A Minorities Educational Program for Technologists in a Research Laboratory

For the past 4 years, the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) has conducted a program for training unskilled personnel into technical fields at the technician level. In common with many such programs, the SLAC effort is divided into two parts: 1) on-the-job practical experience, and 2) correlated academic studies. The SLAC approach to the second part, academic studies, is somewhat unique. SLAC has entered into an arrangement with the local community colleges whereby the courses taken by the students are those which lead toward an AA degree at those colleges. Courses are taught at SLAC by professional employees who have been accredited in the State Junior College system. The courses follow the outline and standards set up by the particular department within the community college itself. Thus the student learns not only those subjects of interest to SLAC, but those which will satisfy the college technical program requirements for an AA degree. The practical aspects of this program, along with some of the history and results, are discussed.