A job certificate track at Keene State has plenty of industry partners looking for new employees, but the college is still working to make its existence known to potential students.

The Precision Optics Certificate, which includes two semesters of math and science classes and an optional summer internship, debuted last fall.

Optics — the branch of physics that deals with light — is a critical part of many industries, including biomedicine and defense manufacturing. It’s used largely in precision manufacturing, contributing to the production of in-demand products like smartphones and fiber optic cables.

Part of the challenge is that most people are unfamiliar with optics, despite its prevalence in many industries, according to Sarah McGregor, program advisor and physics department chair.

“It’s like, hidden in plain sight,” she said. “It’s a bigger issue than just putting a sign up, because people don’t know that it’s a field.”

The optics program is slated to be a key part of a larger strategy at Keene State to integrate education and industry for people who may not be interested in a traditional four-year degree, Interim President Donald Birx said.

The details are still being worked out, but possibilities include more programs that promote career readiness and internships in fields like accounting or radiology, according to Birx.

More information about that initiative, slated to launch in 2027, will be made public toward the end of October, Birx said. “We’re just on the forefront of this, and optics is one of those parts.”

The optics program’s webpage says it “gets you job-ready fast,” and lets students “[u]nlock high-growth opportunities and start a rewarding career with real-world impact.”

So far, the program has been successful in that goal, McGregor said. All seven students in its first cohort graduated, with most ended up in jobs or internships with optics companies in New England.

Part of Keene State’s long-term plan is a revamped marketing strategy, Birx said. It’s goal is to reframe public perception of optics as “part of a portfolio of programs” that offer pathways to jobs.

“What we’re trying to do is put together this joint endeavor that will enable us to market in a wholesale manner the unique programs that KSC has in partnerships with the business community, the state and the collaborative,” he said. “[Optics is] not going to take off as a little side program in what’s considered a liberal arts college. People just aren’t going to see it.”

Both Birx and McGregor are optimistic that, once the college begins this new push, it will see the optics enrollment grow.

“We’ve been playing the long game a lot, so I’m hoping that we’re going to start seeing that pay off,” McGregor said. “If we can get people to know that [the program] is an option, then they’re going to start seeing it as an option.”

For Birx, the ideal size of the program is 20 to 25 students per year.

“That’s where I feel it has to be in order to be sustainable in the long term, and I think that’s what it needs to be to support the optics business that’s around Keene State College,” he said.

The Monadnock Region is somewhat of a hotbed for optics companies. There are 30 within 100 miles of the college, according to Keene State’s website.

To significantly expand, the program would also need more equipment and space, Birx said. But if the forthcoming partnerships the college is developing are successful, he thinks its possible.

In year two, Keene State is looking for ways to get additional funding to support future classes, McGregor said. The college is currently using federal grants to keep the cost of tuition and housing down for optics students, and it received a $3 million windfall from the federal government to kick start its program.

McGregor is also adding a course this year in which students visit local companies, she said. That way, they can become familiar with the work they do and interact with potential future employers.

“It was a little bit more ad hoc last year,” she said. “We were bringing them to companies to do tours, but we want to formalize it so that they can go in there and have more of those experiences.”

Birx’s contract is up next June, and the college is currently looking for its next permanent president. While he’s not involved the search, Birx said it’s key that his successor keeps the college on its current trajectory.

“I really believe that the future of Keene State College lies in developing this path,” he said. “I think the liberal arts mixed with this more applied emphasis is a perfect combination for students graduating.”

Original source: us