The College of Lake County Regional Photonics Initiative project was motivated in part by the hiring of out-of-state technicians for local Photonics industry positions. Fifteen high paying employment opportunities during the recent recession could not be filled from the locally available workforce. Research on the current demand and future growth of this industry led to inquiry regarding the feasibility of establishing a photonics program at the College of Lake County. With support from National Center for Optics and Photonics Technology, Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, consultation with local industry, and funding from the NSF (National Science Foundation) ATE (Advanced Technical Education) program, the first Lasers, Photonics, and Optics certificate program was established. This immediately provided photonics skills and employment opportunities to students, many of whom were already working in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) related fields.