As the recipient of four separate grants that collectively total to over $4 million the technology division is helping Cerritos College live up to its reputation as the most technologically advanced college in California.
The largest of the grants was $2.8 million given to the machine tool technology department.
“We were successful in going to the department of labor and asking for some funds in order to help do training,” said Randy Peebles, Cerritos College Dean of Technology.
Already six months into the two-year project the grant has been very useful to the technological division.
As a result the department has been able to promote its self on radio and in print.
Cerritos College’s award winning wood working department has also befitted from these grants.
The state of California has given the department $680,442.
The program is already in its second year and because of its success the department has been able to expand.
Several high-speed machines that produce cabinets at a high production rate have been added to the department. Industry partners have also contributed by giving Cerritos college almost a half of a million dollars in equipment.
The advanced transportation technology center will make use of $178,875 that was given to it in an additional grant from the state.
The money is already helping Cerritos College stay on the cutting edge of technology by training its students to utilize electric vehicles and alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas.
Proud of the student’s success in the advance transportation department, Peebles said, “We have an electric car that the students have built. It is licensed and we can test it on the road. We also have compressed natural gas vehicles that the students are certified to use.”
A two-year $500,000 grant from the chancellor’s office of community colleges will help the automotive department add new seminars and a new associate’s degree to the schools curriculum
The seminars will begin late this semester and will focus helping students to obtain and perfect managing skills.
