A Sacramento Works program to train a new generation of alternative-vehicles technicians kicks off enrollment this week.

The 16-week program begins in February at American River College with courses in hybrid and electric vehicles, biodiesel technology, automotive electric systems and advanced alternative fuels technology.

As more and more alternative- fuel, hybrid and electric-powered vehicles roll into the market, "people need mechanics to work on the new vehicles," said Terri Carpenter, a spokeswoman at Sacramento Employment and Training Agency.

Enrollment orientations for the February program are Wednesday and Thursday at Sacramento Works' Rancho Cordova Career Center, 10381 Old Placerville Road, Suite 150.

Other orientations follow Jan. 11-16, and Feb. 8-9, at the Rancho Cordova Career Center.

The course is free to those who qualify, Carpenter said.

Applicants must be 18 or older; be unemployed due to termination or layoff from a previous employer; and be low-income or underemployed.

For more information, call the career center at (916) 563-5147.

Tech hiring strong

Look for tech hiring to remain strong in early 2012. Nearly two-thirds of hiring officers surveyed by technology careers site Dice.com said their firms plan to hire technology professionals in the first half of the new year.

Dice pollsters surveyed about 1,200 hiring managers in mid-November for the report.

Experienced workers are expected to be the most sought after, according to the survey. Tech workers with six to 10 years' experience top recruiters' wish lists, with those applicants with two to five years' experience not far behind.

"The tech recruiting market is active. Many companies are chasing mid-career talent," said Dice managing director Alice Hill in a statement, adding that economic uncertainty is making it more difficult for hiring managers to woo away tech pros from their current positions.

In some good news for at-work tech pros, "The risk of layoffs continues to be remote," the Dice report read. Only 16 percent of firms surveyed expect layoffs in the first six months of 2012.

Find the survey at www.dice.com.

Sacramento career expo

More than 20 employers will be on hand for Sacramento's Business & Career Expo on Tuesday, organizers say.

Employers including Verizon Wireless, the state Board of Equalization, information technology firm AllData and Coldwell Banker will be at the free event, noon to 4 p.m. at Masonic Temple, 1123 J St. in Sacramento, said Kathy Caricato, an expo coordinator at California Job Journal.

Many of the employers are looking to fill customer service and administrative positions, while the Board of Equalization is seeking tax technicians and auditors ahead of tax season, Caricato said.

Representatives from franchise counselors Entrepreneur's Source will be available to discuss franchising opportunities, Caricato said.

Job seekers can also find free résumé counseling at the Tuesday event.

For more information, visit jobjournal.com.

Job-hunting questions?

Ask Terri Carpenter, one of our "Ask the Experts" writers, who can answer your career questions online.

A jobs expert at the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency, Carpenter has expertise in résumé writing, job-skills training and career counseling.

To post your question or to view her advice to other job seekers, go to www.sacbee.com/ask.

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Call The Bee's Darrell Smith, (916) 321-1040.

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