San Diego Continuing Education students Anthony Lam and Thomas Kuge completed three cost savings projects for the Auto Body Program’s new facilities at the expanded Skills Center. Both are structural steel students in the Welding Program at the Educational Cultural Complex.

The team updated five welding tables, four new gas stations (to like new condition), and refurbished a gas manifold system. These projects included input from Continuing Education’s Auto Body team to help them make the transition into their new facility and instructional space. The welding and gas stations meet the needs of the Auto Body program, and are customized to the processes currently used.

Tony and Tom were provided verbal “fit, form and function” instructions, and teamed up to develop detail instructions for the refurbishing project. They were also were given a working schedule with a dead line they met–as the industry likes to say “on time and under budget”!

Great job by a pair of “Top Guns” in the Welding Program!

The Nursing Assistant program received pass rate results from the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) report for student testing.

The report confirms that 80 Continuing Education students completed the written test between April and June 30, 2009. Of the students, 79 were successful in passing the exam, which resulted in an amazing 98% pass rate! This far exceeds the state average, which is 88%.

Continuing Education students actually exceeded statewide averages in all nine content areas of the written test. Congratulations to the students for their tremendous success, and to faculty, classified and administration who encouraged this effort!

Good News.  Paul Courville, Instructor, Electronics Test Technician Program, reported that one of our graduates has just accepted an $80,000 a year position!  Despite a “down economy,” a recent Electronic Test Technician graduate has just accepted a position as a BioMedical Technician with a major corporation.  The student commented that the Continuing Education electronics training received in our program was key in his interview and in taking the electronics test required for the position.  In addition to the hefty annual salary, the total compensation package also includes relocation cost, health and dental insurance, generous vacation and sick time, and more money for continued education!  Congratulations to Paul and to the Career Technical Education program for making a tremendous difference.  This is wonderful economic news!!