Korean teachers improve computer skills here

By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer

A group of 11 South Korean teachers studying at Honolulu Community College this month represents the start of a $1 million state high-tech initiative that could go international.

•	Course schedules and other information about the program can be found at www.pcatt.org

The Pacific Center for Advanced Technology Training, a new consortium of the University of Hawai'i's community colleges, pools the resources of each campus to make it easier to find high-tech classes and offer customized training for companies. Students around the state can take the Pacific center's classes in everything from computer animation to design, networking, biotechnology and e-commerce.

Although PCATT has offered classes to the public since January and so far has trained state information systems workers, UH-Manoa information technology workers and others, this is the first foreign group to come to Hawai'i for training.

Don Bourassa, PCATT director, hopes the Korean students will be the beginning of an international initiative. He will travel to Fiji and China this fall to promote the program.

"It's called the Pacific Center, and we're taking that literally," Bourassa said.

The students live at the East-West Center for the month and go to classes from about 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week. They have varying levels of proficiency in English, so a graduate student in computer science from the Manoa campus serves as their translator.

"We're giving them a wide spectrum of training," Bourassa said. "It's basic skills upgrading. I was very careful in choosing our best faculty. This is new for us, so we are going to evaluate how we do and how the students do."

The goal for the students is to take their computer skills and raise them as much as possible by the end of the month, he said. The intensive classes are augmented by lab time and other projects.

PCATT was started this year with a $1 million commitment from the Hawai'i Legislature to the community college system for high-tech training. Under the umbrella system, students can turn to the Pacific Center as a single source to find high-tech training, while businesses can have classes designed for their needs.

PCATT includes Honolulu, Kapi'olani, Leeward, Windward, Hawai'i, Kaua'i and Maui community colleges, as well as the Employment Training Center in Honolulu, which is part of the community college system.

Although the center includes every campus, it is headquartered in a 13,000-square-foot space at Honolulu Community College.

You can reach Jennifer Hiller at jhiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8084.