Norco College.
Reese, Susan
Located in Norco, California, approximately 40 miles east of Los
Angeles, Norco College is part of the Riverside Community College
District. The school offers 64 certificates and more than 40 associate
degree options. Although the campus opened in 1991, Norco College itself
is among the newest of California's community colleges, having
completed the accreditation process in January 2010. When the campus was
built, the initial vision was an emphasis on technology programs, so
among the first structures were the Science and Technology Building, the
Applied Technology Building and the Center for Applied Technology,
followed by the Industrial Technology Building.
Today the college offers more than 40 career and technical
education programs, including Logistics Management. As Norco College
President Paul Parnell notes, the strong links the school has with the
local community, business and industry leaders, universities and the
K-12 school district have enabled the college to provide "an
education of excellence in emerging programs like Logistics Management
and Supply Chain Technology... ."
Not only does Norco College offer programs in Supply Chain
Technology and Logistics Management, but it also hosts the National
Center for Supply Chain Technology Education, a nationwide partnership
with the goal "to increase the number of qualified supply chain
technicians to meet the growing national need across the private and
public supply chains." The center currently has three objectives:
to conduct a gap analysis of existing technician training, identify
technologies being used and develop training modules; to develop and
deliver professional development training related to these technologies;
and to disseminate information to students, educators and industry.
The Logistics Management program at Norco is the only community
college program in the nation accepted as a registered training center
with the International Qualifications Network (IQN). This is reflective
of a curriculum that prepares students to take the qualifying exam for
an international diploma in supply chain management awarded by IQN and
credit-rated by Edinburgh Napier University.
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Norco College has a certificate option and an associate degree
option in Logistics Management, as well as in Business Administration
with a Logistics Management concentration. Both degree programs have 60
units of required courses.
The Logistics Management certificate courses include Principles of
Logistics, Freight Claims, Warehouse Management, Transportation and
Traffic Management, and Intro to Purchasing, among others. Students who
complete the 18 units of Logistics Management courses, along with the
general education requirements, earn an Associate of Science (AS) in
Logistics Management.
Students may also elect to complete a 30-unit Certificate in
Business Administration, with a concentration in Logistics Management,
which includes the courses Principles of Accounting, Intro to Business,
Business Law, Business Mathematics, Management Communications, Intro to
Computer Information Systems and Computer Applications for Business.
Students who complete this certificate, along with the general education
requirements, will also earn an AS degree.
Norco notes that the focus of its Logistics Management program is
integrated logistics, and it prepares students for direct entry into the
industry. However, some of the classes in the Logistics Management
program--as well as the Supply Chain Technology program and Business
Administration program--transfer toward majors at California State
University, San Bernardino and California Polytechnic State University,
facilitating the attainment of four-year degrees for students who choose
that path.
No matter which path students choose, the opportunities abound in
this steadily growing career--and the industry will be looking to
programs like the one at Norco College to supply the well-trained
employees who will help keep the nation's supplies moving.
For more information about Norco College and its Logistics
Management program, visit www.norcocollege.edu.
Susan Reese is a Techniques contributing writer. E-mail her at
susan@printmanagementinc.com.
