FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. COC-07-033-SC
October 27, 2006
Land Surveying, Construction Programs to Debut College of the Canyons has designed two new programs in construction management and land surveying. This is in response to the community's need for trained professionals necessary to catch up with growth in the Santa Clarita Valley. The City of Santa Clarita was the fastest growing city with a population size of at least 150,000 in Los Angeles County and exceeded the state's growth rate of 1.7 percent in 2003, according to the city's website. The college has developed a construction management certificate of achievement and associate degree program, as well as a land surveying certificate of achievement and associate degree in an effort to meet the high demand for trained workers. "The only other Land Surveying program in the Southern California region is Santiago Canyon College in Santa Ana," said Audrey Green, Dean of Program Development and Community Extension. "Both COC programs were developed at the request of the local industry and with their assistance. Large construction companies need trained and educated managers for both residential and commercial projects. Land surveying and engineering companies are turning away work due to the shortage of trained employees," added Green. The first classes in Land Surveying were offered during the fall semester and saw robust enrollment. Land Surveying classes slated for the spring semester include Surveying 101: Introduction To Land Surveying, and Surveying 102: Advanced Land Surveying. Construction Management Technology courses planned for the spring semester include Construction 101: Introduction to Construction and Construction Engineering, Construction 103: Blueprint Reading for Construction, Construction 104: The Construction Process-Planning and Scheduling, and Construction 108: Introduction to Construction Inspection and Codes. "We are hoping to interest graduating high school students who have an affinity for being outdoors and who like math. Surveying in particular, requires knowledge of geometry and trigonometry," says Green. Registration for the spring semester begins November 13. | 
