The Brazos Valley is in need of land surveyors and Blinn College is offering a simple and affordable way to start your new career.

Site Surveyor Layout Courses will begin on Monday, June 17 at the RELLIS Campus. The program is five weeks long.

The information below is from Blinn College's website. Those interested in taking the class should contact Blinn online or call (979) 209-7205.

Land surveyors mark and document the location of legal property lines and establish official land and water boundaries for deeds, leases, and other legal documents. When taking measurements in the field, surveyors use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to locate reference points with a high degree of precision. Surveyors also use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to present spatial information visually as maps, reports, and charts.

This five-week program consists of two courses: Introduction to Surveying and Field Engineering I. Those who successfully complete the program will earn the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 10-Hour Certification, the Texas Department of Transportation Flagger and Traffic Control Supervisor Certifications, and the National Center for Construction Education and Research Sight Layout Certification.

Students who complete the program will be on the path to becoming a Registered Professional Land Surveyor (RPLS). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, land surveyors earn a median pay of $61,140 per year, or $29.40 per hour. The market expects to hire an additional 5,000 land surveyors between 2016 and 2026, an incredible 11 percent growth in the job market.