By Kathryn Reed

Education isn’t just about memorization. It’s not just about getting a certificate or degree. And it’s more than learning.

Lake Tahoe Community College is continually beefing up its career and technical education program to stay relevant with what students and employers want.

The idea behind CTE is when students leave the two-year institution in South Lake Tahoe they will have a skill that will land them a paycheck.

Virginia Boyar, who is in charge of LTCC’s CTE program, updated the board of trustees this month about what is going on.

The college for the 2011-12 academic year expects to receive $66,000 in a grant through Senate Bill 70. The four areas of emphasis for this money are culinary arts, digital media arts, dental assisting, and physical therapy aide.

Some of those programs will tie into the local workforce, as well as to South Tahoe High School. The piece that is missing is better coordination in the dental program between STHS and LTCC.

When STHS builds the sports medicine building and gets that curriculum going, it will be a pathway to the college’s PT program. This fall LTCC be offering a couple courses that will lead to the PT certificate.

The biggest success for career tech ed is the local fire academy, which in its sixth year saw 28 cadets graduate Saturday.

A change coming July 1 is having the work experience/internship program be part of the CTE program.