Front Range Community College

The days of the shade tree mechanic are long gone. Now even the most basic cars have at least 30 computers with more lines of code than some jet fighters. You can’t learn to work on that kind of sophisticated technology by tinkering. You need the Automotive Technology Program at FRCC. It’s NATEF accredited and all instructors are ASE certified. That’s what Justin did. He started at the bottom, washing cars at a Mercedes dealer. “That was the only opening, so I took it,” he said. But armed with the skills he learned earning his automotive technology certification at FRCC, he worked his way up to line technician. Today, Justin is earning even more certification through Mercedes Benz and is on the team that gets to work with cars as sophisticated as the $1.3 million Maybach super car. Now that is a supercharged career.

Maps aren’t just used to get from point A to point B anymore. Not in today’s digital world. Now they can give forest firefighters an accurate 3D rendering of the terrain they're facing. Maps can track population trends and tell cities where to build the next schools. Public health organizations can use them to fight the spread of disease. There is literally no end to their use. Which is why Brian Coleman says, “I’m in constant learning mode.”

As an account manager for ESRI with two certificates in Geographic Information Systems from FRCC under his belt, Brian is responsible for helping governments in Wyoming and Colorado make smart decisions by using all the geographic and demographic information available on maps. As a graduate of Purdue, Brian has long known the value of education, and encourages people to never stop learning. Some of that must have rubbed off on his son. Today he’s a student at FRCC.

Shawn’s mom has worked in Health Information for 22 years. And she knew right away that it would be a good fit for her daughter. But Shawn wanted to explore a lot of areas of study. And FRCC let her do just that. But when we announced our new Health Information Technology program, Shawn was one of the first to enter the program. “That’s exactly what I wanted,” said Shawn. “I’ve looked at all the ads and have seen how many positions are open.” She also knows there’s a great chance of getting a job right out of school. Her classes at FRCC will have prepared her to take the Registered Health Information Technologist Certification exam.“It puts you above the competition,” she said. “Employers want to see it.”

San Diego Jewish Academy was glad they listened to Josh’s professor. His Associate of Applied Science Degree in Horticulture & Landscape Technologies from FRCC, plus his experience as one of the ground crew at Coors Field, not only helped him win the job, it helped him win the coveted Sports Field of the Year award from the National Sports Turf Managers Association. Josh did all the maintenance, the mowing, the seeding, the weeding and trimming, all the irrigation and all the repairs on this four acre field used for football, baseball, soccer and softball by over 600 kids at the K-12 academy. And he did it all by himself. He is a department of one. But Josh is no stranger to hard work. Working days at Coors Field and going to school at night couldn’t have been easy. “It was a leap in life I needed to take,” says Josh. “And it certainly paid off.”

The Governor’s Energy Office says there could be 600,000 new jobs created by the New Energy Economy. Better make that 599,999. Scott Schreiner’s internship at Woodward pretty much guarantees him a full-time slot once he earns his Associate of Applied Science Degree in Clean Energy Technology. Woodward, a $750 million global leader in clean energy technology, is even picking up his FRCC tuition. That’s how much they believe in clean energy, FRCC’s clean energy program, and in Scott. Colorado has the potential of harnessing 122 gigawatts of wind and solar energy in the next 20 years. And Scott is on the forefront. “It gives me goose bumps,” he says.