Electrical training is now available at the Mid-Plains Community College campus in Broken Bow.
Jeff Evans, a licensed contractor, teaches the “Introduction to Electrical Troubleshooting” class. Safety is his first priority.
“So far, all of the guys who have attended the class have been involved with agriculture in some form or another,” Evans said. “Some of them work on pivots, others troubleshoot feed motors or fan motors in hog buildings. They aren’t electricians, but they are out there doing electrical work. I don’t want them to get hurt. I want them to work safely.”
To accomplish that, Evans starts every session talking about safety procedures. He then moves on to basic electrical concepts and, eventually, to troubleshooting.
“I talk a lot about lockout-tagout,” Evans said. “The college’s new applied technology simulators have been great for that. They make teaching easy.”
MPCC purchased the mobile applied technology simulators a year ago. They include an AC/DC Electrical Learning System, a Portable Programmable Logic Controller Learning System (PLC) and a Motor Control Learning System.
The AC/DC is designed to teach students how electricity is used for power and control in industrial, commercial, agricultural and residential applications. It covers industry-relevant technical skills, including how to operate, install, design and troubleshoot basic AC and DC electrical circuits for various applications.
The purpose of the PLC is to provide education about troubleshooting skills, such as input and output testing, software testing and application troubleshooting.
With the Motor Control Learning System, the focus is on operation, installation and applications for electric relay control of AC motors. The system also includes lockout/tagout components to teach vital motor control safety steps.
“I can use the equipment to simulate the type of work my students do on a day-to-day basis to make each scenario relatable,” Evans said. “The simulators are set up in the campus’ newly expanded shop, which gives the students plenty of room to spread out and practice what they learn.”
The ag sector isn’t the only area that can benefit from the training. Evans said the information is of value to anyone doing electrical work.
“That includes contractors who have apprentices,” said Evans. “I’ve even talked to one company whose mechanical technicians I think would benefit from the class because they do occasionally get into situations where they have to troubleshoot motors or electrical circuits.”
Each class consists of six sessions – two per week for three weeks. The classes are not offered for credit and do not include certification.
Those interested in registering can do so through the Broken Bow campus by calling (308) 872-5259 or emailing Kaci Johnson, campus coordinator, at [email protected].
