Massachusetts Community Colleges & Workforce Development Transformation Agenda

COABE 2013

Unique Opportunities

“This grant is not about tinkering, it’s about transformation. This is not about getting more students to enroll, it’s about getting more students to graduation day and into good jobs.”

- Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education

MCCWDTA – Dual GoalsMCCWDTA – Dual Goals Structural, systemic change: ◦Redesign programs and services to accelerate

attainment of certificates, degrees and employment for low-skilled, low-income un- and under-employed MA residents

Student attainment and jobs:

◦Enroll and track the progress of students through certificate/degree attainment and jobs

Proposal Overview

Budget FUNDED is $20,000,000 over three years to support capacity-building, systemic changes

Target population are unemployed and underemployed adult workers

Goal is to enroll 4,000 students and place 2,800 in employment over three years (state-wide)

15 colleges committed to statewide project with local implementation

Who is Involved?• MA DOL– Career Services Office– Local Workforce Invest Board (Bristol WIB)

• MA DESE– ACLS(Adult and Community Learning Services)– MA Higher Education

• MA Community Colleges– Host the MCCWFDTA Website

• MA Industries and Business Associations

Complete list of all the partners:http://www.masscc.org/partnerships-initiatives/our-

partners

Project Priorities

Target Industries

Health Care

Advanced Manufacturing

Information Technologies

Life Sciences & Biotechnology

Clean/Sustainable Energy

Financial Services & Entrepreneurship

What are We Doing?What are We Doing?• Statewide system integration- Community Colleges

and Career Centers, Community colleges with each other

• Statewide contextualized curriculum– Redesign adult basic education and developmental

education = College Readiness– 6 Industry sectors as bases for contextualized

curriculum

• Local choice to meet local needs

Statewide Strategies to be adapted and applied locally

Contextualized Adult Education and Developmental Education Curriculum, developed with the help of educational consultants, with involvement of staff/faculty and workforce partners.

College and Career Navigators, to work with every community college and its local One-Stop Career Centers to recruit and support people enrolling in college programs. Also to help college students enrolled in select programs.

Industry-Informed Career Path Development, developed through College/Industry teams.

How will We Accomplish Priority 1 and 2?

Options and Flexibility in a supported Environment

•Contextualized Curriculum•Navigator case management•More communication about a student’s need from ABE- College, non credit to credit and from Career Center to College•Accelerated programs and “stackables”

Contextualizing Curriculum: One Component of the Broad Agenda Why contextualized curriculum? To speed progress

at lower levels and improve motivation – learners see how math/reading/writing skills relate to their future employment goals

Who is the curriculum for? Adults and Youth who lack the basic math, science, reading and writing skills to succeed in college-level programs.

Pilot- Spring 2013- January Training

Combined Effort- supported by the CAO and the StateCollege PD- The Lash Center For Teaching and Learning and

ABE PD- SABES (System for Adult Basic Educ. Support)

•Contextualized Curriculum Toolbox•Reflective Practice Group, meet and blog•Learning Community- Dev. Ed and CIS class

Pilot- Spring 2013- January Training

Modules@ MassachusettsBCC, Worchester Adult learning Center

and Mt Wachusett CC

http://vimeo.com/57637157

College and Career Navigators are a Critical Link

Navigating to What?

NavigatorsSupporting students through the waters of education

and the choppy waters of higher education and training

For the student:•Liaison between the career center & college•Liaison between internal departments & student•Support system by phone, in-person, through email•Career Counselor: internships, career readiness support and job placementFor partners, college and community:•Liaison between the career center and college departments•Relationship with business to direct qualified applicants

Student Management• Changing the definition of “term” and

”semester”

• Student Services Support: Enrollment, Financial Aid, support services, counseling

• Credit and non credit working together

• Tracking employment outcomes

Accelerated Curriculum Examples• Business Administration Transfer Fast Track-credit– Weekend program– One supported cohort– 18 months to do a two year program– Developed for unemployed Career Center client– Had some remedial course and Developmental Education

course offered at the same time– 8 out of the 10 enrolled will graduate in May, 1 student got

an office job before graduating

• Replicated this summer: Executive Office Fast Track

Don’t Forget Priorities 3 and 4• Redesign and Design Programs with Industry

Input

• Local Needs and Where the Jobs Are

• Technology- Open Source and Enhancing Online Capabilities

Animal Care Program• Industry need that builds career pathways• Industry Input: met with local businesses– Listen to their needs for qualified employees

• Stackable Credentials:– Pet First Aid– Vet Office Skills– Dual Enrollment: GED/ Vet Office Skills– Animal Care Husbandry Technician– Assoc. Applied Animal Care Science– Course work to prepare for Vet Tech or Veterinarian

TechnologyComputer Information Systems:

Virtual Learning: “virtualizing” most aspects of the computer hardware and software courses in the program to correspond with current industry standards. •students are exposed to the advanced technology of virtualization and cloud computing- more marketable skills•retention has improved by allowing students to work on assignments and lab activities whenever they have time – 24 hours per day.

Open Source Repository and Universal Design

Our BCC Charge!

1.To serve 600 or more students2.To help at least 528 obtain a certificate and a job3.To add new programs to meet area employers needs4.To develop a deeper more sensible communication system of student and case management counseling across all levels5.To change the way Community College education is delivered

Successes

Challenges• Systemic reform– Treating non credit like credit– Merging Data systems– Tracking outcomes better especially employment

• Getting “buy in” from college faculty and staff– Some disagreement on Mission of Community

Colleges – workforce vs. liberal arts– “weakest link” and economic development– Integrating Remedial Education into college

Value of educating the community no matter where the student starts

Our Vision!

At BCC, The Transformation Agenda will create Community College education that has flexibility,

acceleration and options in a supported environment transforming learning into practice

and practice into career success!

MCCWFDTA-Transformation Agenda

Kristen McKenna Program ManagerBristol Community College

Kristen.mckenna@bristolcc.edu or 508-678-2811 x3437

MCCWFDTA-Transformation Agenda

Jennifer Freeman Project Director100 Cambridge St, Suite 1310

Boston MA, 02114617-542-2911

http://www.masscc.org/