San Bernardino Valley College partners with Water Resources Institute

Internships will be offered to train water and wastewater technicians
By: Desert Regional Consortium
 
May 24, 2011 - PRLog -- San Bernardino (May 24, 2011) — San Bernardino Valley College announced today a new partnership with the Water Resources Institute at Cal-State San Bernardino that will provide six paid internships for students.

The partnership is just one of several that the Water Supply Technology Program has been building with local government agencies and industry stakeholders, including San Bernardino Employment and Training Agency, City of Redlands Wastewater Treatment Facility and San Bernardino Municipal Water Department.

The field of Water Supply Technology has optimistic outlook for professional employment. According to an Inland Empire/Desert Region Center of Excellence report released in May, water and wastewater occupations in the Inland Empire and Southern California are forecasted to experience a growth of 4% and 8%, respectively, by the year 2015.

“We’ve been working to expand our internship program because many of the employers in this field require prior work experience when hiring,” said Achala Chatterjee, chairwoman, Water Supply Technology Department. “Additionally, there is a real need for water and wastewater technicians. Industry experts report that there are not enough trained workers to fill positions in the Inland Empire.”

The Watershed Management Internship Program through the Water Resources Institute is intended to prepare undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups for careers that protect natural resources and the environment. The internships focus on developing GIS skills.

The fact that the internships are paid is a significant aspect of the program. Many students who attend San Bernardino Valley College live below the poverty line and could not afford to forsake paying full- or part-time jobs to participate in an unpaid internship.

Each intern works on an independent project to either shed light on new area of research or solve a problem facing the agencies providing the internship opportunity.  Past projects have focused on water quality, biological inventories, habitat analysis and landscape water conservation.

“The program connects students with people who are aligned with natural resources agencies or non-profits,” said Gigi Hanna, associate director of the Water Resources Institute. “The internships give students an idea of what kinds of careers they can look forward to, and it also gives them some contacts in the industry.”

The Watershed Management Internship Program is funded by the USDA. Victor Valley College is also participating in the program.

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About the Desert Regional Consortium of Community Colleges: The Desert Regional Consortium consists of 13 community colleges and two community college districts in Riverside, San Bernardino and Kern counties. The consortium assists colleges in providing professional development opportunities and designing programs to improve workforce training and technical education. The consortium was formed to address the economic development needs of industry, government and the community.

More info: www.desertcolleges.org

Consortium members: Barstow College, Cerro Coso Community College, Chaffey College, College of the Desert, Copper Mountain College, Crafton Hills College, Mt. San Jacinto College, Moreno Valley College, Norco College, Palo Verde College, Riverside City College, Riverside Community College District, San Bernardino Community College District, San Bernardino Valley College, Victor Valley College
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Source:Desert Regional Consortium
Email:***@sbccd.cc.ca.us Email Verified
Tags:San Bernardino Valley College, Water, Environment, Gis, Internship Program
Industry:Education, Environment, Technology
Location:San Bernardino - California - United States
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