Responding to the need of industries ranging from agriculture to aerospace, Linn-Benton Community College will be offering a two-year degree in mechatronics starting this fall.

Mechatronics is the electrical control of mechanical devices. Department Chair Denis Green said the program is designed to teach technicians to troubleshoot, repair and set up predictive maintenance programs in any industrial setting.

The demand for mechatronics technicians, or as they are more commonly called, industrial maintenance mechanics, is growing. According to data from LBCC's Oregon Career Information System, almost 4,000 people are employed in the field, which is expected to grow by 14 percent through 2014. Wages for mechatronics technicians in Oregon start at $14.96 for entry-level positions.

Green sees an acute need for industrial maintenance mechanics in the next few years as older workers retire. He doesn't believe there are enough trained workers to take their place.

"Modern industry doesn't run without these types of technicians," Green said. "Some of those machines cost companies $1,000 a minute in downtime."

The mechatronic program's emphasis on learning how to read manuals and troubleshoot systems gives technicians the ability to learn and maintain almost any piece of equipment they may encounter - a valuable skill in a world where technology is constantly changing.

When companies do lay off workers, it is often employees with those kinds of higher level skills who are retained, Green said.

"I tell my students you can't compete (against foreign manufacturing) on wages, so you have to compete on skills. You get through hard times by getting better skills."

A non-traditional approach to math is being used in the course. Instead of trying to memorize dry formulas in a textbook, students will use meters and other testing equipment to apply practical mathematics concepts to real world situations they might encounter on the job.

"I'm a big believer in hands-on, industry-related training," Green said.

Subjects taught in the program cover several disciplines including pneumatics, boiler operations, programmable logic controllers and computer-aided maintenance management.

"The skills are broad-based because techs are needed in so many industries," Green said.

Before graduating, mechatronics students will participate in a capstone project that puts all their previous training to practical use setting up a nine-station automated bottling line.

Predictive maintenance - figuring out why things go wrong- is emphasized in the course, said Fred Haynes, dean of the engineering and industrial technology school division at LBCC.

Bringing the mechatronics program to the college has been a three-year process that started with a National Science Foundation Grant to study the feasibility.

Local and regional businesses have contributed financially to help the mechatronics program become a reality. Lebanon-based ENTEK donated $100,000. Viper Industries and PacificCorp each donated $30,000. The Northwest Food Processors Association is sponsoring mechatronics scholarships.

Representatives from several industries worked on a "duty and task analysis" panel to help coordinate the training with businesses' needs.

Plans for the program include incorporating wind and solar energy technology training.

"We're trying to look ahead for the needs of industry," Haynes said.