Where can you find "work-ready" employees trained in the foundations of mechatronics?

The Sierra College mechatronics program provides students with the knowledge and skills that are the basis for all jobs in mechatronics. We teach the fundamentals of electronics, mechanics and computer control. See a list of some of the skills we teach near the bottom of this page.

Numerous local employers have hired graduates of our program and many of them have been so impressed that they have come back looking for more! We have graduates working in a range of industries, from heavy-equipment industries like lumber mills and ski resorts, through specialized high-tech industries like underwater robots and LCD displays screens, to high-volume manufacturing like the bottling and printing industries. The skills our students learn can be applied to almost any technical job. And by being cross-trained in electronics, mechanics and computer control, our students have the wide-ranging technical skills to take ownership of problems and solve them, not just pass them off to the next guy (See comments from one hiring manager at the bottom of this page).

Our labs were recently updated, funded by over $900,000 in federal and state grants. This means that our students learn on industrial-quality equipment, the same quality sensors, motors, PLCs and other equipment used in industry. Click on the "Photo Gallery" links above for pictures of our labs and equipment.

Beyond basic technical training we also teach our students many of the "soft-skills" needed to be succesful out in industry. Instruction and experience in safe working practices, complete and accurate documentation, clean and organized work habits, written and verbal communication skills, teamwork and methodical troubleshooting methods are an integral part of our program.

The list below is a basic description of the skills we teach in our program. For more information, feel free to contact us via the contact box on the home page or by phone at (916) 660-7862. We can give you more information on our program and can often help you find a graduate that is the right fit for the position you are trying to fill.

Interested in hosting an internship? Having an intern at your business can be a great way to fill a short-term project staffing need or to "test-drive" a potential full-time employee. Internships are short-term employment (a few weeks to a few months, full or part-time) that provide the student with valuable work experience and your business with an enthusiastic, hard-working employee to help supplement your full-time workforce. Many of our employers are so heppy with their intern that they offer them permanent employment upon graduation, knowing in advance exactly what kind of employee they are getting. Please contact us for more information about hosting an intern at your business.  

We are also always interested in having employers come in and present information on their industry and their company. We find that it is a "win-win" situtation because it gives our students a better view of the working world and increases student's interest in working for that employer. Please contact us if you are interested in being a presentor!

An abbreviated list of the skills we teach:

• Industrial safety fundamentals (Lockout / Tagout, personal protection equipment, etc.)
• Use of hand tools (screwdrivers, files, hammers, saws, etc.)
• Precision measurement (calipers, micrometers, etc.)
• Basic electricity (single phase and three phase power, AC to DC conversion, etc.)
• Industrial wiring standards (wire guages, color codes, connector types, circuit breakers, etc.)
• Relays and contactors
• Ladder diagrams
• Electric motors (AC and DC) and solenoids
• VFD control of AC motors
• Stepper and servo motors
• PLC programming
• Industrial sensors (temperature, flow, capacitive, inductive, etc.)
• Use of machine tools  (drill press, mill, lathe, etc.)
• Electronic soldering skills, including surface mount technology
• Fundamentals of technical drafting
• Basic sheet-metal work (shears, brakes, punches, bend allowances, etc.)
• Voltage, current and resistance relationships for AC and DC circuits
• Applications of transistors and integrated circuits in both analog and digital circuits
• Proper use of electronic measurement equipment (voltmeters, oscilloscopes, clamp-on ammeters, etc)
• Closed-loop industrial control systems, including DtoA and AtoD conversion
• Basic pnuematics and hydraulics (schematics, computer simulation and actual hands-on system implementation)
• Computer repair and upgrade (hardware install,operating system install, hard-drive backup and recovery, etc.)
• Microcontroller programming and hardware interface techniques

"The City of Roseville, Environmental Utilities department recently lost several key maintenance staff members due to early retirement, leaving us severely short-handed at our wastewater treatment plants. The retired staff was dedicated to performing process instrument and analyzer calibration required to meet regulatory requirements. Fortunately, we had previously hired two Sierra College Mechatronics graduates, initially as interns, and recently promoted to Electronic Technicians. After only two weeks of training, our Mechatronics technicians took over the calibration duties and have maintained dozens of analyzers and instruments to required standards of accuracy and reliability. Because of the education they received at Sierra College, our new Mechatronics technicians had the foundation in place that allowed them to 'hit the ground running'."        

 - Steve Gillette - Maintenance Manager, City of Roseville Water Department