Amazon partnered with BC to provide a Reliability & Maintenance Engineering (RME) program on the campus. This program will take Amazon employees & train them in advanced industrial maintenance. Only five institutes natio nwide are participating in this collaboration, and BC is the only west coast college offering the program. Amazon employees will undergo a 12-week course that will conclude with certificates and direct pathways in advanced industrial maintenance. The collaboration will only be offered to those employees, but the funds raised in the program will go towards new initiatives and programs at Bakersfield College. BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:The Bakersfield College Foundation has recently partnered with Amazon to bring a Reliability and Maintenance Engineering Program to the college. I'm Eric J. Dockery, your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter. This program takes Amazon employees and trains them in engineering, preparing them for the workforceThe Bakersfield College Foundation has committed 1.37 million in funding to expand workforce training through a powerful partnership with Amazon. BC is set to strengthen career education and workforce development in Kern County.Cheryl Scott Executive Director of the BC Foundation said "In recent years more emphasis has been put on supporting the college, in a way that allows the college to stand up new programming. Launch new programs that might not otherwise be possible with the traditional funding streams coming to the college. This is an example of that type of partnership between the foundation, BC, and a local industry"This program has only been offered to five institutions nationwide, and Bakersfield College Amazon is sole provider of this program on the west coast. The RME program will provide students with industry-recognized certifications and direct career pathways in advanced industrial maintenance, meeting the growing demand for skilled workers in Kern County's expanding industrial sector.Rozanne Hernandez Dean of Instruction for Career and Technical Education said "They will be in training for eight hours a day. They are getting paid for a full work day, & the training will be broken up into a lecture portion and lab portion. They will work with the equipment on campus, that has been provided by Amazon. While participating in the program they will also receive the Smart Automation Certification Allegiance which is called SACA."The new collaboration will only be available to current Amazon employees, but the partnership will bring more funds for students at BC. To be able to start new programs, initiatives, or bring new classes to the school to provide the students with the best college experience."Some of the students from our industrial programs do go apply to Amazon. Once they are an employee with Amazon they can apply for this program." said HernandezThis collaboration is a 12-week program, and afterwards, the students receive four certificates that will further their careers. For 23 ABC I'm Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter.Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube ...read more read less