The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development CCLA Project Freddy Gonzales

1. The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development CCLA Project Freddy Gonzales June 5, 2012

2. Envision Community College and Workforce Development Alignment A community college that seeks to create a more learner-centered environment by offering: • Modular, easily accessed curriculum • eLearning and other delivery methods • Shorter, occupationally focused courses leading to an occupational credential • Programs which are integrated into the college curriculum so students may also earn college credit The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

3. 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

4. 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

5. 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

6. 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

7. 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

8. 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

9. Centralized Systems that Meet State’s Workforce Needs • Virginia • Community College system aligns education and economic development to extend workforce courses, training and programs into the community • The goal of its Workforce Development Services is to prepare the state’s emerging workforce by providing greater access to career options • The primary purpose of the entire community college system is to meet the workforce needs of the Commonwealth of Virginia • More than 254,000 people benefited from workforce programs and services (2011) The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

10. Centralized Systems that are Meeting their State’s Workforce Needs • North Carolina • Learn and Earn program – Students take online college courses while in high school • NC recognizes that 80% of the jobs available in the state require some level of post secondary education • Students can begin taking college courses in 9th grade and graduate high school with three years of college or an Associate’s Degree • Online courses are available to any high school and are aligned with state’s colleges system • The 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 Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

11. Business Initiated Model • 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

12. 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

13. Business Initiated Model • 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

14. Business Initiated Model • 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

15. Business Initiated Model • Benefits to the Student • Competitive edge over peers • Industry recognized training • Immediate job placement The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

16. Business Initiated Model • Benefits to the Community • Linkage to industry jobs • Business partnership with private industry • Economic Development The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

17. Local Workforce Alignment Models • 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

18. 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

19. Local Workforce Alignment Models • 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

20. Local Workforce Alignment Models • 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

21. Findings and Conclusion • 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

22. 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

23. Findings and Conclusion • 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

24. Findings and Conclusion • 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

25. Findings and Conclusion • 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

26. Lessons Learned • 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

27. References/Source List “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 2011 North 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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

28. Reference/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 The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

29. Reference/Source List http://www.nebhe.org/thejournal/alignment-job-community-colleges-and-workforce-development/ http://www.masscc.org http://www.gcc.mass.edu/massgreen http://www.mass.gov http://www.commonwealthmagazine.org/.../022-Senate-president-backs-20 http://www.tbf.org/uploadedFiles/.../CommunityCollege_Nov2011.pdf http://www.bostonfoundation.org/subsites/content.aspx?id=19516 http://www.hollisterstaff.com/.../Community-College...Workforce-Develop... http://massgreenstcc.com/training.../community-college-course-listings http://www.capecod.edu/werc/ The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

30. Q & A The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

31. Contact Information Freddy Gonzales Director of Corporate & Community Education Roxbury Community College 1234 Columbus Avenue Boston, MA 02120 617-933-7432 fgonzales@rcc.mass.edu The Alignment of Community Colleges and Workforce Development