Techniques October 2012 - 33

Today’s Students—Part 2

that student may be a man in a nursing program or a woman in a construction trades program.

Renewal and Recognition
President Obama, in his January 2012 State of the Union Address, noted, “Model partnerships between businesses like Siemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte, Orlando and Louisville, are up and running. Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers—places that teach people skills that local businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.” Among those seated as guests in the box of First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the vice president and a community college professor, was Jackie Bray. Bray, a single mother from North Carolina, who was laid off from her job as a high-speed packaging mechanic, enrolled in a Siemens pre-hiring program at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. She finished the course, passed the test and was hired by Siemens in August 2011. She now works as a process operator, combining her machinist background with new skills she has been trained on since working at Siemens: laser and robotics training, penetrant inspection training and product orientation. As the White House noted in its press release, this is exactly the type of partnership between businesses and community colleges that President Obama hopes will continue to strengthen to maximize workforce-development strategies, job-training programs and job placements. Another guest, Bryan Ritterby, had been in the furniture manufacturing industry for more than 25 years when he was laid off in February 2009. He then went through the Grand Rapids Community College Composite Technician Training Program in conjunction with a new startup company, Energetx Comwww.acteonline.org

posites. After completing the program, Ritterby was hired by Energetx as a composite technician in April 2010 and now is a lab technician for the company, conducting material tests verifying materials to be used in wind turbine blades as well as working on blade validation tests for all the community-scale wind blades Energetx Composites is manufacturing.

Growing and Improving
The 16 colleges of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) also offer degrees that help people move directly into the world of work, as well as retraining people who are changing jobs or have lost their jobs and need new skills. In addition to providing general education and workforce training curricula, the colleges provide training and/or retraining for Louisiana’s employees through the Incumbent Worker Training Program. The Incumbent Worker Training Program (IWTP) is a partnership between the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC), business and industry, and training providers. The IWTP is designed to benefit business and industry by assisting in the skill development of existing employees, thereby increasing employee productivity and the growth of the company. According to the LWC, “These improvements are expected to result in the creation of new jobs, the retention of jobs that otherwise may have been eliminated and an increase in wages for trained workers.” IWTP not only represents another type of adult student, but it also demonstrates the way in which CTE assists business, industry and local economies. In Missouri, St. Louis Community College (STLCC) has addressed community workforce needs through its Accelerated Job Training Partnership, which was recognized with a 2010 Innovation of the Year Award by the League for Innovation in the Community College. STLCC has issued its third annual “State of St. Louis

President Obama, in his January 2012 State of the Union Address, noted, “… Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers—places that teach people skills that local businesses are looking for right now, from data management to hightech manufacturing.”

Workforce Report” with the results of a survey to better understand how employers, education and training providers, and job seekers can collaborate for accelerated recovery. The survey found that, “While the regional labor pool has sufficient numbers and technical skills, employers report having a hard time finding ‘work-ready’ applicants with the personal-effectiveness competencies necessary to adjust to the rigor of professional environments.” With regard to job seekers, the survey found that workers are less willing to relocate to find new employment, and the housing crisis further complicates such moves. As a result, “…job seekers are requesting assistance from career services to find employment and/or receive affordable training that is necessary to improve job prospects.” The report recommends, “Employers must continue to partner with area education and training providers so that developed curricula packages technical
October 2012

Techniques

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Techniques October 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Techniques October 2012
