Like all community colleges, Delaware County Community College plays an essential role in linking people to the local labor market and enabling them to advance into quality, higher-paying jobs. Program offerings, such as healthcare and manufacturing, mirror the demands in the local labor market and are developed in conjunction with industry leaders.
A recognized leader in technical education, the College also works with business and industry in offering customized training and certification in new technologies either on the job or in the classroom. Its award-winning Applied Engineering Technology (AET) Career Pathways Program admits students in high school who then move on to a bachelor’s degree in a seamless curriculum. At the heart of the program are industry participation and the linking of high schools and four-year colleges by virtue of community college participation.
The AET Program has been funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and, in January 2008, was awarded a $2 million grant by the U. S. Department of Labor to expand the program throughout Greater Philadelphia. Among the participating manufacturing companies are Sunoco, Boeing, Southco, Synthes, Pennsylvania Machine Works, Olympic Tool and Machine Company, Pepperidge Farm, Mittal Steel and others.
The STEM Complex will not only reinforce the College’s commitment to the STEM initiatives, but also help to recruit a pipeline of skilled engineers and technicians necessary for the local labor market to compete in a global economy.