“Let us get you to the money” RCC’s Electrical Systems the guiding light to success

Electrical systems technology might be one of Robeson Community College’s best-kept secrets, but it shouldn’t be. Graduates of this program leave making $40 an hour, and in some instances make more than $100,000 in their first year with overtime pay, making it a surefire way to change the trajectory of one’s life and the future of one’s family for generations to come.

The current need for skilled electricians is great, and the money is good, so why aren’t more people becoming electricians?

“A lot of people are afraid of electricity,” Levinson said. “But it’s a less strenuous job – electricians have far better working conditions, and when they start their career, they usually stay in the field.”

Safety is a concern for anyone dealing with high voltage circuits, but as Matthew McKnight tells his students constantly – “Remember – safety first, safety last, safety always.”

McKnight along with Levinson are lead instructors for the electrical systems program at RCC.

“There is a huge skills gap. We have a lot of jobs opening from Baby Boomers retiring. The average age of electricians in the workforce is 57, so we need to fill the gap,” said McKnight. “If you can graduate from this program, you are automatically going to get hired.”

The electrical systems program enrolls approximately 58-80 students a year and graduates 60-70 students. It was the program with the highest retention rate at RCC in 2022 with 73% of students completing the program.

Robeson Community College has great equipment to train its students in solar technology! These solar array mobile units can be set up anywhere and at RCC, making it an ideal outdoor classroom on a sunny day.

“McKnight and I are very encouraging instructors who try to get students to stick it out,” said Levinson. “The reward is so great at the end of the tunnel, we have the concept that we are not going to leave any student behind, we work with them to get them to graduate, and that’s why our retention rates are so high.”

Levinson adds, “Our students know that 100% of our graduates are working, even the ones who don’t want to work are employed because the money is so great.”

McKnight agrees and says it’s all about working with the students, getting to know them, and doing all you can to help them be successful.

“I come with a hands-on approach with these students, we try to show them exactly what they are going to be working within industry… once we get them trained, they have the ability to go to any industry in the county or beyond to get a job and make a living wage… that’s our goal,” McKnight said. “We push through the simple things and students are more apt to keep going if they get a push, the success from the program is very rewarding.”

McKnight adds, “This program has been around for a while. It’s a solid program and our students know what to expect from day one and they know there are good jobs waiting for them.”

McKnight and Levinson showed some examples to students of jobs available highlighting Good Year in Fayetteville.

“They are about 50 positions short,” said Levinson. “The workforce is retiring, and a lot of people don’t know of the need and they are not applying for these jobs.”

“We do not have a lot of people that have the skills to perform a lot of these jobs,” McKnight said. “So every industrial facility around here is hiring at least 10-15 people…These companies are behind and they are trying to get their maintenance staff and industrial staff back full.”

Pulling up Indeed.com, McKnight showed one job posting from Good Year for an Industrial Electrician.

“Immediately hiring today, at $37.31 per hour,” McKnight read out loud. “Their preferred qualifications are an Industrial Electrician Journeyman card or an AAS degree in Electrical Technology, which is what we offer right here at Robeson Community College. We set our students up for jobs like this on a daily basis.”

If students are looking to continue their education, the program has many 2+2 agreements that allow for transfer to universities. Many students go on to earn their bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and even a doctorate degree.

“I know a lot about it because I went through it,” said Levinson. “I got my associate degree here at RCC, and I decided I wanted to further my education and I transferred to East Carolina. You can transfer to East Carolina, NC State, UNC Charlotte, and A&T just to name a few places.”

“Getting your bachelor’s degree will open up a lot more job opportunities and even more pay. I know $37 per hour is a lot of money, but you can make even more, but you can start right here at RCC,” Levinson said. “We want to make sure everyone knows about that.”

More women like Corrine Bryant, Meagan Locklear, and Katrina Locklear are choosing to become electricians, saying the money is good and that they find the career field interesting. 

Levinson says the workforce needs more people. The opportunities are there in plain sight. And, recently that message has been getting across to more and more women who have decided to enter the profession like Corrine Bryant, Meagan Locklear, and Katrina Locklear.

“I chose this field because I know we will make a lot of money for sure,” said Bryant. “It’s also really interesting… I think I’m going to be ready for this type of job when I get out. I have some good instructors for sure, they make sure we know everything we are supposed to know.”

“I know I’m just as smart as the next person, if not smarter,” Bryant said.

For Meagan Locklear, she loves the instructors and the program, saying she’s not at all intimidated, “If a man can do it, I can do it.”

Katrina Locklear encourages other women interested to register stating, “I think you would enjoy this curriculum from RCC if you enrolled.”

“I’m happy that I chose electrical because it is interesting and it’s not just a man’s job, you can have nails to do it, but I love my instructors, they make it fun, they make learning fun,” stated Katrina Locklear. “There’s never a boring day here and obviously it’s good money.”

“The females in our program usually excel,” McKnight said.

“It’s because we have to prove it,” Corrine, Meagan, and Katrina all said in unison.

“Everyone has to prove themselves in this program,” McKnight said. “We run a tight ship and if you get out of here you will have the ability to feed your family for a lifetime and that’s our goal.”

“Let us get you to the money,” Levinson adds.

The electrical systems program covers a wide variety of topics including resident wiring, commercial wiring, industrial wiring, programmable logic controllers, and solar powered arrays. In addition to an associate degree, the program offers several certificate programs as well. The program is taught in state-of-the-art labs, which include a frame house within a classroom to teach residential wiring and solar panel arrays which are taught in an outdoor setting. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the Electrical Systems program at RCC, please contact Michael Levinson at 910-272-3471, mlevinson@robeson.edu or Matthew McKnight at 910-272-3477, mmcknight@robeson.edu.

 The electrical lab at Robeson Community College includes many work stations as well as the frame of an actual house for students to gain hands-on experience in residential wiring. You won’t find a classroom like this anywhere else.