New courses in geospatial tech, lot design and site preparation

Information sessions scheduled throughout Hawai'i Island

Following the successful launch in fall 2014 of new accelerated online Business certificates, Hawai‘i Community College (Hawai‘i CC) has added two new certificates in Geospatial Technologies and Sustainable Lot Design and Site Preparation.

The Geospatial Technologies and Sustainable Lot Design and Site Preparation “course bundles” consist of four classes that begin the week of May 18 and continue into the fall 2015 semester. These programs feature online classes with some face-to-face labs.  

The Business certificates will continue to be offered in fall 2015. New students can apply now to begin the enrollment process. 

“These certificate programs are perfect for those who want to quickly boost their skills and become more valuable in the workplace, or for those who want to gain the skills they need to begin a new career,” said Hawai‘i CC Chancellor Noreen Yamane. “The flexibility of the online learning makes them highly convenient. In addition, these are for-credit classes, so students who want to continue their studies can count the classes toward certain associate degrees.”

Hawai‘i CC will host eight information sessions around Hawai‘i Island in March and April for residents interested in the certificate programs. The times and locations are as follows:

• Pāhala, Ka‘ū High Bandroom, Friday, March 27, 5 – 6:30 p.m.
• Ocean View, Hawaiian Ocean View Estates Community Center, Tuesday, March 31, 5 – 7 p.m.
• Hilo, Hawai‘i Community College Cafeteria, Thursday, April 2, 5 – 7 p.m.
• Waimea, Waimea Civic Center, Tuesday, April 7, 5 – 7 p.m.
• Kohala, Kohala High Cafeteria, Thursday, April 9, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
• Puna, Church on a Sure Foundation, Tuesday, April 14, 5 – 7 p.m.
• Kona, West Hawai‘i Civic Center, Thursday, April 16, 5 – 7 p.m.
• Honoka‘a, North HI Education and Resource Center (NHERC) Conference Room, Friday, April 17, 5 – 7 p.m.

The eight-week classes in Business lead to as many as five different certificates: Business Foundations, Retail Foundations, Business Essentials, Entrepreneurship, and Virtual Office Assistant.

The online Business certificates programs quickly became popular after they were first offered last fall. Currently, 77 students are enrolled, and 52 are expected to graduate in May.

According to one student who has completed the Business Foundations certificate, the customer services skills she gained have helped her family business.

Geospatial Technology courses will teach students to use technology such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and Remote Sensing (RS) to visualize, measure, and analyze the earth’s features. Geospatial technology is widely used for military and homeland security applications as well as land use, floodplain mapping, and environmental protection. Geospatial Technology students will also learn land surveying, geomatics, and computer aided drafting (CAD). This industry is expected to experience 20 percent job growth during the next 10 years.

The Sustainable Lot Design and Site Preparation students will study sustainable environmental design, sustainable design and site preparation, geomatics, land surveying, and computer aided drafting (CAD).

For more information, call (808) 934-2689 or email myfuture@hawaii.edu.