements with several universities such as Illinois State University, Purdue University Calumet, Illinois Institute of Technology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and others. These articulation agreements allow you to earn your Associate in Applied Science degree in Mechanical Design and Drafting/CAD and easily move into the bachelor’s degree program at our partner universities. Finally, individuals already working in the field can come back to Moraine Valley to upgrade their skills or pursue additional certifications to keep them at the top of their career.

Moraine Valley’s students have access to the finest training through our valuable associations. Our regional Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance is one of only three cyber security centers in the nation funded by the National Science Foundation. We are a Cisco Networking Academy Training Center. This worldwide leader in Internet training prepares students for certification tests. And we have won over 50 awards as an Autodesk Premier Training Center for our affordable industry training.

If you’re interested in a high-tech career, come to Moraine Valley! You’ll get the finest real-world training from instructors who care about your success, learn on the latest equipment and software, and have access to resources unavailable at other institutions.

Check it out!

morainevalley.edu/cad