The Statewide and Regional Directors from the Advanced Manufacturing, Business & Entrepreneurship, Health, and Advanced Transportation & Logistics sectors are working together to support the success of the California Community Colleges Makerspace response to COVID-19.

Although production is limited and labor is voluntary, volunteers have donated over 9,000 face shields and nearly 1,000 comfort straps to date across California. Currently most college Makerspaces are seeking local manufacturers to take over the project.

Last month, through the efforts of the Inland Empire Regional Director, Advanced Transportation & Logistics (Larry McLaughlin) and the rest of the IE project team, OnTrac Logistics (www.ontrac.com) joined the effort in the Inland Empire and San Diego Regions, and is picking up the completed items at the point of production and delivering the next day to the selected health care facilities at no charge. OnTrac’s commitment to the project allows volunteers to spend more time on developing new production techniques that will help future student success.

Auto Upkeep

Auto Upkeep is partnering with RedShelf to provide students and teachers free access to the Auto Upkeep eTextbook and eWorkbook through June 30, 2020. The Auto Upkeep eBook can be read on tablets, desktops, laptops, and smartphones that have Internet access. Complete this form to receive ebook access codes for students. Educators will also receive access to instructor files to help with remote teaching.

Goodheart-Wilcox

G-W is providing free remote learning resources including 90-day digital access to educators. Educators can get instant access to interactive learning activities for at the G-W Learning companion website and can contact a G-W Educational Consultant for additional resources.

Electude

A recent webinar hosted by Electude contains valuable instructor training resources, including:

• Dorman Training Center
• ACDelco Training (requires NATEF or ASE ED Foundation Accreditation)
• Cengage Learning
• Future Tech’s Vehicle Electrification Webinars
• Automotive IQ

Academic Senate Webinars

The Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges hosted Trade Laboratory Modifications for Online Environments Webinars. The webinars served as a forum for faculty to share best practices and questions/concerns about teaching labs. Multiple disciplines were represented, including Automotive and Aeronautics. Read the notes here.

For more resources click here.

By Stephanie Feger, Coast Community College District

To rebuild jobs and the economy amid the coronavirus crisis, the McKinsey consulting firm advises government, business, and educational institutions to ask: “How do we use the downturn to retrain and future-proof our workforce?”

The Strong Workforce Program Pathways Network recently brought together 60 educators and administrators from K12, community college and university programs to discuss how pathways and partnerships can address the challenges arising from the COVID-19 crisis.

Presenters, including education and industry experts focused on how pathways and partnerships can benefit students, institutions, and industry. A tri-level partnership team from Arizona’s West Maricopa Education Center, Maricopa Community Colleges, and Northern Arizona University, along with the CSU Fullerton Online Continuing Education Program introduced innovative 90/30 pathway models and online degree completion programs as examples to grow a regional pipeline of workers in the automotive industry and transportation sector. Read More →

Standard Motor Products is looking to award 14 automotive students with scholarships in the amount of $5,000 each.

Don’t miss this opportunity to help your students apply this spring!

There are four types of scholarships available:

• Women in Auto Care: Deadline March 31, 2020
• Intermotor Import Leader: Deadline May 31, 2020
• Bigger, Better Diesel: Deadline May 31, 2020
• Blue Streak ‘Better Then, Better Now’: Deadline May 31, 2020

Download the flyers here.

Watch the video here.

As anyone who has worked with autonomous vehicles knows, the regulation process is complicated.

A new initiative announced by Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao aims to change that.

The “Ensuring American Leadership in Automated Vehicle Technologies: Automated Vehicles 4.0” — or AV 4.0 for short — will streamline policies across 38 federal departments, independent agencies, commissions, and executive offices of the president.

The program will also provide high-level guidance to state and local governments, innovators, and all stakeholders on the U.S. government’s approach towards self-driving cars and other vehicles. Read More →

Building on a longstanding partnership, two Los Angeles-area community colleges received grants from the Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association (GLANCDA) to support student work on electric vehicles.

GLANCDA awarded $10,000 each to the automotive programs at Compton College and East Los Angeles College. The funds will be used for new and innovative student projects, with an emphasis on electric vehicle technology.

The grants are another step in the organization’s relationship with community colleges in the Los Angeles region. The organization regularly holds recruiting events and its members are part of the colleges’ industry advisory boards.

Adrian Banuelos, automotive instructor at East Los Angeles College, said GLANCDA dealerships also help support hands-on learning.

“Dealerships have donated used engines, transmissions, and a couple of used vehicles for our students to work on,” Banuelos said. “Many new car dealers have provided internships for our students.”  

For more information on GLANCDA, visit glancda.org/.

In order to serve students effectively and continue growing, community colleges need a steady pipeline of instructors.

Katie Mishler, ATL Regional Director for Los Angeles, recognized this need and organized a series of workshops to give automotive professionals the skills, structure, and confidence to deliver not-for-credit ATL instruction at Long Beach City College and Cerritos College. Read More →

Victor Valley College began the new year with a five-day training on hybrid and electric vehicles for nearly a dozen high school and community college instructors.

The training was held at Victor Valley College January 2-6 and included a mix of online, classroom and hands-on instruction to help instructors build on their existing skillsets and work effectively with their students in the coming year.

“As most instructors are previous technicians with electrical (not electronics) training and experience, this training allowed us to gain an understanding of the complicated control systems involved in alternative propulsion vehicles,” said Steven Coultas, the event’s organizer and an automotive instructor at Victor Valley College.

Read More →

After spending the past year in Orange County, Larry McLaughlin is back in the Inland Empire/Desert Region as the ATL Regional Director.

He hopes to bring a focus on clean energy and carbon reduction to sector-related programs in the region.

McLaughlin returned to the Inland Empire Region because he felt he could make the most impact in the transportation and logistics sector and build on the momentum being generated around alternative-fuel vehicles of all types. Doing so can benefit community college students by giving them that edge in the job market and, in the process, help mitigate problems associated with climate change. Read More →

Watch the highlight video here.

More than 700 people attended the 2019 Orange County Counselor Symposium in November.

The event is the result of a fruitful partnership between the Orange County Department of Education and the Los Angeles/Orange County Regional Consortium of Community Colleges.

The goal is to provide professional development for all types of counselors, from K-12 through college and school-based mental health professionals. Read More →