Thursday, September 2, 2010

Solve, Design, Develop and Test as an Electronic Engineering Technician

If money makes the world go ‘round, electronics must be a close second. Think about how often we use electronics in our daily lives. From MP3 players, cell phones and computers to stereos, TV sets and even battery chargers, these are just some of the most common electronics. The people who solve technical problems or design, develop, test and manufacture these devices and other electronic equipment are very important. They are Electronic Engineering Technicians.

The job of these technicians is to solve technical problems in research and development, manufacturing, sales, construction, inspection, and maintenance by using science, engineering and mathematical principles. They often assist engineers and scientists. Electronic Engineering Technicians normally work 40 hours a week and spend their time in labs, offices and manufacturing plants. However, the fields in which they work vary from telecommunications and computer applications to control systems, radio and TV equipment and audio-visual equipment. No matter what industry they choose to work in, Electronic Engineering Technicians have a wide range of tasks that they perform. For example, they may research equipment and component needs, sources, competitive prices delivery times and ongoing operational costs. In the same “written” area of the field they may write reports and record data on testing techniques, laboratory equipment and specifications to assist engineers while also maintaining system logs and manuals, reading blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings and engineering instructions for assembling electronic units.

Moving into the hands-on aspects of the Electronic Engineering Technician field, the techs may fabricate parts such as coils, terminal boards and chassis, using bench lathes, drills and other machine tools. They may then write computer or microprocessor software programs and test the electronic units that they’re helped to put together. If there are problems, the techs will identify and resolve equipment malfunctions. Lastly, the professionals in this field may have to provide user applications and engineering support for new and existing equipment with regard to installation, upgrades and enhancement. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that jobs in the field are expected to grow by five per cent between 2008 and 2018.

To become an Electronics Engineering Technician, the appropriate education is required. Centennial College offers a two-year program in this field that sees students graduate with an Ontario College Diploma. Gaining entry into the undertaking requires the possession of an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or being 19 years of age or older. You must also have compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent and Math 11M or U, or 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent. Once entry is gained, you’ll embark on an exciting college experience in Electronics Engineering that has been redesigned to prepare you for the challenging career that awaits you. Working in fully-equipped labs you will learn theory and gain hands-on training. You’ll develop technical expertise in areas such as wireless communications, data communications, microcontrollers and industrial systems. You’ll gain experience working with computers, communication transceivers and electronics testing and measurement equipment. At the end of two years of study, students with a minimum 2.0 GPA can transfer directly into the fifth semester of the technologist program.

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