Meeting Employer and Employee Training Needs Through the Community and Technical College System
Policy Rationale and Goals: A wide range of efforts to develop standards-based systems that define and assess the skills and competencies of employees in various industries and occupations have been underway at the national and state levels for many years. Secondary and postsecondary education systems continue to grapple with improving the academic performance of all students and smoothing the transition from high school to postsecondary education and training or directly to work. In addition, employers have called upon educational institutions to more closely align curriculum and training programs to meet the needs of a rapidly changing economy.
The
National Skill Standards Board, established under the Goals 2000: Educate
America Act, has supported the national effort to establish a voluntary skill
standards system by providing financial support to 22 national industry skill
standards pilot projects. While efforts to develop a voluntary, national skill
standards system continue with the support of educators, private sector partners, and state workforce training systems, many states have chosen to forge ahead with developing industry skill standards that meet their own particular workforce development needs.
One example is the state of Washington. Through funds from the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges has taken the lead in establishing the state's industry skill standards development process. Local community and technical colleges apply to the State Board for funding to support local partnerships as they develop industry-defined skill standards. These partnerships involve industry groups and leaders from community and technical colleges, K-12 schools, and four-year universities.
In 1994, the state adopted a three-step process for local colleges to follow so that local partnerships' creations will be able to form the basis for standards and assessments that eventually will be used statewide. Local partnerships (1) compile "the existing skill requirements developed by industry associations, employers, and labor unions"; (2) convene "focus groups of employers and workers to determine which skills are relevant to the state labor market"; and (3) validate "the work of these groups through representative samples of the industry statewide." (Hardcastle, 1998b) Currently, there are 19 different skill standards projects in various stages of development:
Completed Standards:
Information Technology
Allied Oral Health
Cosmetology
Secondary Wood Projects
Telecommunications
Chiropractic Technicians
Standards Nearing Completion:
Manufacturing
Retail/Wholesale Trade
Natural Resources Technology
Law Enforcement
Food Processing
More Recent Standards Projects:
Audiology/Hearing Aid Technology
Early Childhood Education
Vocational Instructors
Para-Educators
Agriculture
Travel and Tourism
Chemical Dependency Counseling
Optician Technology
ImplementationStrategy: The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges has taken the lead in monitoring the overall development of a state industry skill standards system. Individual community and technical colleges with particular industry specialization are selected to develop skill standards that will eventually be adopted statewide. (Klein, 1996, p.23) Colleges, in partnerships with business and industry, conduct industry meetings and apply for funding from the state to help with personnel, printing, and validation of materials. The criteria set by the State Board include the following:
- The job area selected for developing skill standards must be of high demand in the local area.
- Partnerships with business and industry must be clearly established. Strong involvement of industry associations is highly recommended.
- Committed college leadership must be present.
- Evidence of previous work completed on skill standards or competencies in the intended job area (both state and national projects) must be demonstrated.
The Chiropractic Technician Skill Standards is one example of the general approach taken by development teams in Washington. Skill standards are defined as the "set of specific foundation skills, workplace competencies, technical skills, and performance criteria that are developed with cooperation between educators and representatives from business." (Highline Community College, 1998) After conducting research into prior projects and securing project funding, the development team conducted a facilitated Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) workshop which clarified the Chiropractic Technician job by listing the major job functions and related tasks. This "task analysis" was sent to 500 chiropractic offices in Washington for review and validation. The results of the survey of professionals further defined the tasks most valued in the field. Finally, "Follow-up work with small focus groups, and a foundation skills survey provided the specific details of tasks that educators needed for curriculum development." (Highline Community College, 1998)
Having completed and published the skill standards document, the development team is currently using the skill standards in the classroom and measuring any changes that result. A "flexible modularized curriculum" based on the standards is also planned: "Students will be able to start the program any time at their current level of competencies and finish the program when they master all the tasks."(Highline Community College, 1998) The next step in the process will be to develop assessments that measure the required levels of performance for meeting the skill standards which, in turn, can form the basis for certifying program completion and/or licensing, when appropriate.
Evolution of Strategy: While the strategy outlined above remains largely unchanged, local projects have received technical support through a technical consultant and through the Washington State Skill Standards Resource Center. The Washington State Work-Based Learning Resource Center Guidebook is available on the Resource Center's Web site and responds to the concerns of development teams which were frequently hampered by the lack of standardization of "both the content and process of skill standard development; often delaying progress for several months." The guidebook gives development teams a "a `standardized' yet flexible approach with a recommended skill standard development process and several state and national models. Additionally, a computer template of the process is included to allow for convenient and consistent formatting of [the] data."
Outcomes: In answer to the question "Why do skill standards matter?" the Washington State Skill Standards Resource Center states in its guidebook that "updating skills and knowledge is now a lifelong endeavor, causing many employers and employees to spend more effort, time and money on education and training. Skill standards provide benchmarks for making education and training decisions, shaping curricula, and directing funds toward high value education and training investments."
The commitment to developing skill standards continues at the state level, and the projects that are being developed will help educators and trainers understand both technical and more general work-readiness skills that workers will need for employment in high-skill, high-wage jobs. Assessment and program certification are some of the next steps for the state's industry skill standards system. The State Board intends for the process to lead institutions to develop appropriate curriculum and update programs that will be endorsed by industry.
According to Hardcastle, "Getting to scale will require expanding the number of skill standards in high-demand and emerging industries and occupations and developing standards-based applications for education and state workforce agencies, business, and labor organizations." To continue to build the system, the State Board plans to do the following:
- Increase the total number of state-endorsed skill standards
- Support the application of the standards by employers, state education, and workforce and employment agencies
- Develop a model for issuing portable, industry-endorsed skill certificates
- Design a process for the standards system to stay current with industry needs
- Continue to provide training and technical assistance to support implementation (Hardcastle, 1998a)
Hardcastle, A. (1998a, November 18). Skill standards as a key state strategy for workforce development. Olympia, WA: State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
Hardcastle, A. (1998b, November 20). Education and training that meets industry requirements: Skill standards reflect an industry-education partnership. Olympia, WA: State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
Highline Community College. (1998). Skill standards for the chiropractic technician. Midway, WA: Author.
Klein, S. G., S.C. Cuccaro-Alamin, J. Giambattista, E.G. Hoachlander, and B. Ward. (1996, November 12). Applying the standard: Using industry skill standards to improve curriculum and instruction. Berkeley, CA: MPR Associates.
Washington State Work-Based Learning Resource Center. Skill standards guidebook. (1998). Available on-line: <http://www.wa-wbl.com/resources_educators/skill_standards/sectioni_2.htm>.
