Brandman University School of Extended Education Partners With Octane to Create and Fill High-Tech Jobs in Orange County

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 21, 2013) - Brandman University's School of Extended Education, the entrepreneurial division of Brandman University, announces its collaboration with OCTANe, an Orange County non-profit focused on building up the region's high-tech ecosystem. The organizations share the goal of expanding Orange County's economy by creating and filling jobs in the high-tech sector.

As part of the partnership, OCTANe will host a series of events at Brandman University designed to engage the private sector with Brandman's academic and professional development programs. Brandman University staff and students will receive free OCTANe membership, access to its members-only website, and a host of member benefits.

"We've worked with OCTANe for two years, building on our shared goals and objectives," says Debbie Moysychyn, director at Brandman University's School of Extended Education. "Orange County's economy is heavily dependent upon several regional innovation clusters -- significantly, life sciences and information technology. Together, we're taking steps to stimulate the economy, with OCTANe focused on creating local jobs and Brandman University's School of Extended Education dedicated to providing training and education that ensures local candidates are qualified to fill those jobs."

OCTANe LaunchPad SBDC companies have raised more than $77 million to create more than 1,000 local jobs in the past year and aim to create 10,000 new jobs by 2020. Brandman is fully aligned in support of these aggressive goals and is committed to providing the specialized educational programs that will train qualified professionals to take these new positions.

"We present life science, tech, and business specific education on a weekly basis, regularly working in close partnership with Brandman," says Matthew Jenusaitis, President and CEO of OCTANe. "They offer the intellectual horsepower that adds content to much of our educational programming, particularly in information technology systems. Our synergy is extremely important in economic development. We can't succeed in expanding jobs if we don't have partners like Brandman University prepared to ensure there are qualified workers available to fill the new positions."

To learn more about Brandman's workforce and professional development programs, visit www.brandman.edu/exed. For more information about upcoming OCTANe events at the Brandman University campus, please visit www.octaneoc.org/events.

About Brandman University's School of Extended Education: Brandman University's School of Extended Education responds quickly to offer relevant and valuable courses that prepare individuals and organizations with workforce and professional development education that addresses today's fast-changing industries and evolving needs. Focusing on leadership, business, technology, health and wellness, education and general education, the School of Extended Education provides degree programs, workshops, seminars, certificate programs, leadership modules and programming leading to certification and academic credit. Its programs are created by the joint effort of Brandman faculty and instructors, working professionals and industry experts through a series of collaborative advisory boards while drawing from the rich history and prestigious reputation of Chapman University. This approach provides sustainable educational solutions that adjust to the needs of the real world. The School of Extended Education is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Brandman's online graduate business programs, including its MBA, were recently ranked among the top in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Brandman has also been recognized as one of the top 10 providers of SHRM HR training. Visit www.brandman.edu/exed or call 1.800.632.0094 for more information.

About OCTANe: OCTANe connects people and ideas with capital and resources to fuel technology growth in Orange County. Its members represent Orange County technology executive leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, venture capitalists, academicians, and strategic advisors, all working together to fuel innovation in OC. The organization has helped more than 800 companies via the LaunchPad™ SBDC accelerator. LaunchPad™ companies have received more than $340 million in investment and equity exits. OCTANe annually welcomes more than 7,000 people to its programs and events. More than 2,000 business leaders throughout the Orange County region are OCTANe members. For more information, visit www.octaneoc.org.