26th Annual Port Tour and Luncheon
Several community college faculty members and administrators from Orange County were among the attendees of the 26th annual Port Tour and Luncheon sponsored by the Organization of Women in International Trade Orange County (WITOC). WITOC organizes 8-10 events each year to bring trade professionals together to provide current information about policies and procedures related to international trade.
The community college attendees on the tour were:
- Jane Jepson, Instructor and CTE Counselor, Cypress College
- Carolina Kussoy, Professor of Computer Information Management, Irvine Valley College
- Roopa Mathur, Interim Director of Economic and Workforce Development, Irvine Valley College
- Kathleen Reiland, Career Technical Education & Economic Development Dean, Cypress College
- Jaime Gonzalez, Regional Director of Employer Engagement, Advanced Transportation & Logistics Sector, Orange County
The tour included stops at the Gerald Desmond Bridge, TraPac Inc. Container Terminal, Marine Exchange of Southern California, and a water tour of the Port of Los Angeles. Attendees received a guided tour of the $1.5 billion bridge renovation project, saw cargo being unloaded from a vessel calling into port, and learned about Port of Los Angeles infrastructure and future plans.
The event also offered faculty the opportunity to connect with industry representatives who work in the Advanced Transportation & Logistics sector about potential internship and career opportunities for students.
“Events like this act as a catalyst between education and industry,” Gonzalez said. “The caliber of the Port tour creates inspiration amongst faculty and administrators to facilitate ideas for updating and developing new programs for the colleges.”
In fact, one Irvine Valley College student earned an internship after a representative attended the tour last year. As Interim Director of Economic and Workforce Development, Roopa Mathur was eager to continue building those relationships this summer.
“I attended the LA Port Tour because I wanted to gain an understanding of the careers available to our community college students in the Advanced Transportation & Logistics sector,” Mathur said. “I also wanted to connect with businesses about how student internships from Irvine Valley College could help them develop young talent and lay a foundation for recruiting exceptional future employees.”
Sharla Marocchi, WITOC President said that for more than 30 years, Women in International Trade Orange County has provided two scholarships each year to local college students who are pursuing an education in international business and trade. “This provides support to students and their school programs who see the benefits and opportunities through global economies,” she said.
For more information about WITOC and the Port Tour of Los Angeles, visit https://witoc.org/event/annual-port-tour-2019-port-of-los-angeles/.
