A Community College Program
for the Training of Technicians John Kenkel Southeast Community College, 8800 " 0Street, Lincoln, NE 68520 Chemists have recognized for many years that the tasks assigned to a technician-level chemist in a "real-world" industrial or governmental laboratory are such that significant "hands-on", or "applied" training is desirable. Often, this means a sort of re-trainine bv the emnlover to chance a bachelor's degree chemist'souhok on the chemistry world from one of conceptualization and theory to one of benchtop experimentation and analysis. New bachelor's degree ~ersonnelmust discover auicklv that tvoical real-world iobs do not involve using cal&lus for d e t e k n i n g the an&lar momentum of a spinning electron or determining the electrode mechanism of the electrochemical reduction of a complex organic species. They find that these jobs involve the chem~calanalysis of raw materials used in the manufacture of some conrumahle product,or thesampling and analysis of a wastewater nlant effluent. The noint is t h a t freouentlv bachelor's degree chemists are not prepared for real-world chemistry experiences. Current Programs Of course, there are academic programs in existence that cater to the chemical industry. Some four-year institutions offer BS and even MS degrees in Industrial Chemistry.' Also, for many years a number of four-year colleges and community colleges across the country have been offering programs in Chemical Techno1ogy.z Some of these programs, begun approximately 15 years ago as a result of an initiative taken by the American Chemical Society (ACS), were the result of detailed studies oerformed hv various committees organized by the ACS. Tbus, " ~ h e m ~ e cpro" erams were established a t a numher of " ~ i l o schools" t across the country. The schools that were chosen were near metrooolitan areas in which chemical-related industries were concentrated and the demand for industrv-oriented chemical technicians was high. While many of these programs appear to be successful, the concept does not seem to have "caueht on" a t community colleges in other locations. There is likkly to he a demand for trained technicians in other locations, but the projections for success are not favorable. High operating costs, too small a demand, and recruitment difficulties are all possible problems.
Table 1. Chemistry Course Sequence at Southeast Communlty Colletle Introductory Chemistry I introductory Chemistry I1 lntroduct~w Chemlsuv . Oraanic " Analytical Chemistry fw Technicians I Analytical Chemistry fw Technicians I1 Analytical Chemistry f a Technicians Ill
Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 Quarter 5 Quarter 6
Table 2.
A
Six-Quarter Environmental Laboratory Technlclan Curriculumd
Course Fimt Q&er:
EnvironmentalLab Orientation introductory Chemistry I lmroductory Biology I Communications I Calcuiators and Calculations Introduction to Microcomputers Second Quarter lmroductory Chemistry I1 Introductory Biology I1 Physics Concepts I Communications I1
Algebra and Trigonometry Third Quarter
Introductory Organic Chemistry Introduction to Microblolagy
Sanitation Physics Concepts I1 Water Supply Systems FoorM Quarter
Analytical Chemistry for Technicians I Applied Microbiology Water Pollution Control Systems Electims) Fifth Ouarter
Southeast Communlly College's Program This paper describes a technician training program in operation a t Southeast Communitv Colleee (SCC) in Lincoln, Nehraska. An observation concerningthe ~ i n c o l narea is that it is not an area where one would expect a high demand for chemical technicians. The program has been quite successful, however, as evidenced by the fact that job placement for the last two years is 100% and for the last seven years is go%+. Enrollment in this program is not aided by any sort of special recruiting effort. I t relies mostly on its established reputation. Typically around 30 students (both
' For example. Florida Technological University, Orlando, FL.
For example, Florissant Valley Community College, St. Louis, MO, and Community College of Rhode Island, Warwick, RI. 614
Journal of Chemical Education
Credit Hours
Analytical Chemistry tor Technicians I1 E~ology
WaterIWastewater Analysis Statistics Practicum I
Elective Sixth Quarter Analytical Chemistry for Technicians Ill Biological Applications of Analytical Chemistry Communications Ill PraCtiCum I1 Elective Total 'Base3 an me Sovmeast Cmmunily College cuniculum.
1.0 4.5 4.5
3.0 3.0 1.5 17.5
full-time and part-time) are enrolled a t the same time and from 8-15 people graduntc (with an Associate of Applied Science Degree and sunle lesser nwards) each year. There are two facturs that contribute most significantly to the success uf this proKram. The first is that in addition to their traininr in chemistrv. the students receive sirnificant training in b~ology/microb~ology and water and wastewater plant operations and laboratorv. Job oouortunities in these fields are also available to them. The p&ram is called "Environmental Laboratory Technology" (ELT). Such a design obviously aids in the student's marketability. Employment opportunities in the wastewater field seem to be particularly important. The program receives excellent support from local employers who donate equipment and time. Second. the chemistrv course seauence has been desiened --~so that the number ofteaching staff required is minimal, thus reducina-. uroiected exuenses. In the ACS-insnired nrograms, a course sequence is taught that is completely separate from other chemistrv offerings. because a series of textbooks published by the ACS for ihkse programs is specially designed for technician trainina and is not auurouriate for chemistry courses used for other purposes. Ahkitibnal staff are therefore required. At SCC, the technician trainees enroll in an introductory chemistrylorganic chemistry sequence the first year. This same sequence is for allied health students who enroll a t SCC, and it uses the standard textbooks. Additional staff and materials for labs are not needed. 111the second year of training, the ELT students branch intu the "s~rcialtv"cuurses cal1L.d .'.4nalvtical Chemistrv for ~echniciansI, 11; and 111". I t is in thishequence that they learn the necessary analvtical techniaues and instrumentation. These are co;rses that are not f&nd in other curricula (except those for medical lab technicians a t SCC) and thus do require additional staff time and materials. he courses are described below and the total chemistry sequence is shown in Table 1. ~
~
~
~~~
~~
~~
Analytical Chemistry for Technlclans
The analytical sequence, unlike the introductory sequence, is unique to SCC. I t is structured along the lines of a traditional analytical chemistry course: classical quantita-
tive analvsis followed bv instrumental analvsis. " . but it is oriented toward technician training and assumes only an introductorv level background. The first course is classical quantitative analysis i h i c h emphasizes titrimetric techniques (pipetting, titrating, solution prep, etc.), while the second course emphasizes analytical instrumentation (spectrophotometry, including AA, and chromatography, including GC and HPLC). The third course is purely a laboratory course in which real-world samples (soil, water, food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, etc.) are analyzed using techniques learned in the other two courses. The use of computers is included in all these courses. Traditional analytical textbooks have been found to be ina~prouriatefor this seaueuce. Textbook materials for the an&& sequence have-therefore been developed a t SCC and are currentlv beina class tested. Publication hv Lewis Publishers, ~nc.,;s exp'cted by 1987. The Total Curriculum
Table 2 shows a total six-quarter curriculum for Environmental Laboratory Technology based on what is offered a t SCC. The biology/microbiology sequence and the water/ wastewater sequence are geared toward technician jobs in these fields. Courses in oral and written communication, math, physics, and microcomputers are included. Practicum I and I1 are courses in which the students spend time in a real laboratorv during their classroom training. There is excellent support from the Lincoln laboratory community for this, and it gives the students a possible added advantaee as far as jobs are concerned. Conclusion
The Environmental Laboratory Technician Program at SCC is unique. Its success is attributed to a lower than expected budget and a good measure of support from the Lincoln community, as well as a broader training schedule to include biology/microbiology and water/wastewater systems. The enrollment meets the reauirements of a costeffective program, mostly due to the lob budget and the level of localsuuuort. I t is a uossible alternative to a nurelvchemi. " cal technolbgy program in locations where such a program would not survive.
Volume 63
Number 7
July 1966
615
