CONSTRUCTION, NURSING PROGRAMS TO BE OFFERED.

Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer

VALENCIA - College of the Canyons is turning to hard hats and syringes in its two new offerings at the University Center.

The college, in partnership with two California State University campuses, will offer bachelor of science degree programs in construction management and nursing starting spring 2004, officials said Wednesday.

``It meets the needs of our constituents - the schools, the education community, the health care facilities - everyone that drives a growing community like this,'' said Diana Watkins, the center's interim director. ``We're here to service them.''

The nursing course work, conducted by California State University, Northridge, will complement the college's own credential program by offering registered nurses the opportunity to earn an advanced degree in their field on campus.

The construction management degree, a new program offered by Fresno State, was brought about in response to demands by local developers, Watkins said. According to a 2001 community business survey, the college found a need for civil engineering professionals.

``They have current employees and this would provide an upwardly mobile path for them,'' Watkins said. ``They can become engineers and enter construction management, and they wouldn't have to leave and go someplace else.''

Watkins spent more than a year working with Fresno State to bring the program south until both sides reached an agreement about two weeks ago.

Construction managers control project resources and designs, and are often employed by local school districts and developers to ensure buildings are completed on time and on budget.

While the economic doldrums of the past two years have led to a slowdown for the large office developments seen in the late 1990s, demand for homes and industrial warehouses continue to be strong, according to Jack Kyser, chief economist at the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.

``The situation is somewhat mixed,'' he said. ``If you go around the state, you have residential construction going on. A lot of the strength would be in multiple-family apartments and condos.''

Construction is a $49.6 billion business in California for 2003, and it's expected to grow to $51.2 billion in 2004, according to the Construction Industry Research Board.

In the meantime, officials are also working to bring related degree programs from Fresno State to the satellite facility, including civil engineering and geomatics - the science of land survey mapping.

Eugene Tong, [phone]

eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com