the alignment of community colleges and workforce development ccla project freddy gonzales

The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

CCLA Project Freddy Gonzales

June 5, 2012

1

Envision Community College and Workforce Development Alignment

A community college that seeks to create a more learner-centered environment by offering: Modular, easily accessed curriculumeLearning and other delivery methods Shorter, occupationally focused courses leading to an occupational credentialPrograms which are integrated into the college curriculum so students may also earn college credit

The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development 2

The Need

Nationally and locally, many jobs go unfilled and yet the unemployment rate is at one of the highest rates in history

People interested in unfilled jobs are unable to connect even though they possess many of the qualifications required

Students graduating from college are not ready to join the existing workforce

Local communities feel that although there are jobs available in certain industries, the jobs require a set of skills that community members are not acquiring through their local Community Colleges

Governor Duval Patrick (at his January State of the Commonwealth address) stated that Massachusetts needs a workforce trained with the skills needed for these unfilled jobs and that the Commonwealth's Community Colleges need to be at the center of this initiative


Why Community Colleges?

Although many employers train people for jobs, education is not one of their core competencies

Employers feel they are forced into providing training because of the misalignment that exists between business and higher education

The expense of providing training impacts employers’ bottom line and profit margins

Community Colleges are seen as a low cost option to provide training As a result of Community College and Workforce Development alignment,

and the “Educational Partner” relationship, the community will have training opportunities and access to unfilled jobs


Goals

Identify areas where employers feel there is a misalignment between Community Colleges and their workforce development needs

Identify areas where the Community Colleges feel there is misalignment between employers and their academic programs

Identify programs/systems that are meeting Workforce Needs Adapt an existing model which RCC (and other Community Colleges) can

follow to better align both entities


Approach

Research most recent data available Conduct focus groups with local industry employers Review documented cases/programs which currently align community

colleges and workforce development Share experience on programs developed and implemented which added

value to the community colleges and employers


Employers Findings

The healthcare sector is the largest employment sector in Boston While opportunities are numerous, the paths to those jobs can be unclear Many jobs require very specific credentials and certifications Employers are having difficulty filling jobs Soft skills are just as critical as hard skills There is no clear pathway for people to acquire soft skills


College Findings

Though many colleges see workforce development as a good source of revenue, they do not see it as a core service

Many Community Colleges • are divided when it comes to credit and non-credit training• feel that their mission is to prepare people to enter four-year

institutions• feel that they are not a factory for industry workforce• fear that if they align with Workforce Development, they will become

obsolete in a very short time


Centralized Systems that Meet State’s Workforce Needs

VirginiaCommunity College system aligns education and economic development to extend workforce courses, training and programs into the communityThe goal of its Workforce Development Services is to prepare the state’s emerging workforce by providing greater access to career optionsThe primary purpose of the entire community college system is to meet the workforce needs of the Commonwealth of VirginiaMore than 254,000 people benefited from workforce programs and services (2011)


Centralized Systems that are Meeting their State’s Workforce Needs

North CarolinaLearn and Earn program – Students take online college courses while in high schoolNC recognizes that 80% of the jobs available in the state require some level of post secondary educationStudents can begin taking college courses in 9th grade and graduate high school with three years of college or an Associate’s DegreeOnline courses are available to any high school and are aligned with state’s colleges systemThe Industrial Education Centers – short-term job training programs that has served 760,764 students (about one out of every six adults in the state)


The story of the Minicomputer Technology Program (MTP)• 1983 – 1986• Digital Equipment Corporation and 25 Community Colleges across

the U.S.• Company had a need for Field Service Technicians• The Model

− Curriculum− Training− Equipment− Technical Support− HR Support

Business Initiated Model


Results Over 2000 students trained nationwide Savings of $10,000 in training for each new hire Reduction of unproductive time of 12 weeks per new hire



Benefits to the Company Reduced cost in new hire training Decreased ramp-up time for new hires National workforce pool Dedicated employees Future clients/decision makers



Benefits to the College Direct linkage to industry State-of-the-art training program/facilities Subject Matter Expertise Employee satisfaction Immediate job placement for students



Benefits to the Student Competitive edge over peers Industry recognized training Immediate job placement



Benefits to the Community Linkage to industry jobs Business partnership with private industry Economic Development



Roxbury, Middlesex and Bunker Hill Community Colleges• Partnered in BATEC (Boston-area Advanced Technologic Education

Connections) to create career pathways in information technology

North Shore Community College• Institute for Corporate and Training and Technology (ICTT) which

provides customized training solutions for employers in the North Shore communities, delivered whenever and wherever is needed

Local Workforce Alignment Models


Middlesex Community College• Academy of Health Professions – Career path exploration for Nursing

Assistants, Medical receptionists, Medical Secretaries and Phlebotomy Technicians

• Training includes skills training, career counseling and support, tutoring, and internships



Quinsigamond, North Shore and Middlesex Community Colleges• Worked in partnership to apply and received a grant from the U.S.

Department of Labor to develop certificate and associate degree programs in Energy Utility Technology



Bunker Hill Community College• Workforce Development Center – custom training programs (NStar

Model)• JVS/CHB Program – Participants bypass remedial courses and enter

college level credit-bearing courses• Over 11,000 employees trained for more than 110 companies



Workforce Development is at the forefront of the economic recovery of the U.S.

Community Colleges are viewed as the key vehicle in the preparation of today’s and tomorrow’s workforce

Funding (federal and state) will continue to become available to innovative programs which are aligned with Workforce Development

Massachusetts Community Colleges have the opportunity to become a mayor player in this renewed model

The window of opportunity will not be available for ever

Findings and Conclusion


Community College and Workforce Development alignment models vary:• Centralized Community College Models

− North Carolina, Virginia• Business Initiated Models

− The Minicomputer Technology Program• College Initiated Models

− Bunker Hill Community College – Workforce Development Center− Middlesex Community College – Academy of Health Professions− Quinsigamond, North Shore and Middlesex – Energy Utility

Technology− Roxbury, Middlesex and Bunker Hill – BATEC− North Shore Community College - ICTT



There are many challenges in developing an alignment model• External

− Employers must be wiling to work with Community Colleges− Programs must meet employer’s needs− Programs must adhere to industry requirements/certifications

• Internal − Administration needs to support Workforce Development− Deans/Department Heads/Faculty must be on-board− Systems must be flexible (course development, accreditation,

scheduling, contextualization, acceleration, billing, ETC.)− Career Planning, Soft Skills and Job Readiness Skills need to be

integrated into program curriculum



Key components needed to ensure the success of Community Colleges and Workforce Development alignment:• The College must have strong leadership

• Workforce Development must be one of the goals in the College’s Strategic Plan

• The College must have a dedicated Chief Workforce Development Officer• College must secure Employer Partners• College must have a working partnership with local Workforce Investment boards (WIBs) and Career Centers• College must have access to real-time intelligence information about the hiring needs of local employers



Key components (cont.)• Programs and courses must correspond to employer’s immediate and on-going demands• College needs Spidering or Artificial Intelligence technologies that allow the college to analyze on-line job ads• College’s credit and non-credit departments must work as equal partners• College must be willing to commit resources



Not simple to implement In order for the U.S. to have a competitive workforce, Education and

Workforce Development must align Many Community Colleges and Workforce Development are not aligned Workforce Development is becoming a high priority for Community

Colleges Federal and State funding for education is becoming more aligned with

Workforce Development Community College education is going to become more and more

“outcomes” driven More research on the subject is needed

Lessons Learned


“Critical Collaboration: Improving Education & Training pathways to Careers in Health Care”, Boston Healthcare Careers Consortium, Nov 2011

“The Case for Community Colleges: Aligning Higher Education & Workforce Needs in Massachusetts”, The Boston Foundation, Nov 2011

“Putting College Degrees to WORK”, Boston Globe Magazine, May 2012“Vision Project: Performance Incentive Fund Grant”, Bunker Hill Community

College, January 2011North Carolina Learn & Earn Program, www.nclearandearn.gov“Vision Summit Report” Roxbury Community College, April 2012“Career Pathways—Partnering to Create a Talent Pipeline”, Kozumplik,

Richalene M., March 2012“Curriculum Alignment Report”, Boston Healthcare Careers Consortium, June

2011

References/Source List


“Labor Market Information Updates Report”, Boston Private Industry Council, January 2012

“The Future Role of Community Colleges in Workforce Development”, Maher & Maher, September 2009

Perkins Grant-Occupational Employer Committee Focus Group, April, 2012

http://www.mass.edu/forinstitutions/prek16/atd.asp

http://www.mass.edu/campuses/missioncc.asp

http://www.mbae.org/community-colleges-and-workforce-development/

http://www.mass.gov/governor/pressoffice/pressreleases/2012/20120123-community-colleges-partner-with-workforce.html

Reference/Source List


http://www.nebhe.org/thejournal/alignment-job-community-colleges-and-workforce-development/

http://www.masscc.orghttp://www.gcc.mass.edu/massgreenhttp://www.mass.govhttp://www.commonwealthmagazine.org/.../022-Senate-president-backs-20http://www.tbf.org/uploadedFiles/.../CommunityCollege_Nov2011.pdfhttp://www.bostonfoundation.org/subsites/content.aspx?id=19516http://www.hollisterstaff.com/.../Community-College...Workforce-Develop...http://massgreenstcc.com/training.../community-college-course-listingshttp://www.capecod.edu/werc/

Reference/Source List


Q & A


Freddy GonzalesDirector of Corporate & Community EducationRoxbury Community College1234 Columbus AvenueBoston, MA [email protected]

Contact Information


the alignment of community colleges and workforce development ccla project freddy gonzales

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