Oceanside CA– MiraCosta College is offering several new certificate programs this fall that will enable students – in as little as a few months – to learn the skills needed for living-wage jobs at in-demand professions.
Construction management, project management, 3D modeling and prototyping, and optimal aging and older adulthood are just some of the new offerings that begin with the fall semester. In all, MiraCosta College offers scores of programs that can lead to a certificate of proficiency through its Career Technical Education program. Social media for business, personal fitness trainer, yoga instructor, and massage therapist are among the certificate of proficiency programs that are returning this fall.
“What the certificate programs at MiraCosta College are really about is taking the required courses in as little as one semester, gaining skills and going into a new, living-wage profession,” said Al Taccone, Dean of Career and Technical Education at MiraCosta College.
Programs are developed in consultation with North County business leaders who advise college faculty about industry trends. Faculty propose curriculum to the MiraCosta College’s Courses and Programs Committee for approval before ratification by the Academic Senate Council and the board of trustees.
“We have to constantly make changes to keep up with the labor market.”
That’s what happened last year, when MiraCosta College introduced its social media for business program. The college was prompted into action after pleas from the local business community for interns who are experts in social media. After hearing from the community, MiraCosta College officials produced a plan laying out a list of courses. They then returned to area businesses for additional feedback, studied the local labor force and employment data, and brought the proposal back to various committees for further input.
“People who complete the program and earn a certificate will understand how analytics work and they will understand how businesses use social media as a tool to attract and retain customers,” Steve Isachsen, chair of the Computer Studies Department, said after the program was introduced last fall.
For further information about the course offerings at MiraCosta College this fall, visit www.miracosta.edu or call 760.757.2121. Fall classes begin Aug. 18.