Career Technical Education (CTE) Programs at Long Beach City College took serious cuts to its class offerings in 2013. In 2019 classes were reinstated in response to a high industry demand for skilled workers, but COVID-19 has brought challenges to the partly state-funded trades program.
Damon Skinner, Department Head of Trades, who has been an instructor of metal fabrication for 11 years said, “This is one of those things that is still living history.”
CTE classes have resumed in-person labs for the fall semester at Pacific Coast Campus while most classes are still structured around online remote learning.
LBCC recently announced that they will be continuing online remote learning through spring semester 2021.
LBCC canceled in-person classes in March due to COVID-19, causing some students taking CTE classes to drop or make an excused withdrawal of the classes, however, according to Skinner, “When the administration allowed in-person labs, enrollment shot up,” for the fall 2020 semester.
Because of those demands, part-time welding professor Harry Kim-Park is teaching his first semester at LBCC and said “Lectures can be online,” but some technical labs should be in person.
“I don’t feel uncomfortable or unsafe here, I feel really comfortable here,” Kim-Park said.
Social distancing measures and the use of face coverings are heavily enforced at LBCC.
Students taking in-person classes at LBCC must fill out a form saying they show no symptoms of COVID-19, wear a badge and sticker, and sign into their class when on campus as part of LBCC’s effort in contract tracing.
“Every morning vocational technicians wipe every door handle, every knob, drinking fountain. We’re taking COVID very seriously to keep those doors open for the students,” Skinner said.
Sara Carey, a metal fabrication student, expressed thanks about being able to attend her lab in-person saying she is “happy to have the opportunity to be able to work with my hands while some people can’t.”
