IRVINE VALLEY COLLEGE CACT’S OPTICS TECHNICIAN TRAINING AIMS TO KEEP THE FUTURE IN THE HANDS OF USA MANUFACTURERS

When Larry DeShazer agreed to become Director of the Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT) at Irvine Valley College five years ago, he had a vision of setting up a technology training center that would fill the needs of the local manufacturing community, including the laser and fiber optic industries. What he didn’t realize – until he first launched the training center – was how much these local industries would contribute to bring his vision to reality.

“Orange County and its surrounding communities have been home to some of the largest and most successful laser and fiber optic companies in the world for over 20 years. Newport Corporation, Schott Glass Technologies, and Melles Griot are world leaders in the industry. After numerous meetings with some 35 top area manufacturers, I became increasingly aware of the demand for talented people in laser optics manufacturing and what specific training was required.” DeShazer said.

DeShazer’s Laser Optics Program is one of only three in existence at California community colleges and the program is essential to support California manufacturers. DeShazer said, “It’s important to draw people from our local workforce so that manufacturers won’t be motivated to move off shore where labor is less expensive.”

With a PhD in Physics from Johns Hopkins University and as a former owner of an optics company, DeShazer has become a highly effective liaison between the educational and business communities. He’s inspired many of the local businesses to donate funds, time, and equipment to the training program.

Newport Corporation, a leading global supplier of advanced-technology products and systems to the semiconductor, communications, electronics and research markets, has contributed polishing machines to the CACT training center. In addition, Mark Maiberger, Newport’s Director of Operations for Precision Optics, has been closely involved in the development phase of the training program.

According to Maiberger, several years ago the demand for optics technicians outstripped the supply. Although the downturn in the economy has altered this demand, there is still a need for skilled people. “I would like to recruit several new talented people a year into the company, and I’d like to use the training program at Irvine Valley College CACT to upgrade the skills of our current workforce. There are many other companies in this area that would benefit from this kind of training.”

Another industry expert is Arnie Bazensky, Schott Glass Technologies’ Manager of Field Sales – Western U.S. Operations. Bazensky said, “We’re trying to keep the optical fabrication industry here in the USA and not lose it to China or Asian countries. Lots of skilled people came to America from Europe after World War II, but now that they are retiring, we’re losing this small, specialized labor base. It’s a great career requiring a high level of training, skill, dedication, and perseverance. We should be tapping into the Asian and Hispanic population in Orange County as well as communicating this career opportunity to high school students,” he said.

Bazensky has been in the industry for 14 years and is a staunch supporter of the CACT training initiatives. His company, which is well known for making the glass lenses in the cameras that astronauts took to the moon, has agreed to supply glass for training sessions. In addition, Bazensky has served as a frequent guest lecturer.

One of the CACT instructors, Paul Young, a former university professor and trainer in laser and optics, coordinated with manufacturing leaders, including Bazensky, to develop Irvine’s fiber optics course. He received state approval for it on a fast track so it could be offered for college credit. Like DeShazer, Young has a strong academic background as well as significant work experience in the fiber optics industry.

According to Young, technology is the driver for both the laser and fiber optic industries. “Fiber optics refers to the glass fibers used in communication networks. In the future, fiber optical systems will deliver a greater quantity of information over the Internet than other systems. Presently, wired telephone infrastructure has a limited bandwidth. Only so much information can be sent through those wires. The volume of capacity in optical fiber technology is tremendous,” he said.

Young’s Fiber Optics course at Irvine Valley College covers properties of light, lasers, and devices that maintain output power and wavelength; optical modulators for digital and analog transmission; properties of optical fibers; fiber distribution; and technology applications. In addition, Young teaches a full-semester laser course for technicians to learn about light theories, optical components, and laser safety; how to build bench and other test setups; make measurements; and analyze data.

The Irvine Valley College CACT specializes in computer-aided technology and laser optics training and is an example of one of 15 technology-training centers located at California community colleges. The CACTs provide manufacturers with a single point access to advanced technology training and expert technical assistance. For more information, call 949-451-5203.