Irvine Valley College Given Grant to Buy Special Software

IRVINE — Irvine Valley College has received a $138,515 state grant to go toward teaching students how to solve manufacturing problems by using special computer software.

The funds will be used to buy workstations and software for computers at the community college. “Students will have the opportunity to solve simulated and real manufacturing problems in the computer program,” said George McCrory, a spokesman for the college.

McCrory said that students who use the new technology will include several employees of Orange County-based industries. “Irvine Valley College will train employees from local industry to use the software through its contract education program,” McCrory said. “Nine companies, including Rockwell International, have already committed to sending employees to IVC.”

Nick Kremer, dean of economic development at the college, said the software to be purchased with the grant is a type that can be used by small- and medium-sized manufacturers in personal-sized computers.

“In this program, we’re stressing high value, flexible manufacturing environments and technology development, which is the future of manufacturing in Orange County,” Kremer said. “The software is so flexible and dynamic, we’re still finding new uses for it.”

The state grant came from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office in Sacramento. The money is earmarked for the college’s Computer Automated Flexible Environment (CAFE) program.

Roy McCord, who teaches laser electro-optics at Irvine Valley, said the special computer program is capable of analyzing large amounts of information. CAFE thus can help managers to make decisions about changing a product design or alert them to problems, he said.