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Hamm, Russell E.; Mundhenk, RobertAmerican Workforce Development. Community andTechnical Colleges Prepare To Meet the Challenges. APosition Paper. Monograph Series.National Council for Occupational Education,Columbus, OH.Mar 9525p.

National Council for Occupational Education, 1161Francisco Road, Columbus, OH 43220-2654 ($9.95members; $15.95 nonmembers; quantity discountsavailable).Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.)(120)

MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage.College Role; *Community Colleges; CooperativePrograms; Coordination; Educational Finance;Institutional Evaluation; *Job Training; *Labor ForceDevelopment; Needs Assessment; *Self Evaluation(Groups); Two Year Colleges; Vocational Education

This monograph, itself a suggested set of standards,is designed to help college personnel determine the college's stateof readiness for extended work force development. Two questions aboutthat role are offered: (1) is the college, and are community collegesnationally, prepared to become the central player in a comprehensiveeducation and training system; and (2) if they are not, how can theyprepare themselves. This paper, a "call for action," attempts to helpcommunity colleges answer these questions in two ways. First, aself-study guide offers a series of questions that reqUire collegepersonnel to examine their institution's readiness to prepare workersfor the new workplace. All responses must be evaluated within thecontext of local conditions, needs, and political considerations. The19 questions relate to mission and organization, funding, assessingneeds and documenting success, programs and delivery systems,staffing, and coordination. Second, the monograph offers 17suggestions to assist local colleges in creating a vision and planthat will ready them to meet both local challenges and the demands ofstate and federal governments and to become part of a nationalcommunity of prepared colleges. The suggestions relate to preparingthe institution, preparing programs and faculty, and preparing thenation's community colleges. National Council for OccupationalEducation task forces, their objectives, and leadership are listed.(YLB)

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National council for Occupational EducatiMonograph Series

American Workforce Development,Community and. Technical Colleges

Prepare to Meet the Challenge

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOnce f Educational Research and Improvement

ED ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

This document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating itMinor changes have been made to improvereproduction quality

Points of view or opinions stated in this docu.ment do not necessarily represent officialOERI position or policy

A Position Paper

Rusell E. Hamm, Ph.D.Arapahoe Community College

Robert Mundhenk, Ph.D.Northampton Community College

March, 1995

"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC."

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

Mission, Goals, Priorities

The National Council for Occupational Education is a private, non profit,professional organization committed to promoting excellence and growth inoccupational education. A's an affiliate council of the American Association ofCommunity Colleges, NCOE provides a national forum for occupational,vocational, technical, and career education and economic developmentprofessionals, faculty, business, labor, military, and government representativesto affect and direct the futUre of work-related education globally, and the role oftwo-year colleges in this arena.

NCOE'S Primary GoalsTo provide a national forum in occupational education and economicdevelopment,

To support federal and state legislation enhancing post secondary educationand economic development,

To advise the American Association of Community Colleges on policydevelopment affecting occupational' education,

To provide critical information to members on current and, future trends,

To provide leadership through national and regional research studies,projecis, and conferences, and

To link NCOE members to other important organizations whose missioris andgoals are similar to' those of the national, council.

Information contact:Richard W. Butchko, Executive DirectorNCOE, 1161 Francisco RoadColumbus, Ohio 43220 -2654Telephone: 614/451-3577Fax: 614/538-1914

American Workforce DevelopmentA Position Paper

Table of Contents

Preamble 1

Examining the College 3

Mission and Organization 4

Funding 5

Assessing Needs and Documenting Success 6

Programs and Delivery Systems 7

Staffing 8

Coordination 9

Preparing the College for Workforce Development 9

Preparing the Institution 10

Preparing Programs and Faculty 12

Preparing the Nation's Community Colleges 15

Conclusion 16

References 18

NCOE Task Force Issues 19

Diversity 19

Homeless 19

School-to-Work 19

Accountability - Skills Standards 19

Workbased Learning 19

NCOE's Activities and Benefits 20

4

Introduction andAcknowledgementsThis publication is the product of the thinking of a group of individuals each of whom hasbeen recognized as an expert and/or researcher in workforce development policy. Thisgroup interacted for two days in Washington, DC, to create the initial concepts and draftoutline. Over the next few months the document was reviewed by members of the board ofthe National Council for Occupational Education (NCOE) and approved as an NCOE state-ment of policy. Thanks to the members of the initial "think tank" group who are listedbelow.

Russell Hamm, Ph.D. (Co-chair)Vice President for InstructionArapahoe Community CollegeLittleton, Colorado

Gerri FialaDeputy DirectorOffice of Policy and ResearchEmployment and Training AdministrationU.S. Department of LaborWashington, D.C.

Winifred I. Warnat, Ph.D.Director of Vocational-Technical EducationOffice of Vocational and Adult EducationU.S. Department of EducationWashington, D.C.

Stephen Katsinas, Ph.D.Associate ProfessorDepartment of Educational LeadershipUniversity of ToledoToledo, Ohio

Diane Troyer, Ph.D.Vice President forAcademic and Student AffairsHarford Community CollegeBel Air, Maryland

Robert Mundhenk, Ph.D. (Co-chair)Professor of EnglishNorthampton Community CollegeBethlehem, Pennsylvania

James Jacobs, Ph.D.Associate Vice PresidentBusiness and Community ServicesMacomb Community CollegeWarren, Michigan

James Mc Kenney, Ph.D.Director of Economic DevelopmentAmerican Association of Community CollegesWashington, D.C.

Ned Sifferlen, Ph.D.ProvostSinclair Community CollegeDayton, Ohio

and guidance fromDr. David PiercePresidentAmerican Association of Community CollegesWashington, D.C.

American Workforce Development

Preamble

A Position Paper

Over the past decade, governmental and educational leaders havedevoted much time to discussing the relative readiness of theAmerican workforce to deal with the challenges of emergingtechnologies and redefined workplaces. As international competi-tion within a global marketplace has increased, questions con-cerning American worker productivity and the preparation of theworkforce have become common themes of critics in the popularpress as well as in professional and governmental publications.Authors of A Nation at Risk (The Commission on Excellence inEducation, 1983), The Forgotten Half (Commission on Work,Family, and Citizenship, W.T. Grant Foundation, 1988), andAmerica's Choice: High Skills or Low Wages? (Commission on theStudy of the American Workforce, 1990), and numerous otherpublications have concluded that both the workforce and theeducational system that produces and trains it are not adequatefor the emerging challenges of the twenty-first century. Recentlythe U.S. Department of Education (1992) defined the problem veryconcretely:

One of every five American workers reads at or below theeighth grade level and one of every eight reads at thefourth grade level. Much of the reading required in across section of jobs ranked between the eighth andtwelfth grade levels. Fifteen percent of job-related mate-rial required even higher levels. . . . the skills gap isexpected to widen. (p. 4)

This general mismatch between what exists and what is needed iscaused by a number of things, among them rapidly changingconceptions of work, integration of new technologies at almost alllevels of work, and a traditionalism in industrial and educationalenvironments that has been delinquent in addressing thesechanges. Overall, writers have judged both the American workforceand the nation's educational system to be inferior to Americancompetitors, particularly Germany and Japan. In response, manyAmerican businesses have initiated changes in process, product,and management through such concepts as Total Quality Manage-ment, Statistical Process Control, and Continuous Quality Im-provement; but education has been slower to adapt. Businessesare expecting similar changes to occur in both curricular andeducational delivery so that workers can enter the workplace withthe requisite skills to handle the new industrial processes.

Change in workforce education, which necessarily must followchanges in business, has begun at many institutions, but allcommunity colleges in the country must see workforceredevelopment as a top priority and adapt accordingly. Generalcalls for reform have been met with fairly limited action. "By themid-1980s, employers realized that employees capable of meetinginternational competition needed job competencies that hinged onadequate education. . . . Industries began to extend investment inemployee education to front-line workers. . . . Still, America wasfalling behind" (U.S. Department of Education, 1992, p.4). Mostcompanies seem to deal with the challenges of competitionthrough downsizing, an approach that improves the bottom linewithout necessarily improving the product. Most educationalinstitutions seem to redesign existing programs or to create easilyexcisable add-ons in a similar "this too shall pass" approach. TheSecretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (U.S.Department of Labor, 1991) reported that

many educators have responded. Most communities inthe United States have felt the impact: new curricula,adult literacy efforts, compensatory programs, in-schoolchild care, new teacher training efforts - all of these havebeen tried. Yet, despite some promising exceptions, weare unable to demonstrate that things are, on the whole,much better. . . . (p. 4)

Calls for emergency aid to systems that will transfer students fromschool to the workplace are numerous. The National Coalition forAdvanced Manufacturing (NACFAM) (1993) argued that

to insure its competitive advantage, the United Statesmust invest more heavily in technical educationprograms. Yet it is misleading to conclude that "nosystem" exists for this purpose. Technical education insecondary and two-year postsecondary schools providesresources and facilities with the potential for preparingstudents for work. In its pursuit of a globally competitiveworkforce, the federal government should focus onimproving these schools . . . .(p. 3)

However educational institutions deal with training and retrainingthe American workforce, they cannot simply dismiss the chal-lenges of training and they cannot wait for aid. The skill require-ments of the new workplace are different, as is the composition of

72


the workforce itself. The readiness of the new workforce depends inlarge part on the quality and effectiveness of the training it receives,and that in turn depends on educational change.

As many community colleges have already discovered, most of thatchange will have to occur throughout the educational system, notonly in content but also in orientation. Preparing an individual with afinite package of skills that is expected to be useful throughout acareer, the traditional approach of education (with business blessing)for the last century, is now both undesirable and dangerous, andgreater emphasis must be placed on a broader range of generalizedskills, mental flexibility, and lifelong learning. This may mean aredefinition of the relative roles of secondary and postsecondaryeducation. Given the emphasis on relatively advanced academicskills and on lifelong learning in the calls for educational change, itis easy to conclude that two-year colleges will have to play a leadingrole in any comprehensive workforce development strategy. In Two-year Colleges: What Role Will They Play in Improving the School-to-work Transition? (1994), Richard Kazis expresses a recentlyemerging, commonly held opinion:

It is no surprise . . . that the two-year college is seen bymany as the most appropriate institution for the delivery oftechnical skill training in this country and, therefore, asthe logical postsecondary partner with high schools linkingschool to work. (p. 3)

Two questions about that role emerge immediately. Are communitycolleges prepared, locally and nationally, to become such a center-piece? And if they are not, what is required to place them in readi-ness? While many colleges are in some state of preparation thispaper suggests how community colleges might assess their state ofpreparedness. First, it offers a series of questions that colleges canuse to examine their readiness to prepare workers for the new work-place. Then it offers a number of changes to be considered for col-lege organization, the delivery of service, and the establishment of acommitment that can help colleges become the workforce develop-ment agencies that America will need in the twenty-first century.

Examining the Many community colleges across the country are already leaders inlocal workforce development; most others have begun the process of

College examining their readiness to train the new workforce. Many havealready asked and answered the questions that follow. Their progresstoward a defined role in workforce development does not obviate the

National Council_ for Occupational Education 3

Mission andOrganization

need for similar self-examination in all community colleges, norfor consideration of a larger view of the community college role inregional and national terms. The suggested examination belowseeks to leave each college with a real picture of its desire andcapability to be a "player" in this critical time for workforce devel-opment. Each question essentially asserts a required componentof that readiness, and further asserts that colleges which arefound wanting are not in a prime position to succeed. While theimportance or requirement of any single question is debatable, theintent and collective body of these questions are not. In fact, thereis simply not time for a national debate on the appropriateness ofthe community college role in workforce development only adebate on priorities, direction, and methodologies. Doug Ross,Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, U.S. Departmentof Labor, made the point extremely clear as he addressed the roleof the community colleges in the Reemployment Act: "If the Reem-ployment Act is to support the realization of the President'svision, community colleges are going to have to step up to a muchlarger role" (p. 19). Again, now is the time to demonstrate local,regional, and national readiness, capability, innovative strategy,and determination of two-year colleges.

At whatever stage of preparedness an individual community col-lege may see itself, the following self-study guide should be of use.It is constructed around a series of questions which requirecollege personnel to examine their institution. All responses mustbe evaluated within the context of local conditions, needs, andpolitical considerations.

1. Does the college's mission statement focus in asignificant way on workforce development? Whilemany college mission statements mention workforcedevelopment, most tend to focus on the modes ofdelivery (e.g., "excellent credit and non-credit programs...community service... training and education... service toadult students... ") and not on the purpose and productsof those modes. This question really asks colleges tofocus on the ends of education and training, not themeans.

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2. Are those parts of the college that deliver in-serviceupgrade workforce training and retraining, as well asnoncredit pre-training, explicitly a significant part ofthe mission? Are they politically an important partof the organization? Most colleges can justifiably claimthat parts of their organization provide workforcedevelopment services. How central those services are ininstitutional thinking is reflected in such areas asadministrative structure, governance, and funding. Ifthese workforce development functions are not centrallyplanned and funded, the institution's real commitment tofull workforce development may be tentative.

3. Do the college's processes, services, and structuressupport the needs of nontraditional learners? Mostcommunity colleges were founded in a standard,semester-based, FTE-generating mode, which is largelyirrelevant to the kinds of programs and delivery systemsthat the development of the new workforce will require.Rather than trying to convert workforce developmentprograms to the traditional model, colleges shoulddevelop appropriate processes, services, and structuresfor nontraditional training.

While community colleges do not generally control the criteria forfunding, except insofar as they can negotiate them with local orstate sponsors, they can use the following questions to developstrategies to modify the priorities of those who do control them.This strategizing is ultimately more likely to be a state andnational effort, but individual colleges still need to assess theviability of their workforce development efforts in the context offunding priorities to determine the relative need to change thepriorities.

4. Do funding mechanisms acknowledge the centrality ofworkforce development? Many state and local fundingassumptions are based on credit-generated FTEs, cer-tainly a convenient mechanism, albeit not necessarilyone that deals effectively or fairly with all aspects ofworkforce development. These assumptions may in turndrive such things as institutional research, so that verylittle information on workforce development or economicimpact is kept because it has no direct effect on funding.

1 0National Council.for Occupational Education 5

Assessing Needsand Documenting

Success

5. Does the college make any efforts to influence fundingformulas in order to include the needs of the emerg-ing workforce as well as instructional innovation?Most funding now seems to be based on headcounts incredit programs, despite the fact that most workforcedevelopment work occurs elsewhere. Colleges may wantto consider proposing different approaches to funding,though they should do so in a coordinated, regional way.

6. How effectively does the college assess labor marketneeds or use available local labor market data? Col-lege planners need to become experts at needs assess-ment through examination of long-term trends at local,regional, and national levels. While most colleges uselabor market data for program planning and assessment,all colleges should routinely monitor local labor marketsand collect data, rather than rely on data which are partof state or national collection systems that suffer frombeing dated.

7. How well do degree and certificate exit requirementsmatch with industry and professional standards?Allied health programs, by and large, require a correla-tion between exit skills and job requirements, but otherprograms that can document the same degree of correla-tion are rare. The expectations of allied health programsshould be the standard by which all other programs aremeasured, from associate degrees to short-term, skill-upgrade offerings.

8. Does the college explicitly measure its success interms of its contribution to the development of thelocal and regional economy? Graduation and graduate-placement rates have been the traditional measures ofsuccess. Community colleges need to address the muchlarger student population, both credit and non-credit, theone that does notand never intended tograduate, andthey need to tie their efforts much more explicitly toissues of job generation, upgrading, retraining, localcompany/business success, and economic development.

9. Can the college's institutional research initiativesdocument the extent of the college's impact on theeconomic development of the community and the


Programs andDelivery Systems

A Position Paper

region? What is the extent to which the college hasaided in starting new businesses, creating and retainingjobs, i assisting to attract businesses to the district,aiding companies to export goods and services, andimproving the productivity of local businesses?

10. How much do programs focus almost exclusively onentry-level skills? While no one denies the importanceof providing skills to students in all programs which willmake them eligible and successful for entry-level jobs, itis clear that most entry-level skills will become obsoletein a comparably short time. Many community collegesare now planning programs that include other skills, likegreater mental flexibility (what the American Society forTraining and Development calls "learning to learn"skills) and an orientation toward lifelong learning. Whileentry-level skills seem the primary short-term desire ofboth students and employers, all colleges must empha-size the long term.

11. Do programs train for discrete jobs or for jobclusters? Given the necessity for many workers in thenew workforce to perform many different tasks, the jobcluster approach seems to serve emerging needs moreeffectively and ethically.

12. How "traditional" are the instructional approaches?The students who will need workforce development andredevelopment services are likely to become the majorityof the student body, yet they are the ones referred to as"nontraditional," implying that their requirements areodd or "out-of-synch" with those of the traditional stu-dent. They are older adults, minorities, and currentworkers. While many colleges have attempted scheduleadjustments and additional services like day care, veryfew have addressed the central mismatch between peda-gogy and instructional content on the one hand andworkforce development needs on the other. How adults,current workers, and those with nontraditional collegeplans are treated needs to be a central concern.

13. Are the business development and workforce trainingcenters part of the regular college programming? Dothese centers function on an equal footing with tradi-tional programs, or are they seen as add-on revenue

National Council for Occupational Education 7

12

Staffing

centers? How are they involved in institutional planningand budgeting? Are they included in the development ofnew programs? What criteria for success are applied tothem?

14. How are principles of quality improvement applied tothe programs and to the college? The application ofprinciples to control quality in both the manufacturingand service industries is widespread. Companies areeither electing to adopt quality control systems or arebeing forced to do so by competitors and customers.Students will require a knowledge of these systems inmuch the same way that they need a broad knowledge ofcomputers. Are these principles applied in the operationof the college? Beyond the resulting improvement ofservice by the college, can students see these principlesat work?

15. How do staffing patterns (hard-money and full-timepositions as a percentage of total employees) withinworkforce development areas match patterns intraditional credit programs? While there is no reasonwhy the patterns in the two areas should be the same,colleges need to determine what relationship the pat-terns should have and if workforce development pro-grams and initiatives receive their fair share. Becauseinstitutional values are driven by these patterns, theycannot be arrived at accidentally or by happenstance.

16. What workplace experience do current instructors,counselors, and administrators have? Many havefollowed academic tracks to jobs in higher education andhave little more than a nodding acquaintance with work-place issues and demands. While advisory committeesare used to provide "real world" input, faculty and staffcould well benefit from real workplace experience or in-service that deals with workplace trends. The need is tobe able to communicate to students from an experientialrather than a theoretical knowledge base about the worldof work.

17. What percentage of the college staff serves bothtraditional and nontraditional students? One way ofassessing a college's commitment to workplace develop-


Coordination

Preparingthe College

forWorkforce

Development

A Position Paper

ment is to examine the degree to which its core staff isassigned to it. Most colleges hired core staff to deal withtraditional programs and students long before workforcedevelopment was important; whether these staff also willserve workforce development needs is a question thatmust be answered.

18. Is the thinking and planning of the college primarily"local" or "regional"? The answer here might seem tobe obvious: in most states local funding means localthinking because colleges are expected to be sensitive tosatisfying the demands of the district and their governingboards. However, in most cases workforce developmentissues and demands tend to stretch beyond sponsorshipborders, especially in urban and suburban collegeswhere the colleges' programs affect people and busi-nesses in a regional area. Program planning and assess-ment must take into account regional and nationaltrends because students may not remain within thedistrict borders to work.

19. Can the college provide data that support regional ornational claims about workforce development? Whilethis question is related to the earlier question on the useof labor market data, it assumes that it is essential thatlocal community colleges be involved in making bothregional and national cases for their role in workforcedevelopment. They must be willing and ready to cooper-ate with other colleges so that regional and nationalplanning may be accomplished collectively

That the nation has turned to community colleges for solutions toits workforce development problems and shortfalls is inarguable.The eyes of industry, state, and national government are focusedon two-year colleges and are measuring their responsiveness andreadiness. Simultaneously, they are investigating and investing inalternative (some say competitive) systems to meet the immediateworker development crisis. Now is the time to capture and perma-nently embody the role of the "preparer of the nation's workforce."

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National Councillor Occupational Education 9

Preparing theInstitution

The following suggestions are offered to assist local colleges increating a vision and plan which will ready them to meet both localchallenges and the demands of state and federal governments and tobecome part of a national community of prepared colleges. While itis not asserted that each suggestion is critical, it is believed that athoughtful self-analysis of and response to each suggestion willhelp the college determine its proper position relative to localdemands and constraints, and within the context of "national readi-ness."

1. Ensure that the mission statement of the institutionclearly claims the role of workforce preparation andthat it is equal to other mission tenets. The importanceof this step cannot be understated. The mission statementof most colleges is the public proclamation of its prioritiesand intent and thereby provides the authority to fund andpursue initiatives. It is a public list of what the collegebelieves to be important, usually representing the consen-sus of the institution and underwritten by the governingboard. In essence it is the college's license to operate andto set goals and objectives. Every college needs a clearstatement supporting workforce development so that theworkforce development role will not be lost or treated withless seriousness and commitment than it deserves.

2. Operate the institution as a "new world" organization.The implications of this generalization sweep across theentire college and suggest changes in the way to thinkabout the college's mission and services. Theseimplications include many philosophies, programs, andprocesses already adopted by the very organizations thecollege claims to serve: business and government. Chiefamong them is the quality assurance component with itsown implications for the way colleges interact withstudents and other clients. Also to be considered is theability of the college to be flexible and quick to respond tochanging local and national education/training needs; toteach and encourage cooperative and team initiativesrather than the competitiveness resulting from traditionalclass grading systems; to be student-need-driven (marketresponsive) when creating new services and systems; toincorporate assessment systems within each initiative thatprovide real outcomes measurement; to beenvironmentally responsive and to make visible

1015


environmental initiatives to help students accept theimportance of them; and to create professional-levelpromotional initiatives to create awareness of and to sellthe college's workforce development capabilities. Senioradministrators will, of necessity, need to be familiar withthe popular literature on the "new world" organizationthat has so influenced business organizations.

3. Create new student services that meet the needs ofthe nontraditional student. While it may be argued thatthe needs of traditional and nontraditional students areessentially the same, there are differences. For example,most student recruitment offices appear to be focused onstudents who are not currently employed or individualsseeking short-term training for purposes of immediateemployment. Student advising also appears to be focusedon assisting students into and through traditional certifi-cate and degree programs and does not encompassadvice concerning job retraining and related topics.Placement centers, though more progressive than othercollege offices, are often very loosely tied to local busi-ness and industry. Ideally, the placement office, beyondproviding traditional job-search skills, should identifyreal job openings and pathways for students to capturethose jobs. Additionally, a placement office which isdirectly connected to business will become a criticalcomponent of program assessment and program develop-ment. Other student services like child care have beenidentified as crucial but are often available at timesincompatible with working parents. Problems like childcare, transportation, and finance of education are seri-ous enough to prevent students from attaining thetraining they require.

4. Create labor market information systems. Affordableand workable systems need to be devised that ensurethat data represent real workforce trends in the local andregional area. In fact, some argue that until such systemsare established colleges will not be nimble or quicklyresponsive enough to keep pace with the changes.

5. Build coalitions and partnerships. Early recognitionthat community colleges are not the sole players inworkforce development will result in colleges seeking toknow and recognize other organizations that labor in the


16

PreparingPrograms and

Faculty

same field. Coalitions and partnerships with otherstakeholders, such as community-based organizations,other education institutions, government units, andbusiness, will bring the greatest amount of resources tobear on the problems. Meetings to discuss and defineroles and to divide responsibilities will reduce the com-petitiveness and duplication and ultimately result in avision of a "workforce development system" within eachcommunity. This move is the intent of legislation cur-rently working its way through Congress and within theplans of many state-level workforce development strate-gies. New distance-learning delivery systems will verylikely lead toward the creation of many new coalitions.

6. Incorporate the economic development/businessservice office into the college. The creation of theseservice offices a decade ago in most colleges was to meettwo needs: to assist the college to react to the calamitiesof economic recession and depression, and to become aninstitutional revenue center. Over the years, because ofdiminishing resources, these offices have been assessedmore on their ability to deliver revenue than to servedistrict training needs. In many colleges they are theonly offices that must pay their own costs or be elimi-nated. Yet economic development may be the office bestprepared to deal directly with the workforce developmentdemands of businesses, and the only office capable ofdesigning and delivering education and training quicklyand effectively. All colleges certainly should review thestatus of these offices and consider reorganization,placing them closer to the credit technical occupationalprograms.

7. Face the reality of the obsolescence of faculty andprograms. Developing reluctant faculty and changingensconced programs is one of the most difficult tasksfacing colleges. Some colleges avoid the problem byplacing workforce development in the non-credit, oradult continuing education division or within economicdevelopment offices. The effects of this approach areboth negative and numerous. Certainly and generally, theresources of the college, which continue to flow topotentially ineffective faculty and programs, are beingmisplaced because diminishing resources are not put

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17


into the most critical programs. Additionally, alternativeplacement of workforce development programs may deni-grate the image of the importance of the program by imply-ing that the program is not important enough to receive thecollege's best effort, best faculty, and maximum resources.Perhaps this is the critical balance point for determiningwhether a college is really committed to workforce develop-ment or not.

8. Investigate new delivery systems and modify existingsystems. The standard methods of delivering training andeducation likely will remain useful for the future but theydo not address some of the developing needs in theworkforce. Scheduling that breaks from the "semester-based" tradition, which limits departure from day classestaught one hour per day three days weekly, may be replacedwith shortened or condensed schedules which will trainstudents and place them back on the job more quickly. Ofmore importance, perhaps, will be the use of alternativedelivery systems which may include computer/video interac-tive-learning systems, distance-learning systems, and work-based learning as examples.

To create new systems or to adapt to commercially-basedlearning systems will require a deep and continual invest-ment in faculty development. Colleges cannot move to"world class status" without faculty who are prepared,motivated, and committed to new pedagogy.

9. Create programs that are seamless, trackless, andclassless. Ensure that occupational programs are notoperated in isolation from other programs within the collegewhich would prevent students from making reasonablechanges in their programs. Consider grouping programs sothat beginning courses might be the same for severalprograms, allowing the student to explore beforecommitting to a single track. Ensure that the skills within asingle program are similar to those in the same programs atother institutions, thereby providing mobility for studentswho may change institutions. In essence, provide as muchflexibility as is reasonable so that students can move amongprograms within and between institutions.

18National Council for Occupational Education 13

10. Create occupational programs centered around skill"clusters." Rather than preparing students for a singlejob requiring a focused set of skills, prepare students tobe able to adapt to a number of similar jobs. Build inflexibility and mobility with skills that have a longer life.European systems often design programs with tiers ofskills that allow the student initially to learn skills withbroad application to several similar occupations. As theyprogress through the program, the tiers become increas-ingly focused on a single profession. The advantage, ofcourse, is the opportunity to explore several jobs withouthaving to commit to one too early.

11. Add a second set of skills which are "work-oriented,general education skills" to the skill "clusters." Anumber of publications of national scope and impor-tance, such as those from the U.S. Department of Laborand the American Society for Training and Development,argue that the new worker will be required to have anadditional set of skills beyond those which are jobspecific. Called by a number of different names, theyamount to general education skills for the worker. Theyprepare the worker to function more efficiently with co-workers to build "cells" of workers who cooperativelywork on projects with less oversight and management.They include problem analysis and problem solving,group communication, teamwork, finding and usingtechnical information, project management, and self-teaching, among others. While many colleges claim thatoccupational students are provided with these skills, it isoften done through traditional general education coursestaught apart from the technical courses by faculty withlittle experience in the world of work. The concept of"academic and technical integration" is one that shouldbe considered at every college.

12. Establish standards and certification processes foreach program. The goal for this initiative is aimed atreasonable standardization of occupational preparationwhich provides the student with the ability to locateanywhere in the country and be employable in his/herprofession. It also moves colleges toward establishingstandards of excellence which reflect the expectations ofindustry and industry's drive to reach high qualitystandards. This process, under the leadership of govern-ment and industry, is under way nationally and is a

14


Preparing theNation's

CommunityColleges

A Position Paper

reality to be faced at the local college level. This move-ment toward "industry-based" standards is certainly nota new one. Almost all health care occupational programshave been operating under certification and licensuresystems for years.

13. Stay close to small and medium-sized businesses.Most new jobs will be created in smaller businesses aslarger businesses continue to down-size. Smallerbusinesses cannot afford formal employee trainingsystems or commercial technical learning systems. Theiremployee needs are often for people with multiple skillsor broad knowledge which will allow one person to domore than a single job.

14. Teach entrepreneurial skills. Help individuals envisionowning their own businesses. Make students aware ofthe difficulties, risks, and rewards of business owner-ship. The skills which will support the opening of newbusinesses also can be applied within larger businesseswhere individuals can lead companies into new ventures.

Preparedness at the local level must be visible at the national levelso that two-year colleges can have appropriate influence on policy,funding, legislation, and rule-making. While much good work isroutinely accomplished in the nation's capitol, that work isimpeded by a lack of a national two-year college vision and a willto make the vision real by providing data that reflect the strengthsand successes of community and technical colleges.

15. Create and promote a national proclamation whichdefines the role of the two-year college in workforcedevelopment. The nation's colleges must determinewhat they intend to doand not doin the workforcedevelopment initiative. State and local college commit-ment to the workforce initiative should be achievedwithin a year. This commitment should be promoted witha significant investment in resources so that it receivesthe attention of the nation. Again and again it should bepromoted until a national vision of the role is estab-lished. Let it drive the community college "national will"so that the college's strengths are felt where decisions

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31

Conclusion

are made. Let that statement speak also of excellence andof performance-outcomes for the sake of accountability.

16. Create a national database reflecting community andtechnical college potential and achievement. Good harddata that accurately describe the overall, national power ofthe two-year college are not yet available and colleges aregenerally unable to substantiate claims of success exceptin isolated studies or in case-by-case narratives anddemonstrations. A national database should be createdwhich could demonstrate how great is the potential ofcommunity and technical colleges and also identify theirlimitations and areas for growth and improvement.

17. Be institutionally accountable to real and usefulstandards. The standards of measurement forinstitutional accountability as applied universally tohigher education are not of use to measure theeffectiveness of two-year colleges. They are based on"student exit from the institution" criteria which areusually graduation rates and program/degree completionrates. While these standards are of some importance, theydo not reflect the real use made of the institutions by two-year college students. Many are not seeking degrees orcertificates but are seeking courses and experienceswhich will lead to job security, mobility, and financialsuccess. Standards for measuring two-year collegeeffectiveness must be grounded upon institutional successin meeting the needs of each individual student. Theability to demonstrate improved quality of the life forstudents over time and to demonstrate college-basedcontributions to the positive economic development ofdistricts is more relevant than completion rates. Withoutsuccess in setting useful standards by which the realvalue of two-year colleges is measured, they will notachieve the recognition deserved nor grow in importanceas the higher education venue of choice.

President Clinton in his 1995 State of the Union address spoke toAmerica about the challenges of creating and maintaining a superiorworkforce and the initiatives under design to assist workers toreach their personal goals for training and education. For the firsttime ever, a president named community colleges as the centralpiece in this grand and essential enterprise. It is the time to claimand play the vital role offered to the colleges.

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This monograph, itself a suggested set of standards, is designed tohelp college personnel determine the college's state of readinessfor extended workforce development. Two questions about thatrole were offered: is your college, and are community collegesnationally, prepared to become the central player in a comprehen-sive education and training system, and if they are not, how canthey prepare themselves? This paper, a "call for action," attemptsto help community colleges answer those questions in two ways.First, it offers a series of questions that colleges can use to exam-ine their readiness to prepare workers for the new workplace.Then it offers a number of changes to be considered for organiza-tions, for service delivery, and in "ways of thinking" that can helpcolleges become the workforce development agencies that Ameri-can will need in the twenty-first century.

22National Council for Occupational Education 17

References Commission on the Study of the American Workforce. (1990).America's choice: High skills or low wages? Rochester, N.Y.:National Center on Education and the Economy.

Commission on Work, Family, and Citizenship, William T.Grant Foundation. (1988). The forgotten half: Non-college youthin America: An interim report on the school-to-work transition.Washington, D.C.

Kazis, Richard. (1994). Two-year colleges: What role will theyplay in improving the school-to-work transition? Jobs for theFuture. Washington, D.C.: American Association of CommunityColleges.

The National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing. (1993).Preparing technical workers for the new industrial era: The needfor a fundamental shift in federal policy Toward TechnicalEducation. Washington, D.C.: The National Coalition for AdvancedManufacturing.

The National Commission on Excellence in Education. (1983).A nation at risk: The imperative for educational reform.Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Ross, Doug.'(1994). The reemployment act of 1994: Newopportunities for America's community colleges. The CommunityCollege Journal, 64, 16-20.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and AdultEducation, Division of Adult Education and Literacy. (1992).Workplace literacy: Reshaping the American workforce.Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

U.S. Department of Labor, The Secretary's Commission onAchieving Necessary Skills. (1991). What work requires of schools,A scans report for America 2000. Washington, D.C.: U.S.Government Printing Office.

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NCOE Task Force IssuesNCOE has task forces addressing major issues currently facing occupational educationand workforce development. These task forces, their objectives and leadership are listedbelow.

DiversityAnalyze impact and interrelationship of occupational education with diversity and demo-graphics in the workforce and relate to the national agenda. Develop strategies and ex-amples of successful activities and a technical manual.

Chairs: J.D. Ross Joliet Junior CollegeLydia Perez El Paso Community College

Homeless: Workforce PreparationClarify barriers the homeless face in seeking a role in the workforce. Develop options toprovide occupational education and support successful transitions.

Chair: Lynn Slater El Paso Community College

School-to-WorkClarify its concerns and focus on effective solutions as the national initiative develops.

Chair: Russell E. Hamm Arapahoe Community CollegePatricia C. Donohue St. Louis Community College

Accountability - Skills StandardsDevelop an annotated Bibliography of the current status of skills standards. Develop animplementation guide to assist colleges to develop curriculum which is responsive to theskills standards perspective.

Chair: Norval Wellsfry Sacramento City College

Workbased LearningAnalyze size and scope of workbased learning efforts in community colleges. Define termsand survey institutions.

Chairs: Russell E. Hamm Arapahoe Community CollegeDebra Bragg University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

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NCOE's Activities and Benefits

As an organization of over 1,000 members, the list of sponsored initiatives and activitiesare numerous and varied. NCOE is a volunteer organization and its success depends onthe personal commitment of time, energy, and resources of its members and their institu-tions. The following list is an example of how the organization organizes itself to meet its'mission and objectives:

1. It publishes position papers, monographs, directories, newsletters, and partici-pates in a journal. Examples:

- the NCOE newsletter WORKPLACE,- the NCOE Monograph Series on occupational education issues,- the annual Membership Directory for access to the NCOE network

2. It offers a national network, organized by regions and states, connecting morethan 500 two-year colleges on occupational education issues.

3. It underwrites research studies that investigate the strengths and challenges oftwo-year college occupational education.

4. It sponsors national conferences, workshops, and seminars on national issues.The NCOE national conference is held each fall.

5. It gathers and circulates ideas and models.

6. It monitors, reports on, and directly supports national legislation that enhancestwo-year college's abilities to deliver quality education.

7. It works directly with the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor.

8. It works directly with the National Center for Research in Vocational Education.

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American Workforce Development: Commumity and Technical Colleges Prepareto Meet the Challenge

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