San Jose City College is \u201cthe only college in the Bay Area that offers two certificates and an associate of science degree in laser technology,\u201d said SJCC instructor Sydney Sukuta.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have people coming in here with four-year degrees, master’s degrees, and even Ph.D.’s, and they can\u2019t get a job anywhere,\u201d Sukuta said. \u201cThere are no guarantees; but I\u2019ve had students land jobs making $40,000 a year, which is what some who have a four-year degree make.\u201d<\/p>\n
The field of laser technology is a diverse one with many different career options available to graduate students, including work as a manufacturing technician and a laser systems test engineer.<\/p>\n
A quote by former SJCC student David Dutra and taken from SJCC\u2019s laser technology student testimonials packet reads:<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter 10 years of working in an unfulfilling job in an industry I wasn\u2019t particularly interested in, a family to financially provide for and a desire to invest in myself, I found myself at a crossroads. I decided to make a career change; and I\u2019m so glad I did,” Dutra wrote. “After attending only one \u201cmeet and greet\u201d event and one interview, I was recruited and eventually landed my dream job working with experimental lasers in research and development at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.”<\/p>\n