A Systematic Approach to Prior Learning Assessment Bill Koontz & Matt Thomsen
Dec 14, 2015
Demographic Info
Western Iowa Tech Community College
Founded in 1966
Serves 6 counties with 4 branch/center campuses
Credit Enrollment of 6300+ students
70+ programs
Corporate College
Non-Credit Enrollment of 35000+ students
Demographic Info
Wells Enterprises
Founded in 1913
Largest privately held ice cream and frozen treat maker in US
Employee force of over 2500+
Le Mars, IA
Complete Your Degree Initiative
Problem
Aging American Workforce
In demographic terms, about 10,000 baby boomers in the United States will turn 65 every day until about the year 2030, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Death Of Shop Class And America's Skilled Workforce
Without early exposure to shop class many kids are going to lose out on the opportunity to discover whether or not they like making things, and the inclination to pursue a career as a drafter, carpenter, welder or auto mechanic.
Lack of shared space in the community to bring companies together.
Suggest Solutions
Building Incumbent Workers Job Skills with Effective Workforce Training Programs
Utilizing Job Training Experience To Enhance Educational Levels
Utilizing training funds that are directed to evidence-backed programs and to workers who can benefit from those programs.
Build training programs that directly engage employer and industry partners and actively guide students to career specific training. d
Stackable Credentials
Designed to form a pathway for students to acquire credentials along a trajectory.
Have exit and entry points designed in a way to allow students to pick up wherever they left off en route to the next level of achievement.
Associate's degrees leading to bachelor's degrees leading to master's degrees are stacked credentials.
Higher education should act in concert with industry to ensure that standards of quality and rigor are attached to any certification.
Stackable Credentials
The wrinkle in today's approach is that the initial stacks are sliced thinner, typically starting with an industry certification or the completion of a course sequence that provides the student with a marketable skill.
The stack must be built on a solid foundation; without clear standards, we do harm to both the student and the workforce.
Endorsed Stackable Credentials
The NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System is a system of stackable credentials that can apply to all sectors in the manufacturing industry.
Sector Board Needs
The Western Iowa Tech Community College Industrial Maintenance Sector Board was created to identify current and projected workforce issues and develop strategies to address them.
This board provided an active forum for Industrial Maintenance workforce-related topics/needs in order to keep our economic region competitive and growing.
Business leaders brought together to engage in a structured discussion on the workforce challenges facing Western Iowa’s industries.
The board is charged with providing input on:
• Labor Forecasting - Jobs/Skills/Educational Needs
Needs of Industry
Basic Electrical
Motor Control
Electromechanical Control Systems
Electrical Control Circuits
Electrical Circuits
Electrical Measurements
Electro-Control of Fluid Power
Industrial Electronic Sensors
Industrial Automation
Industrial Electrical
Wiring
Industrial Power Distribution
Programmable Controllers
PLC Systems Troubleshooting
AC Electronic Drives
DC Electronic Drives
Boiler Systems
Building Automation
Precisions Measurements
Hydraulics
Pneumatics
Pneumatic Troubleshooting
Hydraulic Troubleshooting
Power Transmission
Predictive Maintenance
Instrumentation
Blueprint Reading
Mechanical Drives
Pumps
Systems Troubleshooting
Contract Training Pathways
Electrical Maintenance Technician CertificateLevels 1 - 4
Mechanical Maintenance Technician CertificateLevels 1-4
Reliability TechnicianLevels 1-2
Contract Training Pathways
Electrical Maintenance Tech (Hours)
Basic
Electrical
Motor Controls
Blueprint Reading
Industrial Wiring
PLC'sElectrical
Safety
Tech Level 1 20 7 5 8 4 4Tech Level 2 16 10 10 10 6 4Tech Level 3 16 16 10 12 18 4Tech Level 4 10 20 8 10 24 4
Hydraulics PneumaticsBlueprint Reading
Power Transmission
PumpsMechanical
SafetyTech Level
110 7 8 10 9 4
Tech Level 2
16 9 7 12 8 4
Tech Level 3
16 16 10 12 18 4
Tech Level 4
20 15 4 13 20 4
Mechanical Maintenance Tech (hours)
Continuing Education to Credit Conversion
SJT – Structured Job Training
Lawson – Internal Training Log System
Internship Credit Conversion – Work Experience
Other – college, military, certifications
Systematic Pathway to Degree Completion
Recruitment initiated
Joined with Corporate College
Added Academics
Developed Consistent Credit Review
Created Process for Industry Review
HSED to PhD Partnership
WITCC HSED (GED) ELL Associate’s Degree (focus on Tech Studies)
Bellevue University Bachelor’s Degree Master’s Degree PhD
Challenges
No Consistency on Review
Academics and Continuing Education “playing nice”
Defining/Categorizing continuing education into credit
Time for Review – build the time, multiple departmental reviews
Proving importance to college and industry administration
Champions
Recruitment – outside force pushing
Corporate College – eager to convert non-credit experience to credit
Wells Internal Champion to push
Registrar to finalize documents
Industry to make educational advancement part of the culture
Successes
2 graduates after first summer
21 enrolled currently with more coming
Training now has credit conversion in mind
Shift towards industry educational culture
Sustainable continuing education training methodology
Sustainability
Trainings tied to credit if student wishes
Roll down into communities, families, schools, workforce
Continuing to build a pipeline of a trained workforce
Building communication between industry and educational entities
Contact Info
Bill Koontz, Project Manager, [email protected], x1358
Matt Thomsen, Recruitment Coordinator, [email protected], x4207