Study of the Past Makes Jobs for the Future
Adapted from an article by Carolyn Swift,
reprinted with permission from Mid-county Press
Rob Edwards sat near the window of his campus office, a narrow room lined by glass-enclosed cabinets filled with books on the scientific study of cultural evidence of human evolution and culture change.
Leaning back in his desk chair, Rob ran his hand over a grayish beard and talked a little about his own existence and the times he has changed careers. The Cabrillo College Archaeology Instructor is collecting information these days of far more modern cultural trends than those traced by the literature on his bookshelves. Leadership training has helped Edwards transform a traditional academic program into a new vocational Archaeological Technology Program for the Central Coast region.
"I’d been hearing that people today should be trained to switch careers, not just from one firm to another, but actual career changes," he said, "They figure five to seven job shifts will occur in the average work life. So what we should be educating people for is not about a specific job, but for skills that allow people to work at different jobs." His new program teaches broad skills that can be used in several ways on a career ladder.
Those who complete Cabrillo’s training will know to how to do archaeological survey, field excavation, laboratory analysis, and how to file and retrieve data at the State Archaeological Information Resources Centers. They will have a general understanding of cultural anthropology and an introductory knowledge of the native cultures of California including recent history. "And, they will be able to spell archaeology," laughs Edwards. "A solid grounding in Archaeological research and field techniques make our graduates highly desirable employees".
"We emphasize writing, especially field notes," says Edwards. "In order to get an Archaeological Technology certificate, the student has to complete English 1-A, which is a transfer course. In order to get an AS degree in archaeology, he or she must complete English 2, a report writing course. We are really emphasizing what we hear from the archaeological industry, which is that one needs to be able to write as well as handle technology. Those skills," Edwards added, "are transferable to any career, and along with a solid grounding in Archaeological research and field techniques, make our graduates highly desirable employees."
Edwards is enthusiastic about the Cabrillo Program for good reason. It received thumbs-up commendations while still in the planning stages, which started it off on solid ground conceptually if not financially. It further offers an interesting challenge to students of all ages attracted to the task of juggling skills in two worlds, using the very latest technology to delve into layers of the prehistoric past.
100% of the students who have been certified by the program are either employed or have continued in higher education or both. Students are encouraged to take Computer Assisted Drafting (CAD) that will introduce them to technology related to geography and archaeology, such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Another advancement important to the field is a data management called Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The CAD training, Edwards said, is an entry to GIS operations that has tremendous impact on research. "For GIS think of a computerized USGS quad map with a number of different levels, and on each level for the same spot on the map you can have different kinds of data including prehistoric sites, historic sites, roads, and a number of environmental limitation such as water, sewer, school zones, etc. Conceptually you could pick one point or parcel on the map and know everything there was to know about it from the present, all the way back in time."
"Although Cabrillo had been training people in archaeology for a long time, this program is more focused on job orientation and the whole field of cultural resource management" says Edwards. "A wide variety of environmental topics, including archaeology, must be addressed each time a state or federal project begins. Many of the archaeological concerns are historic as well as prehistoric, creating a demand for skilled archaeological technicians for the many agencies and firms that do Cultural Resource Management."
"These days, a good deal of Archaeological work is due to federal and state laws. Archaeological research is seen as a crucial part of protecting our common heritage under various environmental acts. At the state level we have the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and at the federal level there is a whole cluster of laws that have been put into regulations by a number of agencies. The agencies hire archaeologists to research and evaluate the potential archaeological resources and, if necessary, to do the follow-up fieldwork and analysis. The students who successfully complete Cabrillo’s Archaeological Technology Certificate or Associate in Science (A.S.) Degree programs are qualified for entry level positions as archaeological surveyors; excavators; and laboratory or data management technicians; for these agencies or private archaeological firms."
The Archaeological Technology Program is now 10 years old. 100% of the students who have been certified by the program are either employed or have continued in higher education or both. The average age of the students is about 31 and represents a mix typical of the California Community Colleges. "We have some who are 18-21, on their way to transfer and or employment. Others are older and coming to Cabrillo part time. Many are UCSC graduates or near graduates who want saleable job skills in archaeology to use while in graduate school. Still others are hoping to make a career or job shift and others have retired from one career and looking for another for post-retirement years.
The unique program began in 1992 after three years of development. Realizing a potential opportunity, the Cabrillo College Archaeology Program tested student interest in attending a vocational archaeology program with a survey questionnaire. "There was an overwhelming response", said Edwards. "About 60 percent were very interested, while another 20 percent indicated moderate interest."
Cabrillo followed up with an occupational needs assessment, a communication with potential employers to see if indeed there was an increasing job base in the area. "Again the response surprised me," the instructor continued, "I knew the field had been growing, but I had no idea how much. We found we had about 120 jobs in Santa Cruz or within commuting distance between Salinas, San Jose and Fremont." These positions were full-time, part-time and some seasonal.
Regional employers were also surveyed and an Advisory Committee was established to oversee the curriculum and insure that the skills taught are the ones needed on the job. Once all of the necessary training criteria for the program were collected, Cabrillo College set up the curriculum that was submitted for a yearlong series of reviews. "It went through various levels of review, local, regional and statewide. We not only got formal approval, but with commendations, which is very rare," Edwards noted.
Now, in its tenth year, Cabrillo’s "Arch Tech" graduates are employed in public agencies, private archaeological firms, and in graduate programs throughout the world. These graduates mentor and support the current students. When students attend conferences (resumes in hand), they meet with graduates and have access to potential employers and graduate school advisors. The program emphasis on professional ethics, work ethic and both traditional and cutting edge skills, puts them in a highly advantageous position to find their place in archaeology or, if need be, in one of the career changes that may come their way.
More information about the program is available from Cabrillo College at the Archaeological Technology Program at 831-479-6294 or visit the web site at http://www.cabrillo.cc.ca.us/divisions/socsci/archtech or Pathways to Archaeology at www.pathwaystoarchaeology.org.
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