Patsy Barnes 30 year old full time working mother of two from La Crescenta, had to put off her education.  After getting up at 6:00 am to feed and dress a 31/2 year old and a 7 month old, pack their things for the day, one to work with her and the other to day care, she begins her work day.
   After work she packs everything up to go home to make dinner, clean up after dinner, bathe, feed and put her children to bed.  In the middle of all of the this she has a house , a husband and a bird to take care of.  In 1993, the pressures of work, planning a wedding and then  motherhood were too much, Barnes would have to finish school later. 
   The option of on-line classes would allow someone like her to go back to school. I could do it on my own time, after the kids have gone to bed, I could sit and do my school work in my pajamas and no would care, said Barnes. 
 In order to join the march into the 21st century Valley College is developing programs directly involving local business, curriculum tailored to current market trends, and the use of technology to make attending school and the use of school services more convenient are all underway to meet the challenge of the changing times. 
   As the school has changed so has its philosophy about the role it plays. Valley College is becoming more and more non- traditional, said Dr. A. Sue Carleo, Vice President of Academic Affairs. More  programs are being designed for working students in part enabled by the use of new technology. 
   There are still obstacles to overcome for on-line education. The cost of setting it up, hiring teachers, and the students access to a computers, but for many it is a long awaited a goal Valley College is trying to meet. Expanding the use of the internet and distance education will provide flexible education without the restrictions of place or time, said Carleo. According to Carleo 20 to 25 percent of the student body will be using some kind of electronic education with in the next five to ten years. 
   Many school functions and services are being enhanced by the use of technology. Interactive math classes are being developed to increase retention, student e-mail accounts, and assessment testing via a computer for immediate results, according to Yasmin Delahoussaye, Vice President of Student Services. LAVC web site allows students to look through the course catalog or register for classes, and a link to send in financial aid forms is provided to decrease the response time. Computers are available on campus for those that donít have their own in the Lab for Academic and Instructional Resources located in the school library building. 
   As the job market becomes more specialized so do the skills required for those jobs. Computer programmers are evolving into software engineers, said Rodger McGiness, Career Education Dean. There is a huge deficit in skills for the, electronics and computer industries. 
   The cost to train the work force for these markets has increased also, encouraging local business to work with local and state agencies. In some cases the college will screen and train prospective employees for a specific company. This is what the Job Partnership Act on the campus does. 
   A new pilot program was just initiated between LAVC, Select -Group a Temporary employment agency and Teletech, an off site customer service provider. Valley college resources are used to train employees referred through the Employment Development Department, in specific skills required for specific jobs. 
   One recent graduate of the pilot program, John Standish, a 57 year old electronics telemarketer, lost his job after 26 years . JTPA in conjunction with local business trains people for specific jobs, enabling them to go back to work in less time than it would take to get a certificate. 
   The only kind of job you can get without computer skills is as a security guard, i said Standish.