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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202-219-6871
Community college programs in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and
Wisconsin today received Workforce Development Awards jointly presented by the
U.S. Labor Department and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)
at ceremonies held in Miami, Fla.
Recognized for achievement in one of four categories, each
of the schools received a $10,000 grant from the Labor Department's Employment
and Training Administration to further its efforts. The joint Labor
Department-AACC Workforce development Awards, now in their second year, were
created to promote excellence and highlight model programs in community
colleges. Receiving awards are:
- Des Moines Area Community College for dislocated worker services;
- John A. Logan College, Carterville, Ill., in the category of "Career
Pathways for At-Risk and Special Needs Youth";
- Oakland Community College, Pontiac, Mich., for welfare-to-work
services; and
- Gateway Technical College, Racine, Wis., in the "One-Stop Career
Services" category.
In presenting the awards at the AACC's annual convention
Deputy Secretary of Labor Kathryn Higgins said that community colleges are a
critical link in emerging workforce development systems. She noted that about
half of the industries that will experience an increase in jobs by the year
2005 will require workers who have education and training beyond high school,
according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"For workers to prosper when skill needs are constantly
changing, lifelong learning is crucial, and America's community colleges play a
key role in educating and training millions of Americans -- young and
not-so-young -- for success in our rapidly changing economy" Higgins said.
Higgins praised the four award-winning colleges and their
innovative programs for being "...ahead of the curve when it comes to assessing
the needs of workers and employers in your communities.
"This responsiveness makes community colleges natural
partners in the delivery of effective, federally-supported training for
dislocated and disadvantaged job seekers," she said.
# # #
Information about each college's Workforce Development
Award is attached.
Number served: 578 students ages 16 - 25 years old,
of which 82% were younger than 21.
Program components:
Adult basic education and
adult secondary education combined with career exploration and work-based
learning.
Special "Career Journey" program for youth. In addition to
the basic education component, the Career Journey provides participating youth
with an assessment of their occupational interests; computer-assisted career
exploration and sessions with a career counselor; and work-based learning
activities. Some youth are placed in jobs to allow them to continue to take
part in the program, and a number of internships are available related to
students' career interests.
Outcomes: Seventy-two percent of participants had
positive outcomes, such as: continuing adult basic education or adult secondary
education and gains in learning; job placement; attainment of GED or high
school diplomas; and continuation of further education and training.
Partnerships & Linkages: Youth in the local Job
Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program who lack basic skills are referred to
the Career Journey program, which maintain close ties to the JTPA system. John
A. Logan College also provides $179,000 in program funding, and the program
receives most of its support through state secondary and adult education funds.
The college also supports the development and operation of a "One-Stop" career
center on its campus.
Use of Award: The $10,000 award will be used to
provide special needs students with a laptop computer and updated career
reference materials.
Number served: Each week, an average of 618
individuals conduct job searches using the facilities of Gateway Technical
Colleges' Workforce Development Center -- a "one-stop" career center.
Program Components: Gateway Technical College's
Workforce Development Center offers a model of integrated services, ranging
from self-service components to one-on-one counseling. The center's
computerized kiosk, which provides information about available services,
recently received an award for the innovative use of technology. Its resource
room features computer-assisted information on job listings, employment search
and resume writing. Dislocated workers, workers with disabilities, veterans,
and clients who are on public assistance or who have low incomes may receive
individualized counseling. The center, which provides child care in its waiting
area, also offers instructional software and workshops for job seekers
Services provided to employers include job vacancy
postings, as well as job analysis (to determine the skills and skill levels
necessary for a job) and assessment of the skills of job applicants. Six staff
members work directly with employers as account representatives.
Funding: Support for the Workforce Development
Center comes from the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and the Gateway
Technical College, as well as human services and state workforce development
funds.
Use of award funds: Gateway Technical College will
use its $10,000 award for additional software for course work and assessment
tools for special students and for high school students.
Number served: Designed as a pilot program to
provide intensive services to a small number of students each year, Oakland
Community College's "Advanced Technology Program" had 14 participants this year
and 28 in 1997.
Program components: The Advanced Technology Program
features high tech training for welfare recipients in three occupational
tracks: systems administration, machine tool technology and robotic assembly.
Incorporating a "work first" concept, all participants must be employed for a
minimum of 20 hours per week while attending the initial training. The program
includes concentrated training that mirrors industry work hours; 5-weeks of
work-readiness skill building; work-based training; mentoring of new hires by
company staff and supportive services.
Note: The state of Michigan has set aside $4 million to
expand this Advanced Technology Program statewide.
Outcomes: Eighty-six percent of participants achieve
job placement, with wages ranging from $9 to $11 per hour. A study of long term
retention rates and the program's impact on the families of participants is
currently underway by Michigan State Representative Hubert Price, Jr.
Partnerships & Linkages: The Advanced Technology
Program is coordinated within Oakland Community College by the academic and
vocational faculties to develop multi-disciplinary approaches. Business
partners include more than 25 members of an Advance Technology Task Force.
Strong links have been forged with employers (EDS and Kelly Services) and the
Community College Foundation, which have made monetary contributions. Some
funding has been provided through the federal Job Training Partnership Act
(JTPA).
Use of Award Funds: Oakland Community College will
use its $10,000 award to provide scholarship funds to enable program graduates
to attend the college; for the professional development of faculty to enable
them to work with targeted populations in workforce development; and to
purchase hardware or software to address industry-specific needs.
Number Served: The Montfort English as a Second
Language (ESL) Center of the Des Moines Area Community College has served more
than 500 workers. Participants are former meatpacking plant workers, including
speakers of Vietnamese, Laotian, Spanish, Cambodian, Sudanese, Korean and
Russian.
Program Components: The program incorporates
workplace vocabulary into the ESL curriculum. It features compressed,
accelerated schedules and a strong mix of technological and personalized
service delivery. Participants -- 80% of whom reside within two miles of the
center --also receive pre-employment training; preparation for the GED
examination; and remedial math and computer applications classes.
Note: The Montfort ESL Center is part of a $3.315 million
grant under the federal Job Training Partnership Act funded in 1996 to assist
workers dislocated from the Montfort plant. The overall project, which is
scheduled to end later this year, has served 683 individuals and achieved a
job-placement rate of 89.6%.
Outcomes: The community college's efforts have
resulted in an 88% follow-up employment rate for participants, whose average
hourly wage is $8.41. Their earnings, on average, replace 89% of their previous
wages at the meatpacking plants. Although 40% of participants were pre-literate
before coming to the center, almost all demonstrated significant learning
gains.
Linkages & Partnerships: The local Job Training
Partnership Act system provides oversight and monitoring of the Mortfort ESL
Center. Local organized labor has provided important support. Other
organizations and groups working closely with the center include the United Way
of Central Iowa; the "We Do Care" program of the University of Osteopathic
Medicine; and area dentists. Local colleges have provided financial management
assistance and educational services. Business partners include Tone's, Windsor
Window Company, and Accent Tag and Label Company, who have hired many of the
trainees.
Use of Award Funds: The Des Moines Area Community
College will use its $10,000 award to further develop and package ESL training
curricula appropriate for business and industry and to train instructors to
provide ESL training for business and industry. It will purchase additional ESL
multi-media software and train instructors to use ESL software in ongoing
programs.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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