How labor market information is being used in making decisions to provide Tech Prep programs in areas where there are significant workforce shortages:
The Community College developed a two-year AAS degree program in response to the need for Networking Specialists, three new manufacturing skilled trades AAS programs at the request of Caterpillar, and a multi-media program in response to suggestions from a business advisory board for Graphic Design. All of our regional work based learning programs used labor market information and business partnerships for development and implementation and continued validation.
How high academic and employability competencies will be met by students in Tech Prep programs:
All schools align curriculum with all of the standards and skills. Students in the regional and site work based learning programs additionally obtain academic and technical competencies in their respective programs. The state testing is also pushing the schools towards meeting both of these for all students.
Opportunities for work-based learning experiences are in place or being put in place for all Tech Prep students.
We are very proud of both our site specific WBL and our regional WBL. WBL is the 'flag ship' of our Consortium's Tech Prep program. All schools have graduated WBL programs and the consortium compliments these by acting as a virtual area vocational center by offering the regional dual credit work based learning programs.
The processes that are in place to ensure that students are informed of and encouraged to take advantage of articulation between secondary and postsecondary Tech Prep programs are thus:
The articulation agreements are continually updated/revised and now have much more value than in the past. The agreements are now being marketed at all schools by their teams. The schools fill out the articulated credit forms at the end of each year and mail them to the TP Coordinator. They are then entered in to the college system. Once a student meets with an advisor or applies at the college, they will be brought up on the system and the 'banked' credit discussed with them to ensure that they do not sign up for a duplicate course. Some of our schools have added the articulated programs and related information to their school handbooks. Most of our schools added the Tech Prep Program Sequences to their web pages in FY04.