Riverside, CA – Moreno Valley and Norco colleges had a Career & Technical Education program cited for excellence by the Workforce and Economic Development Division at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

Moreno Valley College was honored for its Wildland Fire Academy, while Norco College was cited for its Construction Technology program. Districtwide, the Riverside Community College District colleges offer more than 120 CTE programs.

In all, 63 colleges had a program recognized after meeting one of three outcomes:

• an increase in student earnings by 50 percent or more
• student attainment of the regional living wage by 70 percent or more
• at least 90 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study.

The Wildland Fire Academy teaches students to handle wildland fire safety, weather effects, wildland fuels, wildland fire behavior, initial attack methods, using support equipment, using topographic maps, strategy and tactics, and air attack operations.

“I believe our students benefit from the partnership Moreno Valley College has with CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department which allows us to provide the most realistic training possible at our Academy,” Art Turnier, dean, said. “This combined with our excellent instructors who are current or former firefighters allows our students to be competitive in the job market.”

Norco College’s Construction Technology program prepares students to apply industrial, labor, and governmental standards and laws to the oversight of construction projects and the maintenance of completed buildings and other structures. Included is instruction in construction processes and techniques, materials analysis, occupational safety and health, industry standards, building codes and specifications, blueprint interpretation, testing equipment and procedures, communication skills, accident investigation, and documentation.

In addition to being honored at the California Community Colleges Associate of Occupational Educators (CCCAOE) conference earlier this month, the CTE programs are featured on the Doing What Matters for Jobs and Economy website (doingwhatmatters.cccco.edu).

“Career Technical Education is a vital part of our mission to serve the needs of our regional industries” Michael Burke, chancellor, said. “Through CTE our students gain marketable technical skills and certifications that make them immediately employable in their chosen career fields.”