Baker College of Flint has received a sub grant from the National Center for Optics and Photonics Education (OP-TEC) to encourage high school students to enroll in its photonics and laser technology associate degree program. The sub grant originated from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
“This grant will help intensify our efforts to introduce this burgeoning science and its strong career opportunities to high school students,” said Anca Sala, Ph.D., engineering and computer technology dean at Baker.
Baker launched the photonics and laser technology associate degree program in 2013 after Sala identified a dire need for trained photonics technicians by employers in southeast Michigan. This was supported by an OP-TEC national study that found U.S. employers require 800 new photonics technicians every year, yet two-year programs produce fewer than 300 qualified graduates annually.