COLLEGE, INDUSTRY LAUDED FOR ALLIANCE.

Byline: Mary Schubert Daily News Staff Writer

A partnership between industry and College of the Canyons was honored recently by the state chancellor's office for training workers in cutting-edge technology, thus creating a skilled local labor force.

The college first teamed with Aerospace Dynamics International Inc., a Valencia manufacturer of parts for the defense industry, two years ago to establish the Center for Applied Competitive Technologies.

Student workers learn advanced metal machining, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing. ADI set aside 2,500 square feet of its Valencia plant so that College of the Canyons could hold its classes there, making use of 48 equipment workstations, college President Dianne Van Hook said in a report this month to the Santa Clarita Community College District board of trustees.

College of the Canyons was singled out by the chancellor of the 107-campus California Community College at a 10th annual awards ceremony of the Economic Development Coordination Network, part of the community college system. ``It's a very prestigious award,'' said Jean Smelser, associate director of the network.

Statewide, every community college has at least one such program. The type of employment in the area surrounding each college determines what sort of partnership is established between the campus and local business or industry.

Smelser said the programs at other colleges are advanced transportation technology, multimedia entertainment, health care, international trade and development, biotechnology, small business development, environmental technology, and workplace learning.

William Barritt, chief financial officer for Aerospace Dynamics, said the company spearheaded the partnership with College of the Canyons to address a labor shortage of workers with up-to-date skills. ``We've experienced tremendous growth, and gone from a company with very low levels of operation to a $78 million-a-year company,'' he said.

Aerospace Dynamics manufactures parts for the space shuttle, the U.S. Air Force's C-17 troop carrier, the military's Joint Strike Fighter and assorted Boeing jets, including the 737 and 757, Barritt said.

The 10-year-old company, with about 400 employees, makes the skin panels for the shuttle's center fuel tank, which is used during the launch, and a mold for the fuselage skins on the Joint Strike Fighter, he added.

It was costing Aerospace Dynamics about $20,000 each to train some of their workers, and frequently larger manufacturing firms would hire them away - thus costing them their investment. ``They were stealing our people,'' Barritt said. ``We had skilled labor. Our people are highly trained and they're highly sought after.''

College of the Canyons' program, Van Hook told the board of trustees, was established with four goals:

Create a partnership of employers, educators and government agencies to develop a ``manufacturing technology education center'' in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Secure funds and resources to operate the facility.

Create training and education programs that will ``prepare new workers for manufacturing jobs in the Santa Clarita Valley, and upgrade the skills of existing workers in the region.''

Offer ongoing training and education programs that keep workers' skills current, teaching them the latest, most efficient techniques ``on modern, state-of-the-art equipment from qualified instructors with industry experience.''

The program is part of College of the Canyons' mission to provide vocational education for students who will enter the work force directly, in addition to those students on a more academic-oriented track aimed at transferring to a four-year university, said Dena Maloney, director of COC's Center for Applied Competitive Technologies.

``The concept of helping manufacturing stay competitive is a statewide goal,'' Maloney said. ``We wanted to be responsive to the needs of the manufacturing community.''

Grant funds from the city, the state and the federal government support the industry-college partnership.

``Local manufacturers now have a reliable, low-cost, high-quality education and training facility . . . to provide instruction which, upon completion, will lead to high-paid employment opportunities for our students,'' Van Hook's report stated.

``Employers, developers and the city of Santa Clarita now recognize the relationship between developing a skilled local work force and economic development of the region. Having a state-of-the-art educational program in the region has (improved) company attraction and retention efforts,'' Van Hook added.

``As new companies relocate to this region, they're able to tap into the educational resources of the college and its many partnerships with industry.''

As a result of the partnership, Boeing has invited College of the Canyons to take part in a pilot program to conduct software training in computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing, based on the standards of the Seattle-based aircraft giant.

Other Santa Clarita Valley partners in COC's Center for Applied Competitive Technologies include ITT Aerospace, Western Filter Corp., the Valencia Hilton, Del West Engineering and Wesco Consultants, Maloney said.