SCRTTC delivers Cummins 8.9 Level training at Sacramento Transit District. Photo courtesy of SCRTTC.

The Southern California Regional Transit Training Consortium (SCRTTC) is a leading provider of public transit training to organizations in North America, all from right here in California.

The organization already partners with several California Community Colleges and is eager to add more partnerships to its portfolio.
The SCRTTC is comprised of public transportation agencies and academic members located in Southern, Central and Northern California. It has delivered more than 75,000 hours of training to transit employees on everything from brakes and electrical systems to hybrid vehicles, project management and leadership. Read More →

Klein Hybrid Engine Trainer at Victor Valley College, Inland Empire/Desert Region

Community colleges need to present a high-tech image to remain competitive in the automotive market. Efforts to do just that are underway in the Inland Empire/Desert Region thanks to Strong Workforce funding.

Larry McLaughlin, ATL Deputy Sector Navigator in the Inland Empire/Desert Region, is overseeing an effort to revamp the region’s automotive curriculum to focus on electric, hybrid, and alternative fuel vehicles. This process includes training for faculty and purchasing new vehicles for students to use for hands-on experience.
McLaughlin said all of this work is in support of increasing student interest in the automotive field and making sure they are prepared for the jobs they will be doing once they graduate. Read More →

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Automotive students at high schools and community colleges across the state recently received more than $100,000 in scholarship support from the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) Scholarship Foundation.

Scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $200 were awarded to 156 automotive students from Cypress College, Santa Ana College, Rio Hondo College, Fresno City College, Los Angeles Trade Technical College, and many others throughout California. Read More →

California Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell recently visited Boulevard Cadillac to meet Cerritos Auto Tech student Jessie Perez, who is currently enrolled in GM’s Automotive Service Educational Program.

Boulevard Cadillac General Manager Chad Charon brought Perez to the dealership about 18 months ago and paired him with one of his organization’s key master techs.

“It’s been great,” said Charon. “We need more like him.”

O’Donnell has authored career tech legislation and got a firsthand look at how it is put to use on a daily basis. He represents the 70th Assembly District that encompasses Long Beach and Signal Hill dealers.
Cerritos College partners with the Southland Motor Car Dealers Association on a program that allows students like Perez to work at a dealership while attending classes. The partnership has existed for more than a decade.
Southern California is home to the largest concentration of automotive dealers in the country. The Advanced Transportation Technology Center at Cerritos College develops and improves the industry’s workforce to meet the evolving needs of the automotive industry.

Educators’ Day at San Jose International Airport

In the Bay Area, Pam Gutman, Deputy Sector Navigator, Advanced Transportation and Logistics (ATL), is working to strengthen the partnerships between the region’s aviation colleges and the aviation employers and airports in the area.

Over the summer Pam helped coordinate the participation of students and college faculty in an educators’ day at San Jose International Airport held on July 17, 2018. Faculty and students from several Bay Area colleges were invited, including City College of San Francisco, College of Alameda, Gavilan College and Solano College.
The event was called “Working at SJC” and was primarily sponsored by Alaska Airlines, the Mineta San Jose International Airport and the Bay Area Council. Approximately 100 people attended the event including many local political and business dignitaries and the Airport Commissioner, Catherine Hendrix. Read More →

Ruby Flores of Santa Ana College talks to Palomar College UAS student Neil McDowell-Horn during Drone-Con on July 6, 2018. Photo credit: Palomar News

The drone industry is booming, and that means there are more opportunities than ever for the people in it to share best practices and determine how to expand drone education across California and around the country.

About 250 leaders from throughout the industry and education sectors came together for those discussions at Drone Con 2018, held July 6 at Palomar College. The conference featured more than 30 speakers on drone research, education, and innovation.
Paolo Espaldon, Drone Technology Program Coordinator at Grossmont College, said the conference was a great opportunity to meet like-minded people who are interested in seeing drone technology succeed. Read More →

The California Community Colleges Workforce and Economic Development Division named Jannet Malig as the state’s new Sector Navigator for Advanced Transportation & Logistics.

Malig currently serves as director of the Advanced Transportation Technology & Renewable (ATTR) Center at Cerritos College. Since 2012, she has served as the Deputy Sector Navigator (DSN) for the Los Angeles and Orange County regions and as the College’s ATTR Director.
Malig knows the needs of her sector well and will focus on ways to create relevant career pathways and develop strong workforce for 21st century careers. She will continue to work with industry and professional associations, government organizations, and colleges to provide direction for curriculum development in emerging occupations; expand industry certificate programs, and determine short- and long-term industry training needs for high school and college career technical education programs.
Read More →

Cars from various eras were gathered as part of the team challenge module comparing and contrasting different automotive technologies.

Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) hosted its Ninth Annual High School Skills Challenge Day on April 13, 2018.

Automotive students from five local high schools from Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties competed for awards in hands-on events such as:

• Vehicle Maintenance Inspections
• Automotive Parts Identification
• Servicing high voltage cars
• Comparing and contrasting 21st Century Automotive Technology, featuring an exhibition of cars from different technological eras
• Electrical Diagnostic Challenge
• Wheel Rotation Test
• A Technical ASE Style Exam

Read More →

Student teams from the Inland Empire/Desert Region came out strong for this year’s National KidWind Competition in Chicago!

The top three high school teams from the regional competition on February 24th, along with a slew of middle schools students, raised funds to travel and compete at the national level. The event was held as part of the American Wind Energy Conference in Chicago on May 9th. Read More →