Industry leaders in the technology field and Skyline College’s Computer Science and Digital Art faculty joined efforts to work together to chart, capture and discuss critical knowledge, skills, abilities and technical training that students need to be best prepared for middle skilled careers in UX Design, App Development and DevOps. On Friday, October 13, 2017, as part of the Strong Workforce Program, the Director of Career and Workforce Programs, Andrea Vizenor facilitated a Technology Pathway Design Retreat at Cañada Vista to advance our college’s plan to expand emerging technology offerings for students. Expertise of leading companies such as Adobe, Apple, SAP, Facebook and Meta Company shared thoughtful insights on the high impact skills our students will need to have as they complete a certificate or degree in new educational programs while giving them a competitive edge as they enter the workforce. Additionally, key faculty members, Nick Langhoff, Norm Del Prado, Walter Hanley, Amir Esfahani and Dean Ray Hernandez provided insight regarding the innovative content and practices they deliver in their current programs and across the SMT division.
Throughout the day industry leaders and faculty members worked together in groups and actively engaged in conversations to discuss the development of new technology pathway programs that will be created by our faculty at Skyline College.
Senior Design Manager at Adobe Design, Matt Aune shared, “Students need to know key technology infrastructure, software as a service (SAAS) knowledge, programing/coding, user experience (UX) components, design concepts and display a strong business awareness”. Developing robust and relevant curricula will assist students to be best prepared to transfer to 4-year institutions in Computer Science or directly enter the workforce in high wage careers.
The day culminated with an Augmented Reality hand’s-on learning experience provided by Meta Company, a technology company specialized in AR. Industry leaders and faculty members were thrilled to engage in the experience this innovative technology provides and left with insightful knowledge of how this technology will help students and community members to be best prepared to enter into the workforce. The Augmented Reality goggles have been purchased for faculty at Skyline College as an effort to support the integration of high quality technology experiences into the classroom for students as part of the new program development.
Many thanks to our key faculty, Nick Langhoff, Norm Del Prado, Walter Hanley and Amir Esfahani for all of their time and efforts. Along with Elizabeth Tablan, CWP Office Assistant II, Alexys Burns, CWP Office assistant II, and Claudia Paz, CWP Office Assistant II, and Andrea Vizenor, Director of Career and Workforce Programs, for all of their efforts in organizing this event; and a great big thank you for the valuable contributions of Maggi Elkin, Director of Human Resources at Meta Company, Ben Hsieh, Sr. Experience Researcher-Lead at Adobe Design, Dane Riley, Senior System Engineer at Apple, Matt Aune, Senior Design Manager at Adobe, Danny Allen, SAP and Rodney Tabares, with Facebook for providing Skyline College faculty with great insight and an engaging and informative learning opportunity.
