Recent Addition to Cerritos College gets Seal-of-Approval from the Chancellor’s Office

New Insurance Career Program gets Degree and Certificate Accreditation

For Immediate Release: October 31, 2008

Media Contact: Lesley Wheeler; Public Affairs, (562) 860-2751 ext. 7878

NORWALK, Calif. – October 31, 2008 – The California Community College's Chancellor’s Office has officially approved the new Insurance Career Program at Cerritos College. 

“If the State Chancellor had not approved our program we simply could not grant a certificate of achievement or an AA degree in the insurance subject matter,” said Cerritos College Professor Michael J. Farina, co-chair of the college’s Business Accounting and Finance Department.

The Business Division at Cerritos College announced in June that it would become the first to offer a California Insurance Career Program in Southern California. 

“We are thrilled to have Cerritos College join the other 17 colleges running our program in California, seeking to meet the growing demand for skilled workers in the insurance industry,” said Mike Wilson, Program Administrator of the California Insurance Careers Program.

Classes were first offered during the fall semester for this program, which is designed to provide insurance, business and communication skills to students using an industry developed curriculum, and prepare them for entry-level positions in commercial insurance.

The new program provides web-based tools designed to create links between students and employers, as well, including company profiles and resume posting opportunities.

The Business Department at Cerritos College plans to add two more classes to the program starting in the spring 2009 semester: Insurance Code and Ethics, and Personal Insurance.

For more information on this and other business department programs, visit http://cms.cerritos.edu/accounting/insurance-program or contact the Business Accounting and Finance Department Co-Chairs Debra Schmidt (562) 860-2451 ext. 2712 or Michael Farina (562) 860-2451 ext. 2730. To register for classes, call 562-860-2451 or visit www.cerritos.edu.

Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college’s district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 200 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently nears 24,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu.

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