Public Information Office 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

DATE:          June 29, 2006

CONTACT:   Donna Myers, 206.546.4717 

SCC manager of Automotive Sales and Service Training Pathway project selected as panel member for Sector Skills Academy at Aspen Institute 

Shoreline, WA ―Matt Houghton, project manager of the Automotive Sales and Service Training Pathway project at Shoreline Community College, has been selected to participate in the 2006-07 Sector Skills Academy at the Aspen Institute in Chicago.  The Academy provides emerging leaders with an opportunity for experiential learning with practical applications for present and future work in the sector field.  The Academy consists of three workshops over approximately a 12-month period that allow participants to acquire new skills, engage in peer exchange and benefit from relationships with mentors.  Faculty and mentors are drawn from experienced leaders in the field of sectoral employment development.  As part of the Academy, each participant designs and readies for implementation a new or enhanced sector initiative that can be instituted in his/her own organization.

            Houghton, who resides in Seattle, manages SCC's three-quarter-long program to provide ESL students with a General Service Technician Certificate.  The industry certificate is a credential for entry-level jobs in the automotive industry.  Once students have their GST certificate, they can begin to work right away and continue to build their skills through on-the-job training and industry workshops. 

            The class meets five evenings a week.  Further information is available from Houghton at 206.546.4695 or mhoughto@shoreline.edu. 

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