Recognizing that the Laboratory, like many other organizations, faces a shortage of computer technicians, Los Alamos' Desktop Group and the Education Programs Office have partnered with the Santa Fe Community College, University of New Mexico, Los Alamos and Northern New Mexico Community College in Española.
Dale Land of the Desktop Group said customers reported that it was taking too long to fulfill desktop support requests. "It became clear that we must become proactive in establishing pipelines to suppliers of computer technicians," said Land.
"All the Labs have the same fears and shortfall of computer technicians," added Abad Sandoval of Los Alamos' Education Programs Office.
The Laboratory, through its alliance in the Tri-County Higher Education Association, or THEA, encouraged SFCC, UNM-LA and Northern New Mexico Community College to establish degree programs in the area of computer network administration.
The Tri-County Higher Education Association is made up of the Laboratory, UNM-LA, Santa Fe Community College, Northern New Mexico Community College and the UNM-LA Graduate Center and focuses on training and education for Laboratory employees and perspective employees in areas of Laboratory employment need.
The partnership with the Laboratory also has been supported by a $300,000 grant from Microsoft Corp. to the colleges for development of a communications curricula, said Sandoval.
Land said the Laboratory has assisted the colleges in curriculum development, creating internships for their students at the Laboratory, and having Desktop Group staff teach courses at the schools.
Students in the programs can earn an associate degree in computer support/local area network administration. Two students from each school do an internship at the Laboratory during the school year, working halftime, Land explained. Once the students complete the program, he said, they can be directly converted to regular University of California Laboratory employees in the Desktop Group.
"This program is good for the students because it gives them opportunities once they have obtained their degree. And during their studies, it gives them valuable work experience and the opportunity to apply in practice what they have learned in school," said Land.
"System and Network Administration is a computing specialty that is in high demand. We feel that a great source of talent is the schools around us," said Land. "We want to partner with them to build a pipeline into the Laboratory for this talent and in return give them access to some of our experience and expertise."
Sandoval said the Laboratory will again host a program this summer that brings faculty members and students to Los Alamos to gain first hand knowledge and experience in the practice of system and network administration.
Ted Pacheco of the Desktop Group is one of two students working at the Laboratory involved in the program. He is pleased with the program, thus far, noting he does computer support, network administration such as adding user accounts, software and hardware upgrades and installations. Pacheco said he and some colleagues in January went to a San Juan Pueblo school to troubleshoot their computer network system. "The program has given me some really good hands on experience I likely wouldn't have gotten at school itself," he said. "I enjoy it personally, quite a bit."
School officials also are pleased with the partnership thus far. Sheila Ortego of Santa Fe Community College said, "LANL has been supportive in many ways, providing internships to students and instructors, placing students in positions after graduation, providing referrals to instructors and technical support personnel, and assisting with curriculum development."
Ortego, the college's Computer and Communications Technologies Division director added, "We continue to enjoy a positive working relationship with LANL as we continue to develop and expand information technology programs and other training programs that serve residents in the area."
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.