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COC Focuses On Training For Essential Workforce Roles During COVID-19 Pandemic

While College of the Canyons has been largely limited to remote instruction during the fall 2020 semester, the school has been able to offer in-person instruction for more than 50 essential infrastructure class sections.

The college followed the necessary state and county protocols in order to receive the necessary clearance to begin hosting on-campus classes for students enrolled in a variety of essential infrastructure programs.

Those programs include welding, culinary arts, automotive technician, medical laboratory technician, emergency medical technician (EMT), land surveying, construction management and technology, and nursing.

A number of students have secured employment as a result of the hands-on instruction and our nursing graduates and 37 EMT graduates will qualify for national licensure examinations.

“Being able to finish their training in person gives students the technical and dexterity skills they need,” said Cindy Schwanke, chair of the college’s culinary arts program. “It’s hard to teach that online.”

Once given the green light for in-person instruction, the college’s Medical Lab Technician (MLT) program also reconsidered its instruction methods to best teach students during the pandemic, which has spurred creativity among faculty.

“We are using more videos and audio recorded instruction to help our students know what we will be doing in lab ahead of time,” said Dr. Hencelyn Chu, chair of the MLT program at the college. “This helps students anticipate and plan for the lab activities, which has increased our efficiency to accomplish the tasks in a timely manner on campus. Students come to class prepared and ready to go.”

Despite the appreciation many instructors have felt to have an opportunity to return to instruction in-person, there have still been some growing pains.

“I did not realize how facial expressions, specifically, during the on-campus instruction, significantly impacted instruction,” said Chu. “Students can see when you smile when encouraging them to keep going, while learning a new skill. That is tough to do with the masks on.”

Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, the experience students acquire in clinical lab courses can help them obtain jobs as lab assistants and entry-level positions in clinical labs, added Chu.

For more information on College of the Canyons visit their website.


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COC Focuses On Training For Essential Workforce Roles During COVID-19 Pandemic

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As Santa Clarita’s only local radio station, KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220 mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, along with your favorite adult contemporary hits by artists such as Rob Thomas, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Maroon 5. We are vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community. Our broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. We stream our talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience.