SBCC recently received two major grants for program development from the Chancellor’s Office of California Community Colleges.
It was awarded a two-year grant for $711, 436 for green construction and green landscaping. Under the direction of Douglas Hersh, dean of Educational Programs, Technology, in association with Dr. Patrick Foster, director of the Construction Academy, and Dr. Mike Gonella, chairman of Environmental Horticulture, the grant is made up of the planning and delivery of classes that provide students a background in green technologies and the training necessary to conduct free sustainability audits for local business and homeowners.
Students may then take the next step by learning about water use, weatherization and solar photovoltaic — knowledge that will help them find technology jobs or even start green businesses.
A contractor with more than 30 years of experience, Foster said SBCC is “developing this program to keep pace with local community needs — and with the national and international need to conserve resources and reduce the fierce competition for them.”
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, more than 100,000 new solar sector jobs will be created by December 2010. Similarly, in the next three years, nearly 200,000 new jobs will be created in the wind power sector.
Hersh invites anyone interested in learning about becoming an energy auditor, wind energy technician, insulation and weatherization specialist, solar photovoltaic or solar thermal installer, gray water technician, green landscaper or abatement specialist to find out more about the program. E-mail Foster at foster@sbcc.edu or Gonella at gonella@sbcc.edu.
The SBCC School of Media Arts was awarded a $162,000 grant to provide the leadership for the Multimedia & Entertainment Initiative, a program within the Economic Workforce Development Program. The grant will fund statewide leadership to the six existing regional MEI Centers, including SBCC’s School of Media Arts.
Guy Smith, SBCC dean of Educational Programs, said the grant will be directed by Stephen Wright, a communications technology executive specializing in market strategy and business development.
With the shift in the past decade in the California economy, major components such as aerospace, agriculture and the motion picture industry have declined while industries such as information communications technology, health care and general business services (professional services, retail, small and medium business) have expanded, Smith said.
“Digital arts have a greater role to play in all of these industries and markets due to the pervasive availability of broadband technologies and the public appetite for visual information in entertainment, business and personal applications,” he said.
According to Wright, the core growth of the ICT industry is both a source of multimedia and entertainment job growth and a catalyst to business development in other industries. Therefore, the new direction of the MEI will focus on both ICT industry job growth and economic development in healthcare and general business because of ICT applications.
Under Wright’s direction, the strategic outcomes of the MEI centers include bringing clarity and consistency to digital arts ICT training; initiating and helping identify and develop curriculum; developing online marketing collateral, curriculum, seminars and interactive Web tools; establishing Hispanic business involvement; and aligning green economy values and objectives.
— Joan Galvan is a public information officer for SBCC.