In these challenging economic times, it is vital that career training and retraining become available to those in the community who find themselves at a crossroads. MiraCosta College recognizes this need and has positioned itself at the forefront by providing opportunities for students seeking to carve out a new niche for themselves in the workforce. By adapting its curriculum to address this urgent need, the college has expanded its offerings, most recently in the areas of nuclear energy and hybrid vehicles.
MiraCosta College students interested in a nuclear energy career are now benefiting from a $150,000 grant by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that provides scholarships for books, tuition and fees for 48 students to participate in the college's new Energy Technology Associate in Science degree program.
“Our partnership with MiraCosta College has resulted in a two-year associate degree program that will help provide qualified candidates to support San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station operations well into the future,” said Barry J. Wallace, Southern California Edison's (SCE) director of nuclear training. “More importantly, we are investing in local people, through a local institution, for a local employer. We are very excited about what this partnership means to our community.”
MiraCosta College is the only college in the state of California to offer an Energy Technology Associate in Science degree, and one of only a handful of colleges in the nation to offer training for future radiation protection technicians.
“There's a great market for qualified technicians in nuclear power plants. There are also ample opportunities in other industries such as health care, biotechnology, and research and development,” said Dr. Eric Goldin, MiraCosta's lead instructor for the Radiation Protection Technician Certificate of Achievement Program. “MiraCosta is the place to be for students interested in this industry. We are definitely leading the pack.”
In June, MiraCosta offered a second session of its new Hybrid Vehicle Technician Training Program, which trains students to provide quality service to hybrid vehicle owners. The funding for the Hybrid Vehicle Technician Training Program is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and is administered through San Diego Workforce Partnership. The ARRA was enacted by President Obama in February, and is intended to preserve and create jobs, promote the nation's economic recovery, and assist those most impacted by the recession.
Respond to the community's needs
• MiraCosta's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) helps its clients establish a small business or expand their existing business. Two former SBDC clients recently received awards from the San Diego Small Business Association, and have turned around and become counselors at MiraCosta's center, providing new clients the benefit of their experience and expertise. Winning the Minority Small Business Champion of the Year award was La Sonja Boulware. The Delores Braswell Award for advocating women in business went to Cheryl Protzeller.
• A language barrier creates a career barrier, and the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) Certification recently bestowed upon the college's Letters Department clearly indicates that MiraCosta helps students learn the language they need to succeed in the workforce. MiraCosta is the first college in California to receive the award, and only forty-five colleges and universities in the United States have received this prestigious recognition.
• MiraCosta's Health Services Department has partnered with the San Diego Blood Bank and sponsors several blood drives each year. In 2009, the college held 10 drives, surpassing its goal and thus receiving the San Diego Blood Bank's LL4 Difference Maker Award for 2009.
• The average price of a college textbook is $100. Multiply this by a full course load, and the total may be prohibitive. MiraCosta has many textbook assistance programs in place to help students cope with this sometimes-overlooked and underestimated expense. In addition to selling used textbooks at a reduced cost, MiraCosta's bookstore is introducing Rent-A-Text, a textbook rental program to be offered for the first time this upcoming fall 2010 semester. Also the college's Textbook Loan Program allows students to borrow one or two textbooks per semester at no charge. Textbook scholarships are also available.
MiraCosta College students interested in a nuclear energy career are now benefiting from a $150,000 grant by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that provides scholarships for books, tuition and fees for 48 students to participate in the college's new Energy Technology Associate in Science degree program.
“Our partnership with MiraCosta College has resulted in a two-year associate degree program that will help provide qualified candidates to support San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station operations well into the future,” said Barry J. Wallace, Southern California Edison's (SCE) director of nuclear training. “More importantly, we are investing in local people, through a local institution, for a local employer. We are very excited about what this partnership means to our community.”
MiraCosta College is the only college in the state of California to offer an Energy Technology Associate in Science degree, and one of only a handful of colleges in the nation to offer training for future radiation protection technicians.
“There's a great market for qualified technicians in nuclear power plants. There are also ample opportunities in other industries such as health care, biotechnology, and research and development,” said Dr. Eric Goldin, MiraCosta's lead instructor for the Radiation Protection Technician Certificate of Achievement Program. “MiraCosta is the place to be for students interested in this industry. We are definitely leading the pack.”
In June, MiraCosta offered a second session of its new Hybrid Vehicle Technician Training Program, which trains students to provide quality service to hybrid vehicle owners. The funding for the Hybrid Vehicle Technician Training Program is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and is administered through San Diego Workforce Partnership. The ARRA was enacted by President Obama in February, and is intended to preserve and create jobs, promote the nation's economic recovery, and assist those most impacted by the recession.
Respond to the community's needs
• MiraCosta's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) helps its clients establish a small business or expand their existing business. Two former SBDC clients recently received awards from the San Diego Small Business Association, and have turned around and become counselors at MiraCosta's center, providing new clients the benefit of their experience and expertise. Winning the Minority Small Business Champion of the Year award was La Sonja Boulware. The Delores Braswell Award for advocating women in business went to Cheryl Protzeller.
• A language barrier creates a career barrier, and the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) Certification recently bestowed upon the college's Letters Department clearly indicates that MiraCosta helps students learn the language they need to succeed in the workforce. MiraCosta is the first college in California to receive the award, and only forty-five colleges and universities in the United States have received this prestigious recognition.
• MiraCosta's Health Services Department has partnered with the San Diego Blood Bank and sponsors several blood drives each year. In 2009, the college held 10 drives, surpassing its goal and thus receiving the San Diego Blood Bank's LL4 Difference Maker Award for 2009.
• The average price of a college textbook is $100. Multiply this by a full course load, and the total may be prohibitive. MiraCosta has many textbook assistance programs in place to help students cope with this sometimes-overlooked and underestimated expense. In addition to selling used textbooks at a reduced cost, MiraCosta's bookstore is introducing Rent-A-Text, a textbook rental program to be offered for the first time this upcoming fall 2010 semester. Also the college's Textbook Loan Program allows students to borrow one or two textbooks per semester at no charge. Textbook scholarships are also available.