ESPAÃ’OLA – Northern New Mexico College is now offering continuing education courses in mathematics for technicians and basic blueprint reading to current employees of Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The program is aimed at those working in LANL’s Detonator Production Division, in order to enhance their skill sets.
The continuing education courses to be conducted at LANL are being provided by the college under a $458,000 contract with LANL. Northern is to deliver 360 hours of instruction to at least 50 technicians over the next two years, according to a news release.
The courses will be offered to experienced LANL employees and new technicians joining the Detonator Production Division.
“Northern New Mexico College is committed to meeting the needs of our regional workforce and providing educational opportunities to help community members further their careers,” NNMC President Rick Bailey said in a statement. “This partnership is a strong example of higher education and regional employers working together to support economic and personal development.”
A custom curriculum for the project – which includes courses in computer applications, math, science, and soft skills – was developed by NNMC staff with input from the Los Alamos lab.
“We approached Northern in early 2019 with the need to develop a program to meet our employee development needs,” said LANL’s Annie Hanawalt, chief of staff of the Detonator Production Division. “The lab depends upon our surrounding community, so knowing that we can rely upon our local partners to help fulfill our mission is key.”
NNMC has also partnered with Genius, an online learning company, to house course materials and evaluate student learning. It also provides a web-based assessment tool that allows LANL employees to determine areas of development and can be used by supervisors to recommend employees for trainings.
LANL and NNMC previously partnered to develop an associate degree program in Radiation Protection and provide financial support to students tracking for LANL jobs after they graduate.
