Lehigh Carbon Community College's Jim Thorpe campus is expanding programs to offer students additional associate degree programs in high priority occupations in the region.

The new degree programs, which will begin this fall, include computer science; construction management; construction technology; heating, air conditioning and refrigeration; and industrial automation."The college is interested in providing educational options for students and adults in the areas of technology and high priority careers," David Lapinsky, director of community outreach and strategic initiatives, said. "Up until this point, if you wanted courses in technology, you had to go to the main campus. The Carbon site now offers these programs without missing components."Lapinsky said that the additional associate degree programs were made possible through a partnership with Carbon Career & Technical Institute in Jim Thorpe. The two educational institutions met this spring to determine employer needs in the area."CCTI has specialized labs and equipment for these programs," he said, noting that the proximity between the college campus and CCTI also helps by widening the opportunities available.This also provides current CCTI students to take advantage of articulation agreements in place to provide college credits toward these degrees for technical courses taken while still in high school.LCCC will use the existing technology labs at CCTI in the evenings, allowing academic instruction to take place during school hours, and lab work to be completed immediately after.In addition, three of the new programs construction technology; heating, air conditioning and refrigeration; and industrial automation will also be offered as specialized technology certificate programs if the student doesn't want to go through the full associate degree program."You can go into these programs and just take the technical courses and still walk out of LCCC with an industry specialized certificate," Lapinsky said. "It would still give you a better chance of getting out into the workforce."For more information on the new programs, call the LCCC admissions office at 570-669-7010 or visit

www.lccc.edu.The LCCC Jim Thorpe campus is located in a wing of the Jim Thorpe Area High School at 1100 Center St., Jim Thorpe.