Training and Professional Development

Through expertise and partnerships, the Center increases the region's capacity to study the interactions between the ecology and natural resources of the Olympic Peninsula and the human economies that rely on them to survive. It does so by developing the facilities and expertise necessary to train and educate students, workers, incumbent employees, faculty, managers, scientists, and policy makers in the application of integrated Environmental Science, Natural and Cultural Resources Management, Marine Services, and Biotechnology techniques. (For Natural Resources Brochure, click here. For Marine Services brochure, click here.)

We offer professional development workshops and short courses, workforce development programs, and specialized training. We can also develop customized training programs based on your requirements—just call and tell us what you need.

Current Training Schedule

Classes start May 1 - Jefferson County Jobs Now (click here) - Classes start May 1

Professional Development / Short Courses

We offer a variety of regular and special workshops and short courses, and can create them based on an identified need or audience. Since 2003, we have offered short courses and workshops in

• Biotechnology Methods Training
• Ecological Interactions between Wild and Hatchery Salmonids
• Landscape Management System (LMS) software (in partnership with University of Washington)
• Geographic Information Systems
• Wildland Firefighting (in partnership with Olympic National Park)
• Landscaping with Native Plants (in partnership with the Clallam Conservation District)
• Forest Management
• Field Methods and Data Analysis in Environmental Science
• Education and Research for Sustainable Development (in partnership with Uppsala University, Sweden)
• Composite Structures
• OSHA Industrial and Marine Safety
• Water Quality Control (in partnership with the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association)
• Laboratory Analysis (Basic and Intermediate)
• Microscopy Training
• Fish Filleting
• Boat Building and Repair Job Skills
• Paint and Coatings
• Top-side Ship Repair
• Lift Truck Certification

Workforce Development

The Center specifically addresses the workforce development and incumbent worker retraining in several industry clusters working within Clallam netWorks, an economic development program for the North Olympic Peninsula. The clusters that are currently working within Clallam netWorks include Education/Training Centers of Excellence, Tourism, Agriculture, Forestry, Information Technology, Marine Services, Aviation, Health Care, and Finance. The netWorks process has already begun to register successes in terms of new and expanding business start-ups and achieving Clallam netWorks’ five-year goal: to develop 2,285 new jobs (at $40,000 per year) and upgrades to 5,000 current jobs (to $40,000 a year). Reaching this goal will bring the average wage of the area to within 69% of the state average by 2007 (source: Clallam netWorks).

In Workforce Education, we strive to provide professional technical instruction for entry or re-entry into the workforce, enhancement of current skills, or college transfer. Peninsula College offers seventeen Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree programs, eleven one-year certificates and many short-term certificates. See http://pc.ctc.edu/academics/proftech.asp for more information on the formal professional/technical programs at Peninsula College.

In the Center’s fields of expertise, we currently have a 1-year certificate in Natural Resources Management (see below), and are in the process of developing a certificate in Water Delivery and Wastewater Treatment as well as a 10-month Environmental Science Technician certificate.

Certificate in Natural Resources Management

The Natural Resource Management Certificate combines courses in Freshwater Ecology, Forest Ecology, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The knowledge base and technical skills derived from these courses are integrated in the capstone course, Forest Ecosystems Management, an intensive 11-day course where individuals are placed into the role of a natural resource manager. Presented with a resource management problem, participants engage in a systematic process of mapping, data collecting in the field, development of a complex database, and the manipulation of that data using the Landscape Management System (LMS) to project resource management options. Class members complete both a comprehensive written report and a PowerPoint presentation detailing their analysis, results and recommendations. Individuals completing the certificate will have a project that demonstrates their ability to combine theoretical knowledge with field measurement and computer simulation technology to solve a complex problem in a pragmatic environment. The Natural Resource Management Certificate should be of interest to those who are contemplating an advanced degree in the environmental and natural resource sciences and to working professionals seeking to advance their knowledge and skills in resource management.

Certificate Requirements

CAT 140 Introduction to Microsoft Excel
ENGL 111 English Composition I
ENV 141L Freshwater Ecology
ENV 201L Introduction to Forest Ecology
ENV 272L Forest Ecosystem Management
MATH 099 Intermediate Algebra
SURV 100 Navigating with GPS
SURV 260 Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

More detailed information can be found at http://pc.ctc.edu/document/NaturalResourceManagementCertF2005.pdf

To apply and/or register, go to http://pc.ctc.edu/prospective/admissions/default.asp

Specialized Training

Leadership & Management

The Leadership and Management Series Workshops were developed by Peninsula College to provide professional management training to organizations on the Olympic Peninsula. The classes are designed for incumbent managers as well as new managers or supervisors. Sessions are interactive, hands on, and focus on practical application. Each module has been designed to be four hours in length, but may be reduced or expanded as requested. (http://pc.ctc.edu/academics/centers/leadership.asp)

Safety Training and Skills

The Safety Training and Skills Institute offers certified safety training for local businesses, which can also be taught on the worksite. Instructors are industry certified and teach to OSHA and WISHA standards. We can offer classes in Hazardous Communication (HazCom), Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Stairways and Ladders, Confined Space Entry, Fall Arrest, Scaffolding, Trenching and Excavation, Electrical Safety, Tool Safety, Fire Safety, Wildland Firefighting, Defensive Driving, and Forklift Certification and Recertification. We will also consider putting together any safety training that is requested.

Information Technology

The Information Technology Training Center consists of a high tech computer classroom that can be used to deliver computer software or hardware training to business clients. Arrangements can also be made to rent the facility if the client prefers to bring in their own trainers. Center staff can also schedule trainings at the business location or at other mutually agreed sites. The Center also offers Computer Based Training, which can be taken over the Internet at home, on over one hundred short courses ranging from introductory computer courses to high-end network security courses.

Challenge Course

The Peninsula College Challenge Course is an experience-based program that provides an outstanding learning approach in an extraordinary environment while building the foundation for transference of new skills, language, strategies, and knowledge into the workplace. Through the utilization of games, initiatives, and elements that are both physically and intellectually challenging, an enhanced awareness and/or constructive behavior change can create amazing results. The course is ideal for all types of groups, including professional businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools, clubs, sports teams, and families. Programs can be designed for groups as small as 8 participants or as large as 100. Off site we offer a range of portable activities at the location of your choice; it could be an exciting way to "break-the-ice" at your next workshop, conference, convention.