Monterey Park New Home to RCAT Training Center 09/25/03

Los Angeles, CA – What do the Volunteers of Los Angeles and Rent A Wheel have in common? Both have benefited from training provided by a unique business collaboration of community colleges and a state-funded training center that aims to enhance employee skills to increase profits.

“Our clients need quick, efficient and customized training that make their employees more productive,” commented Susan Fox, Regional Contract Academy of Training (RCAT) Director. “We use the considerable assets of East Los Angeles College and Los Angeles Mission College, including their specialized labs and expert instructors, as well as our off-campus center to provide state-of-the art training that makes local businesses more competitive and profitable.”

The Regional Contract Academy of Training (RCAT) has been funded by a grant from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office to open a training facility in Corporate Center, Monterey Park. RCAT provides training in customer service and related topics, customized training in numerous industries utilizing the expertise of industry-specific trainers, and college credit courses leading to degrees in high-value careers.

“The Health Care industry is experiencing tremendous growth with more personnel needed to handle the aging population of the state. RCAT is currently training home health care aides and Certified Nursing Assistants,” said Ms. Fox. “In another of our health care programs, outstanding nursing faculty from East Los Angeles College work with Licensed Vocational Nurses to complete the requirements to become Registered Nurses.”

The RCAT Training Center utilizes a state-of-the-art computer laboratory, media enhanced smart classrooms, and a variety of conference rooms designed to accommodate small and large training groups. Customized training is concentrated in the areas of business, biotechnology, health care and international trade, industries that form the backbone of the economy of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley.

In addition to the business-training center, classes can be offered in a wide variety of specialized laboratories on local campuses. Rent A Wheel trained employees how to service and patch tires in well equipped automobile technology labs at East Los Angeles College. Food laboratories that replicate commercial kitchens are available at Los Angeles Mission College. Nursing students split their time between classrooms at the RCAT center and the state of the art nursing lab at the ELAC campus.

Training to Go is a series of modules designed to improve customer service skills, build productive work teams, manage time and tasks efficiently, resolve conflicts, communicate effectively, deal with cultural differences in the workplace and enhance leadership skills. Customized training is developed for clients who need to prepare new employees and upgrade the skills of continuing employees to accommodate the rapid and ongoing changes in technology. Training can be provided at the job-site or the training center.