MCC Daily Tribune

RBJ Article Highlights MCC Efforts to Strengthen Optics Workforce Pipeline

The front page of the Rochester Business Journal's Oct. 25 issue contains an article about MCC's recent $4.4 million grant award to increase the optics workforce through innovative education/training programs. The article underscores the industry's critical demands for skilled optics technicians and sheds light on the role of MCC's Defense Engineering Education Program in Optics (DEEP OPS) in strengthening the workforce pipeline.

Among the objectives of DEEP OPS is to build greater community awareness of these career opportunities, especially through interactions with parents and guidance counselors.

"If you haven't heard of it, why would you send your child off to study something that you aren't even aware of yourself?" said Dr. Alexis Vogt, endowed chair and associate professor of optics.

The article also quotes MCC students Alec Drummond and Allyson McFadden.

"That's the key feature of the program--when you come here and go through, there's a job waiting for you, sometimes even before you graduate," said Alec, who worked in sales for about 30 years before being laid off. He came to MCC to pursue a degree in optical systems technology and was hired as an optical technician for IDEX Health & Science before completing his degree.

Allyson said, "I have a family friend at RIT that said this is the best program in the country and to try it out. ... Then I read an article about what she (Vogt) does with the program, so I went and tried it for a semester and I'm definitely going to stay."

In the fall 2019 semester, 47 students are enrolled in MCC's optical systems technology degree program.

Please know that we are not permitted to attach or post RBJ articles on the MCC website, including in the Daily Tribune, as the RBJ prohibits distribution without obtaining circulation rights. If you are interested in reading RBJ's Oct. 25 issue, a copy is available in the library on the Brighton and Downtown campuses.

Hency Yuen-Eng
Government and Community Relations
10/28/2019