Technical degrees often lead to better paying jobs. “Will this help me get a good job?” is often one of the first questions a student has about a technical degree or certificate program.
The Talking Technicians podcast with Peter Kazarinoff from Portland Community College supported by the Micro Nano Technology Education Center (MNT-EC) is setting out to answer that question by asking the people working in the field: Who they are, what they do, and how they got there. Perhaps like you, they also wondered about which technical degree path to pursue.
Every month, Peter talks to real technicians working in a variety of technical industries. Many industries have entry-level jobs that do not require a 4-year college degree, or any degree, but most trade and technical jobs want their employees to have a basic understanding of technical and safety concepts, at minimum. A two-year technical degree offered at most community colleges around the nation is
Peter actively teaches technicians and engineers at Portland Community College. In each episode, roughly 15 minutes in length, you will meet a working technician and hear their story. In addition to the uplifting personal stories from these technicians, at the end of each episode, Peter shares steps you can take to become a technician, too.
You can listen directly here on the MNT-EC Talking Technicians page or find it on Apple or Google podcasts, or the Talking Technicians YouTube Playlist (here are a few listed in order):
- Laser Technicians at Lawrence Livermore National Lab
- Nano Technicians at Medtronic
- Vitaliy is a technician at ARC Nano
- Danil is a technician at Intel
- Mike came from the Army Rangers
Stay tuned and Subscribe for more stories and details about how technicians around the USA have pursued a technical degree or certificate and found a great job that they love.
The MNT-EC, including the Talking Technicians podcast, is funded by the National Science Foundation.
