Career in 4 Months
At Southwestern Michigan College, there are six career options that start with only four months of training. SMC has designed these unique programs to offer students a chance to pursue a good-paying career after only four months of training.
While a career in four months is a great way to get into the job market quickly, it can also be a stepping stone to advance your skills and education. Students pursuing a career in an occupational program such as manufacturing-technology (i.e. PPT and Welding) or in the medical field have the ability to get a two-year degree in Applied Science and then continue on to earn a four-year degree in Business Administration with Professional Tracks without losing any credits earned – all while remaining at SMC.
Choose from the careers in the following areas:
Nursing Assistant
(Competency Evaluated Nurse Assistant or CENA)
A Competency Evaluation Nursing Assistant (CENA) provides basic health care to long-term care patients under the direction of a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or a Registered Nurse (RN).
Electrocardiogram (ECG) Technician
An Electrocardiogram (ECG) Technician operates the instrument which traces the electrical impulses of the heart.
Medical Billing and Coding
Coders assign alpha-numeric codes to specific illnesses, injuries, and medical procedures under a system of coding that is used across the health care system from doctor’s offices and hospitals to insurance companies, federal agencies, and international organizations.
Phlebotomy
Phlebotomists draw blood from a patient so various laboratory work can be performed to aid the physician with treatment.
Precision Production Technology
Students enrolled in this curriculum will learn about machines, tooling, materials, measurements and programming. Those individuals earning a one-year certificate will have skills necessary for precision programming and blueprint reading so they can do their own machine set up.
Welding Technology
Almost every area of manufacturing, maintenance and construction use welding technology to join two surfaces together. Because of its strength, welding is used to construct and repair parts of ships, automobiles, spacecraft, and thousands of other manufactured products. In addition, welding is used to join beams when constructing buildings, bridges, and other structures, and pipes in nuclear power plants and refineries. Few career choices offer such vast options for employment and personal development as welding.