Students and instructors pose with SBVC President Diana Z. Rodriguez (fourth from left) and Dean Albert Maniaol (second from right).Since the beginning of the year, San Bernardino Valley College’s Applied Technology, Transportation and Culinary Arts Division has worked to upgrade its curriculum and equipment, allowing it to boast having one of the most impressive career and technical education (CTE) programs in the state. The Applied Technology division at SBVC awards hundreds of degrees and certificates annually in welding, heavy-duty diesel technology, automotive technology, automotive collision, machinist technology, culinary arts, food nutrition, baking, electricity/electronics, HVAC/R, inspection technology and aeronautics, and the number of graduates continues to grow.

This year, SBVC will use close to $2 million dollars in shared funding from the State Chancellor’s Office to update most of its CTE programs, acquiring hybrid cars for its automotive program, installing new supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems in its electronics labs, expanding internship opportunities for students, and increasing the number of students obtaining industry-recognized certifications in information technology.

Larry McLaughlin, Deputy Sector Navigator (DSN), Advanced Transportation & Renewable Energy Inland Empire/Desert Region Colleges, says preparing technicians and mechanics is more than handing them tools. “Not only are we upgrading labs, programs, and curriculum for training, we also want to upgrade the image of careers in the automotive industry,” said McLaughlin.

With these new labs and curriculum, SBVC is preparing students for in-demand careers by offering more options to learn about hybrid and electric vehicles.

“We are always on the lookout for ways to update our programs and career tools,” said Albert Maniaol, dean of Applied Technology, Transportation and Culinary Arts at SBVC. “This gives our students the opportunity to work directly with the most up-to-date equipment in test labs and training facilities before they enter the workforce.”

For more information on SBVC’s career and technical education programs, visit www.valleycollege.edu/programs.