Pueblo Community College in Denver has instituted a two-year degree program in photonics that the college says is unique to the state. The school expects the program in photonics/vacuum technology to meet the demand for skilled employees in Colorado's high-tech industries, including telecommunications, computer manufacturing and defense.

Students will be instructed in both the science and the application of photonics. The program is affiliated with the Colorado Advanced Photonics Technology Center and is housed at the Higher Education and Advanced Technology Center in Denver. The center includes $5 million in state-of-the-practice equipment and 3600 sq ft of lab space.

"The photonics/vacuum program is a partnership between the state government, its educational institutions and the photonics industry," said Duncan Shields, the coordinator of the program. "We provide our graduating and continuing students with the intellectual and hands-on skills necessary for immediate productivity in the expanding photonics manufacturing and telecommunications sectors."