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The course offers students hands-on learning. The students are broken up into small groups and are assigned to work at different stations.

They learn to collect data using lab notebooks and write technical reports. Students are trained to install, operate, maintain and modify laser/electro-optic systems.

“The  program gives students the opportunity to get employed. They get job experience while still going to school,” said laser professor Sydney Sukuta.

The LT program encourages students to graduate with a Laser Technology Certificate or an associate of science degree.
“More than 90 percent of workforces do not have degrees in laser technology,” Sukuta said.

LT students have a potential for positions at the biggest laser companies in Silicon Valley.  

Companies on the cutting-edge of laser electro-optics technology, such as Spectra-Physics, Coherent, JDS Uniphase, New Focus, Lightwave Electronics and Lawrence Livermore National Labs have employed and continue to seek graduates from the program for employment.

The LT Program has been sponsored by 80 percent of the laser companies in the Silicon Valley, Sukuta said.

The companies who sponsor the program send their employees to San Jose City College to complete a degree in laser technology. In exchange, the LT Program receives all of its laser equipment.  
A number of students sent from companies have master’s degrees and Ph.D.s, Sukuta said. 

“I feel it’s going to prepare me in the future of technology and enhance my knowledge,” said student Ahn Tran.

Most people do not know the abilities of lasers.  Lasers are used everyday, where we least suspect it. 

Lasers are used everywhere from detecting cancer tissue to the common bar code scanner at the grocery store Sukuta said. 

“I like how I can apply laser technology to the real world,” said LT student Kheit Pham.

The LT Program offers four different levels of Laser Technology courses, Introduction to Phototonics, Laser Optics, Intermediate Laser Technology and Advanced Laser Technology. 

The program has been taught by Sydney Sukuta since 2001. There are currently 55 students enrolled in the LT Program.

The four course program is broken down, so only two courses are taught each semester. The fall 2011 semester offers Laser 100 Introduction to Phototonics and Laser 103 Intermediate Laser Technology.

“Being in school studying and aligning lasers everyday gave me greater advantage than most of my co-workers. I was able to apply things that I learned and I made a lot of changes on the way that lasers were being aligned,” said student Juan Lugo.