“The course was designed specifically for adult learners and had the challenge of putting a lab-based course online,” said Fenna Hanes, NEBHE senior director, office of programs. “The audience was high school, community college and some four-year college faculty from both science and technology disciplines including physics, chemistry, math, electronics, telecommunications and engineering technologies.”

In addition to providing photonics technology training to traditional community college students Three Rivers Community College (TRCC) has provided incumbent workers training…
The training was a combination of on-site as well as on-line education.
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Companies in the region regularly call Judy Donnelly, program coordinator of photonics programs, Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, and Nicholas Massa, professor of laser electro-optics technology at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC).

Both get similar calls, quite regularly from companies, with the query: “I need people, I want to hire techs, do you have any students I can hire?” Even on company field trips, the almost-grads of both colleges are asked if they want to come to work for the corporations, that are growing and need skilled, educated people.

“Donna Goyette at Ellis Tech (H.H. Ellis Technical High School, in Danielson) is creating a full-year optics course for her seniors,” said Donnelly. “She is doing a fantastic job. Since they are not far from IPG Photonics in Mass., it also works out to be a good collaboration.” IPG Photonics, incidentally, has hired a number of graduates and student interns from the laser electro-optics and photonics programs at STCC and TRCC over the past several years.