In keeping with its reputation as the most technological advanced community college in the state of California, the Cerritos College technology division has recently entered into a $235,800 training contract with the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics company in order to assist it in manufacturing the F-22 Raptor, the “most advanced expensive and deadly aircraft ever built.”
“It is a great opportunity for Cerritos College to be awarded the contract, Lockheed Martin is one of the largest prime manufacturers of aerospace activity in Southern California” said Terry Price, department chair of manufacturing technology at Cerritos College.
According to Randy Peebles, instructional dean of technology at Cerritos College, this new 18-month training contract will be carried out in two phases: curriculum development and curriculum delivery.
Phase One — Curriculum Development, which is already underway, will require Cerritos college faculty members and staff to develop a “total of six sections of new Composite 1 courses” that will be specific to the needs of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics company.
In the second phase, Curriculum Delivery that is scheduled to begin in October, faculty members will travel to Lockheed Martin’s Palmdale worksite and provide specialized composites related training to its employees.
Despite the new contract, Cerritos College is not new to the contract training business. In 1985 the Center of Composite Studies was founded and ever since Cerritos has been doing work for prominent manufactures of aerospace technology, working with large companies such as British Aerospace and working on fighter aircrafts the F-18 and the B-2.
“They came to us because we have a lot of history and background in doing this kind of specialty training,” Price said. “Of about 106 community colleges in California we are the only one to offer training, degree programs and be certificated in plastics and composites. “
“The Lockheed Martin Aeronautics company could have gone anywhere in the country for a vendor, but sought us out over any other state to deliver the required training. “
