News Release

IWV Campus

Cerro Coso Community College to Hold Employer Summit

August 25, 2008

Last September, Cerro Coso Community College hosted its first Employer Summit. The College brought together aerospace, military, mining, manufacturing and renewable energy industries to determine if there were common skill sets required for their entry-level technicians.

Over the last year, Cerro Coso Community College analyzed the information received from employers and developed new courses and an Industrial Technology program. The Industrial Technology Technician program is designed to prepare students to enter the industrial setting in the areas of renewable energy (wind/solar), engineering technology or electronics. Students who successfully complete this program will have mastered 18 units of core skills with an emphasis in Energy (Wind/Solar), Engineering Technology or Electronics Technology.

Employers will gather on Friday, September 12th at the Indian Wells Valley campus in Ridgecrest, California to review the innovative course and program developments of the past year. "Employer input has been critical in developing our new curriculum and training which will prepare the future regional workforce" notes Valerie Karnes, Dean of Career Technical Education.

In addition to the Industrial Technology program, Cerro Coso will present other programs and partnerships that have been developed to serve the educational and employment needs of the region. Additional information on the Employer Summit can be found online at www.cerrocoso.edu/cte/summit.

Official invitations have been sent out to employers in aerospace, military, mining, manufacturing and renewable energy industries. If your company would like to attend the Employer Summit, please contact Valerie Karnes at Cerro Coso College at (760) 384-6258 for information. Employers should complete the online registration for the conference (www.cerrocoso.edu/cte/summit) by September 1, 2008. This will allow us to make timely preparations.
We welcome corporate and individual sponsors. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please visit www.cerrocoso.edu/cte/summit/sponsor or call Dean Karnes.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Joann Clark, Director of Public Information (760) 384-6230