Manufacturing, Engineering, Construction, & Skilled Trades
Looking for high wage, high demand career options? Manufacturing, Engineering, Construction, and the Skilled Trades offer rewarding careers that combine technical skills, problem-solving, and hands-on work to build, maintain, and power the world around us. With high demand for skilled professionals across the Kansas City region and beyond, these industries provide excellent opportunities for career growth, apprenticeships, internships, and competitive pay. Explore this career community to learn about career paths, connect with employers, discover job and internship opportunities, and access resources to help you launch your career.
Related KCKCC programs are listed below – click the button to see the full program information and list of courses.
- Prepares graduates for careers/jobs in advanced manufacturing, robotics, machine tech, maintenance tech, mechatronics, and other roles with strong earning potential, high industry demand, and room for advancement.
- Certificates & Associate of Applied Science Degrees offered
- Apprenticeship “earn while you learn” model offered through our partnership with the KS FAME (Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education) program
- Completion time ranges from 1-3 semesters depending on certificate
- Aligned to prepare graduates for OSHA, ASE and I-CAR certifications
- Completion time ranges from 1-3 semesters depending on certificate
- Programs are aligned to prepare graduates for ASE certifications, with high demand for graduates within dealerships and repair shops, manufacturing, fleet maintenance, and other industries.
- Prepares graduates for a wide variety of fields in roles such as biomanufacturing technician, quality control analyst, processing technician, cell culture technician, clinical laboratory technologist, automation technician, research technician, water quality, and others.
- The KC Animal Health Corridor represents the world’s largest concentration of animal health companies, bringing a large number of opportunities (in addition to other companies and industries) to the KC Metro.
- Students learn a wide variety of building construction, maintenance, installation, and repair skills.
- Large number of career opportunities within commercial building & facilities maintenance, property management, and other construction trades.
- The Kansas City metro area has extensive career opportunities with high earning and advancement potential in commercial building, civil infrastructure, and specialized trades.
- Completion time ranges from 1-2 semesters depending on certificate.
- Electricians consistently rank among the most highly paid, in-demand skilled trades in the United States, and the growth of data centers, renewable energy, battery storage, and electric vehicles is creating even more new career opportunities for electrical professionals.
- Upon completion of Certificate B, the student will be eligible to obtain certification in Electrical Technology for Journeyman Electrician, Residential Electrician, or Electrical Helper.
- Kansas City has a robust market for Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) careers, with high wages and room for advancement. Industries and major employers include defense, manufacturing, engineering consulting, R&D, and others.
- Completion time ranges from 1-4 semesters, depending on certificate/degree level.
- HVAC opportunities range from residential service to large-scale commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities management – with strong earning potential and demand for skilled technicians.
- Completion time ranges from 1-2 semesters, depending on certificate level.
- Prepares students to enter manufacturing, construction and industry trades as electrical lineman, power lineman technician, lineworker, electrical and power transmission installers, electricians, telecommunications line installers and repairers.
- This is a rapidly growing career field with high demand and extremely strong earning potential, with program completion time of 2 semesters.
- Prepares students for transfer to a college/university to complete a bachelor’s degree in various engineering fields (mechanical, civil, chemical, electrical, environmental, or others).
- Kansas City is a national hub for engineering careers, with a strong concentration of engineering firms, advanced manufacturers, and federal facilities driving innovation in infrastructure, energy, technology, manufacturing, and national security. The region offers diverse career opportunities across nearly every engineering discipline.
- Prepares graduates for surveying careers in roles such as aero triangulation specialists, engineering technicians, geospatial analysts, mapping editors, mapping technicians, photogrammetric compilation specialists, photogrammetric technicians, stereo plotter operators, survey technicians, tax map technicians, or others.
- The KCKCC Surveying program provides the necessary formal training that, when coupled with field work, prepares graduates to take the licensing exam through the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions.
- The KCKCC Surveying program is supported by the Kansas Society of Land Surveyors who were, and remain, involved in the development of the program curriculum.
- Prepares graduates for roles such as machine operators, robot operators, spot welders, assembly line brazers, fabrication welders, maintenance welders, industrial machinery mechanics, structural metal fabricators and fitters. Further academic pursuits open opportunities in welding inspection, supervision, and engineering.
- Fueled by an aging workforce and regional infrastructure growth, Kansas City is facing a critical shortage of skilled welding professionals, creating high demand and strong potential for earning and advancement. remain, involved in the development of the program curriculum.
- KCKCC’s Welding program is registered with the American Welding Society (AWS) as a SENSE school. This recognition allows the program to offer AWS SENSE certifications to students.
