Lemoore College Students Gain Skills via New Automation Investment

Lemoore College Adds Amatrol Smart Controls Troubleshooting Learning System With $100,000 Grant

Lemoore College integrated industrial automation training equipment into its manufacturing program, giving students hands-on troubleshooting experience with programmable hardware mirroring regional facilities, abc30 reported.

The Tech TL;DR:
• Students at Lemoore College are training on the Amatrol Smart Controls Troubleshooting Learning System to gain practical experience with modern industrial control systems.
• The new lab equipment was funded by a $100,000 Good Jobs Challenge investment from the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County.
• The program aims to establish technical competencies for high-demand, high-wage careers in regional manufacturing and automation sectors.

Workforce Investment Board Supplies $100,000 Grant For Industrial Automation Equipment

The machinery installed inside the college’s automation lab consists of the Amatrol Smart Controls Troubleshooting Learning System. The upgrade arrived via a $100,000 Good Jobs Challenge investment provided by the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County, abc30 reported.

Student Abigail Avila, who is pursuing a degree in manufacturing automation, noted that working across various setups helps clarify her career path. I’m working on a little bit of everything, and I can see what I really like, Avila said, as reported by abc30. Her long-term goal involves becoming an electrician, focusing on troubleshooting and resolving operational faults.

# Example simulation logic for industrial control system validation
def validate_plc_logic(input_signal, threshold):
    if input_signal >= threshold:
        return "ACTUATE_OUTPUT_HIGH"
    return "STANDBY_FAULT_ISOLATION"

Industrial Instructors Focus On Building Practical Troubleshooting Skills

Industrial Automation Instructor James Rooney explained that the lab environment intentionally simulates actual facility conditions. Everything that’s done in the lab represents something in industry, Rooney said, according to abc30. When they’re practicing, we try and create muscle memory between our ears.

Kris Costa, vice president of educational services and chief instructional officer at Lemoore College, emphasized that the investment serves local employment demands by aligning curriculum with regional hiring needs. So it’s an opportunity for us to provide students training in a skill area that is going to be a high-demand, high-wage area for them, Costa told abc30. It’s an opportunity for us to serve our community and our employers, because that’s why we’re here.