Factories, manufacturing companies, food processing and power plants, and other industrial settings are the backbone of modern society, as they serve as the epicenters of progress, production, and innovation. They increase employment opportunities, contributing to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
What is one of the crucial factors that ensure these industries operate smoothly and efficiently? Millwrights or millwright technicians are skilled in the complex world of industrial operations and maintenance procedures.
What is a Millwright?
Millwrights, also known as machinery maintenance workers and industrial machinery mechanics, are industrial jack-of-all-trades who are masters at installing, diagnosing, and systematically maintaining plant machinery.
They can work with a wide selection of machine tools and align equipment, such as conveyor systems, pumps, compressors, hydraulics and fluid power, turbines, and conveyor systems.
Methodology
We have listed the top trade schools that offer online and hybrid millwright training to help save you time and effort. Each community college is carefully selected based on the following criteria:
- Offers fully online or partly web-based training courses to accommodate the needs of working students,
- Features program curriculum that covers all aspects of millwright work in all course credit hours, preparing learners for a successful career in the field, including in the assembly, breakdown, vibration analysis, and preventative maintenance of existing machinery and precision instruments or materials,
- Has programmatic and institutional accreditation from reputable accrediting bodies, including the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), to ensure compliance with industry standards and safe work practices,
- Offers affordable tuition or fees, and financial assistance to help eligible students afford skill-based learning and become skilled professionals,
- Offers students opportunities to apply the necessary skills in machinery installation through practical training, real-world scenarios, and workshops.
Top 5 Millwright Trade Schools
Madison Area Technical College
- Location: Madison, Wisconsin
- Delivery Method: Some Online/Some In-Person
- Costs: $3,096.70
- Time It Takes to Complete: 4 years
- Completion Rate: undisclosed
- Types of Aid: Grants, Federal Direct Subsidized Loans, Work-Study Program
Madison Area Technical College offers a Maintenance Mechanic/Millwright Apprenticeship program that is delivered online and in person. This 17-credit program has an estimated time of completion of 4 years.
Through this program, learners will be taught how to install, disassemble, or move heavy equipment and machinery based on blueprints, layout plans, and other drawings. They will also learn how to keep mechanical equipment, machines, and an establishment’s structure in good condition.
This Millwright Apprenticeship program requires 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 576 hours of paid instruction. Apprentices will also need to complete CPR, Transition-to-Trainer, and Red Cross First-Aid courses.
Metropolitan Community College
- Location: Kansas City, Missouri
- Delivery Method: Instructor-Led Online Learning/Hands-On Lab Work
- Costs: $121 per credit hour (In-District); $237 per credit hour (Out of District); $320 per credit hour (Out of State/International)
- Time It Takes to Complete: 1 year
- Completion Rate: undisclosed
- Types of Aid: MCC Grants, Federal Aid, State Aid, Scholarships, Loans, Work-Study Programs, SkillUp Missouri Program
Metropolitan Community College offers an Industrial Millwright Level II Certificate that gives students a solid education to enter the workforce confidently and successfully.
Students will be trained with the same state-of-the-art equipment and by industry-experienced professionals who can teach day or evening classes.
MCC also offers these related programs:
- Construction Management
- Instrumentation and Controls
- Precision Machining
- Welding
- Industrial Maintenance
Tennessee College of Applied Technology
- Location: Elizabethton, Tennessee; Johnson City, Tennessee; Mountain City, Tennessee; Kingsport, Tennessee
- Delivery Method:
- Costs: $4,119
- Time It Takes to Complete: 1 year
- Completion Rate: undisclosed
- Types of Aid: Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant (Lottery Grant), Federal Pell Grant, TN Promise, TN Reconnect Grant, Federal Work Study (FWS) Program, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Tennessee Student Assistance Award Program (TSAA), Military Transition Grant
At Tennessee College of Applied Technology, individuals who are interested in becoming millwrights can enroll in its Millwright Skills Program. Its program credentials include:
- Millwright Apprentice
- Millwright Helper 1
- Maintenance Apprentice
- Millwright Helper 2
- Millwright
Millwright Skills students will train for 12 months and get hands-on learning experiences in installing, aligning, and maintaining all kinds of machinery and industrial equipment. They will know how to use the latest technologies in aligning, leveling, repairing, and troubleshooting such heavy equipment.
They will also receive instructions in industrial electricity, pipefitting, blueprint reading, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and welding to hone multiple skills. At the end of the program, graduates will be able to have the necessary knowledge to be employed and develop their careers in the construction and maintenance fields.
The courses required for this program include:
- Orientation and Safety
- Introduction to Oxyfuel Cutting
- Millwright Power Tools
Lee College
- Location: Baytown, Texas
- Delivery Method:
- Costs: $59 per credit hour (In-District); $130.5 per credit hour (Out-of-District); $148 per credit hour (Non-Resident)
- Time It Takes to Complete: 4 semesters
- Completion Rate: undisclosed
- Types of Aid: Grants, Scholarships, Loans, Work-Study Programs, Exemptions and Waivers, International Education Financial Aid
Students who are looking to work in industrial settings as maintenance mechanics can enroll in Lee College’s Industrial System – Millwright – MW1, Certificate of Completion program. This is designed for those who are currently employed or are planning to be employed in a technical field. Generally, credits earned from a certificate program can be applied to an associate degree in the same area.
The following courses are included in the Millwright program’s curriculum:
- Print Reading for Machining Trade
- Plumbing and Pipefitting Equipment and Safety
- Hydraulics and Pneumatics
Brazosport College
- Location: Lake Jackson, Texas
- Delivery Method: In-Person
- Costs: $1,629 (In-District); $2,241 (Out of District); $3,213 (Out of State/International)
- Time It Takes to Complete: 2 years
- Completion Rate: undisclosed
- Types of Aid: Federal/State Grants, Scholarships, Veteran Benefits, Loans
Brazosport College’s Basic Certificate in Millwright program is designed for those who enjoy precision work and are interested in becoming an industrial mechanic. This certificate program prepares learners to know how to maintain and install heavy equipment and machinery in various industries, including manufacturing facilities, construction sites, and machine shops.
This Millwright certificate program offers hands-on training by experienced faculty. It also has co-op classes that provide on-the-job training on monitoring equipment, replacing worn-out parts, performing maintenance work, and checking the parts being produced for accuracy.
Some of the courses included in the program’s curriculum are:
- Millwright I
- Millwright II
- Cooperative Education I – Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
Millwright Job Outlook and Industry Forecast
There are currently 40,930 millwrights employed in the United States, with a median annual salary of $61,750. These skilled individuals are employed in the following industries:
- Nonresidential building construction
- Sawmills and wood preservation
- Employment services
- Building equipment contractors
- Commercial and industrial machinery or equipment repair and maintenance
- Pulp, paper, and paperboard mills
- Iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing
- Veneer, plywood, and engineered wood product manufacturing
- Motor vehicle manufacturing
- Chemical manufacturing
- Utility system construction
- Scientific research and development services
- Aerospace product and parts manufacturing
Overall, the job outlook for millwrights, industrial machinery mechanics, and machinery maintenance workers remains stable, with employment increasing by 13% between 2022 and 2032, which is faster than other occupations.
This projected growth opens around 49,000 job openings for industrial machinery mechanics, millwrights, and machinery maintenance workers, as per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics.
FAQs About Millwright Trade Schools
How does one become a millwright in the US?
First, you need to have a high school diploma or GED. You will then need to enroll in trade school education in millwright or industrial mechanic. After graduation, you will have to render three to four years of apprenticeship with a combination of on-the-job training and instruction.
Does one need any certification or licensure to become a millwright?
In the United States, millwrights or industrial mechanics are not required to have a certification or license to practice their skills. However, to advance in your career, you may complete additional coursework or earn a certificate in a sub-field or other training program.
For more valuable information, see the following:
