Culinary & advanced automotive classes added to the transformative, hands-on, work-based learning environment
TUSTIN, Calif., Aug. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The South Orange County Community College District, in collaboration with Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College, continues to develop an education park at the former Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin, California, called the Advanced Technology and Education Park (ATEP). The development consists of 61.4 acres within the 1,606-acre Tustin Legacy that includes city and regional parks, housing, public schools, commercial businesses, major shopping complexes, and a research park.
On August 11th, Saddleback College hosted a grand opening and open house to celebrate the new addition of its 50,000 square foot site called Saddleback@ATEP, to transform learning opportunities for its culinary arts and advanced automotive programs. The campus is strategically situated near commercial businesses and industry, with whom the college works hand-in-hand to train a ready workforce to meet the needs of local employers.
"The open house provided our community and our students the opportunity to see firsthand how the facility has been designed to optimize student learning to prepare them for the jobs of today and tomorrow," said Saddleback College's President," Dr. Elliot Stern. "More than 350 people attended the event, which included self-guided tours of the 30,000-square-foot automotive technology building and the 20,000 square-foot culinary space."
The automotive technology building includes 14 lift bays and seven high-tech classroom labs and specialized training spaces for engine-part cleaning, transmission repair and automated driving-system calibration. The classroom labs are equipped with monitors and technology to support teaching and allow for remote learning, and an outdoor yard will store equipment and instructional vehicles.
Taylor Brooks, department chair for the program, said, "One of the things that really excites me personally, as an instructor, is the ability to blend old with new. We're still very much able to train students on technology from the past but blend that with the new technology that's coming down from the auto industry and transportation sector as a whole. This allows us to better prepare students for work-based learning and job opportunities."
The Automotive Technology program can serve 1,000 students and offers 13 degree, certificate and noncredit pathways, including alternative fuel vehicle specialist and commercial learner's permit training. The program is near the Tustin Auto Center that will support the development of apprenticeship programming for in-demand careers.
As impressive is the 20,000-square-foot culinary arts facility featuring four commercial kitchens, including an instructional kitchen, a bakery and pastry kitchen and a production kitchen that supports a 70-seat teaching restaurant. Lisa Inlow, co-chair of Saddleback College's Hospitality, Culinary Arts & Tourism program, said, "An outdoor courtyard with fruit trees and raised-bed gardens will be maintained by students and offer farm-to-table opportunities. The building will also be home to a café offering house-made pastries for everyone on the campus to enjoy."
The Culinary Arts program can serve 800 students and offers nine degree, certificate and noncredit pathways that range from food science and catering to hospitality management and baking. Kathleen Lunetto, the other co-chair of the program, said, "We have developed partnerships for apprenticeship programs with local hotels and restaurants for our students, such as The Ranch in Laguna Beach. Our goal is to make these work-based learning opportunities a premiere component of all of our programs at ATEP."
Interested current and prospective students, businesses and the community at large can get more information about the new facility at https://www.saddleback.edu/atep
Media Contact
Jennie McCue, Saddleback College, 1 (949) 582-4320, [email protected], https://www.saddleback.edu/
SOURCE Saddleback College
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