To better meet the needs of working adults in the Santa Clarita Valley, College of the Canyons has opened an off-campus continuing education center and hopes to add another by year’s end.
Located at 26111 Bouquet Canyon Road, the continuing education center will be central to most residents living in the SCV and will offer a variety of courses meant for re-entry students, or those who have been away from education for some years and want to learn new skills.
“This is an area of curriculum and offerings that we’re trying to expand,” campus spokesman Eric Harnish said. “By opening these new locations, we want to serve more students and make it more convenient for them to attend.”
Adobe suite classes, citizenship courses, GED preparation and customer service training will accompany a variety of English as a second language and Microsoft Office classes, said COC Assistant Superintendent Jerry Buckley. “What distinguishes these courses are they’re free … but they offer key skills.”
The new classes give students an opportunity to boost their skills and transition into college, Harnish said. “They also give them an opportunity to improve their workforce skills and gain additional knowledge, which could help them advance in their current job or compete for a new one.”
“This location is right next to the (Los Angeles County SCV Community Center), so if somebody is out of work and is looking for employment, they can come in and receive training,” Buckley said. The close proximity to the county’s community center could also create opportunities for future collaboration and partnerships that provide educational and support resources to students.
The college will continue to offer continuing education courses at its Valencia and Canyon Country campuses, as well as at several satellite locations throughout the Santa Clarita Valley, according to college leaders. A second educational center is also expected to open on Soledad Canyon Road in late 2018 or early 2019.
“Think of the new center as a friendly place to come and build skills with others who want to do the same,” Buckley said. “The key point is we wanted to have a location that wasn’t on a college campus,” because a lot of people who think about taking these classes might be nervous about coming onto campus with 18- to 24-year olds.
Parking is free and the location is on a bus route, Buckley added.
“You can show up and take a class, since most of the registration is done right on site,” he said. “There’s no requirements. Anybody can take these courses.”
For more information about continuing education courses, visit the Continuing Education web page under the “Resources” menu at www.canyons.edu.
