Del Tech to offer new programs for fall 2012

Delaware Technical Community College will offer a variety of new programs at the Owens Campus in Georgetown this fall to respond to workforce needs and continue to connect Delawareans with jobs.

The new environmental engineering technology associate degree teaches students to master common-practice environmental procedures such as sampling, assessment, design, result recording and analysis. As the environment continues to degrade, there is a need for professionals with the knowledge and skills in the general and technical aspects of preventing, assessing and managing environmental issues.

Another new associate degree program was created to align with Gov. Jack Markell’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math initiative, which includes providing highly qualified teachers in those areas of study. The new associate degree program in science education chemistry physics prepares students to transfer to a four-year institution to obtain a bachelor’s degree and become a high school chemistry or physics teacher. The Department of Education consistently lists all science disciplines as a critical need for Delaware schools.

The information security associate degree program, which began last fall, prepares students to build and maintain secure computer networks, diagnose and resolve vulnerabilities, implement security policies, and manage operating systems. The program was created in response to the growing need for securing cyberspace infrastructure.

With recent advancements in solar technology and great financial incentives, the renewable energy solar associate degree, now in its second year, prepares students with the skills and knowledge to perform site design and to sell and install photovoltaic and solar thermal hot water systems. Graduates of the program are prepared to take the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners Photovoltaic Entry Level Program Exam.

The college is also offering a new 16-week training program in sustainable landscaping that provides students with a basic landscaping background, as well as specific experience in the rapidly growing field of sustainable landscaping. Instructional courses cover four major topics – soils and compost, stormwater management, vegetation and the environment, and sustainable landscape maintenance.

Looking to the future, Delaware Tech is working to develop a new program called powerplant maintenance technology beginning in fall 2013, pending Federal Aviation Administration approval. It will offer additional opportunities for those completing the college’s already FAA-approved airframe maintenance technology associate degree program. Powerplant students will learn how to perform powerplant maintenance on turbine and reciprocating engines, including auxiliary power units, propellers and accessories. By obtaining both the sirframe and powerplant licenses, a mechanic’s opportunities are nearly unlimited in the field of aircraft maintenance.

All of these new programs, with the exception of the science education chemistry physics and environmental engineering technology degrees, were developed with funding from a $4.9 million U.S. Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant that Delaware Tech was awarded in 2011. The grant provides community colleges and other eligible institutions of higher education with funds to expand and improve their ability to deliver education and career training programs that meet industry needs and prepare adults for high-wage, high-skill employment.

For more information on new and existing degree programs at Delaware Tech, go to www.dtcc.edu or call 302-856-5400. To learn more about the sustainable landscaping training program call the Corporate and Community Programs Division at 302-855-5905.