SUPPORTING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

• Fostering Community Development
• Business Consulting Services
• Education and Training Services
• Facilitating International Trade
• Technology Transfer and Development

Fostering Community Development

Assuming a leadership role in community development requires a proactive participation in strategic planning and involvement in broad-based community partnerships. Because of the close ties with key community stakeholders, this appears to be a natural role for postsecondary technical institutions.

A number of community and technical colleges have already demonstrated the benefits of participating in community development by providing technical assistance to small business in the community. In 1991, for instance, 144 community colleges provided assistance through Small Business Development Centers (Carmichael, 1991). This contribution can be integrated into established partnerships with local industry to deliver workers' and specialized training; and to facilitate technology transfer and development by supporting and making available databases of resources on markets, products, and other business-related information to the general public.

Other opportunities to participate in community development efforts include the provision of business services on international trade, including international relations, trading operations, information on foreign markets, import/export procedures, and the creation of local networks of professionals to support these services. Similarly, two-year technical colleges can provide business services to assist in product development, patenting procedures, production, marketing, and management operations to local companies. Further, training and demonstration centers focusing on computer applications to business and manufacturing represent effective strategies for community development.

Business Consulting Services

Even though consulting services can be offered by making faculty available to the business community, this practice may lead to unconnected and ineffective efforts. Perhaps the best way to organize the services on a systematic basis is through two institutional formats: Small Business Development Centers and Business/Management Institutes.

• Providing Business Services Through Small Business Development Centers
  SBDCs are monitored through the U.S. Small Business Administration in partnership with public and private entities at local and state levels. In general, the goal of these centers is to assist those individuals in the community interested in starting up a business and those who are already in business with counseling, education, and training services; access to information; and by referral support to local agencies. More than 100 community colleges are already participating in this partnership, focusing on the education and training component (Carmichael, 1991). However, there are instances where this role has been expanded to include business and industry outreach programs by involving faculty and professionals in services designed to help the business community. The strategies to set up an SBDC are similar to those needed to establish an incubator:
  
  The first strategy requires a commitment from the college administration to support, study the feasibility of an SBDC, and raise an external commitment from community stakeholders. Internal and external commitment is important, since the SBDC will involve financial and political support from within and outside sources. Organizing a task force for this purpose seems to be appropriate. The second step is to organize an advisory board to take on the responsibility of providing direction for the center and help plan the working strategies for operation. Prospective members can include task force participants, faculty/staff, bankers, accountants, lawyers, established entrepreneurs, and government officials. The initial work of the advisory board is to help center staff clearly outline the goals of the center and the role of the partnership members.
  
  Once the goals and the contribution of each supporting partner have been established, a plan of action should be developed, including working strategies, timelines, professional resources available in the college and the community, and provisions to assure continuous financial support.
  
  
• Providing Services Through Business/Management Institutes
  This institutional format provides consulting services by establishing a college program with a comprehensive approach to economic development. Under this approach, a Small Business Development Center may only be part of this operation. The goal is to offer a variety of programs and services housed in the same facilities to foster and serve entrepreneurial activities in the community. The strategies in setting up an operation of this type are similar to the ones described for Small Business Development Centers. However, since the scope of the services is broader, an additional strategy is recommended. During earlier stages, seek a commitment to establish a consortium of two-year colleges to spread the cost across participant members, ensure a pool of specialized faculty/staff, and increase the scope of business alliances in the community for the same purposes.
  
  
• Areas of Involvement
  Consulting services offered by SBDCs usually focus on start-up procedures, business management, marketing strategies, finance considerations, accounting, and sales. Institutes, on the other hand, offer a more comprehensive approach and would include all services provided by an SBDC, in addition to international trade procedures, patenting, licensing, government procurement services, contract training for local corporations, help in delivery of government training programs, and the facilitation of technology development.
  
  
• Working with Consultants Within and Outside of the College
  Three strategies can be followed to organize a pool of consultants. One is to work with college faculty. The second is to bring in outside professional help to manage and deliver consulting services. The third strategy is to rely on a combination of both by including volunteer and paid professionals from the community with the college faculty.

Bringing in professional help from the community to provide consulting services and/or even to manage the whole operation is another alternative that has proven to be effective. External consultants bring a focused commitment, are fully in tune with the demands and needs of entrepreneurs, and understand the business community. The cost of this arrangement is balanced by the savings that can be derived from a less bureaucratic operation and by the bringing in of consultants on a per-need basis. The limitations may materialize in the form of loose contacts with the sponsoring college and deviations from the original goals (e.g., increasing the presence of the college in the community).

These strategies can be combined with volunteer services to increase the pool of expertise at low cost, work in partnership with local agencies, increase and improve the visibility of the college, and reduce the cost of the operation. SCORE, SBA, and the IRS are just a few examples of volunteer services that can be used. The limitation with this approach is that careful logistical support must be in place to coordinate volunteer efforts. Further, some volunteers may not be available year-round (e.g., SCORE members) or may be too specialized to be used in various areas (e.g., IRS officers).

Education and Training Services

Two opportunities to expand the education and training services traditionally provided by two-year technical institutions are represented by (1) contract and specialized training and (2) job and basic literacy training. This is in response to the needs of business and industry and is based on the current population and economic trends which shape the nature of the workplace and demands for new competencies. These two opportunities appear to be best facilitated by developing partnerships with business and industry, large and small, and with government agencies supporting training programs for various purposes.

• Providing Contract and Specialized Training
  The strategy recommended here is to set up alliances with local business and industry to arrange for customized contract training in return for consulting or instructional services, funding, access to equipment, and/or opportunities for professional development of faculty. However, strategies to establish contract and specialized training vary according to the unique circumstances of each setting and its players. Contract training should be approached with specific goals in mind, as in any attempt to develop a partnership with local business and industry. This effort should be developed cooperatively between the college and the prospective partner firm since its inception to assure a full-working understanding and success. One's institution may not profit directly from this arrangement, but the indirect benefits may materialize in many other forms--a win-win situation for community economic development. An example of a creative arrangement is represented by a partnership that has worked well for a rural Midwest community college and a fast-growing corporation. The company approved plans to build a facility on campus in order to have access to training and training facilities, professional services in technical areas, temporary labor (e.g., students majoring in the company's field), and an environment which lends itself to the fostering of a culture of continuous improvement. The college agreed to this arrangement and will benefit from access to equipment and technology, technical expertise, a willingness to participate in demonstration projects, professional development opportunities for faculty, and a plan to provide students with exposure to processes and practices in addition to co-op and internship experiences.
  
  
• Providing Job and Basic Literacy Training
  Another strategy for participation in the development of human resources is to focus on new competencies and skills by serving as a broker to provide educational opportunities for displaced workers, individuals enrolled in job training programs, and other adult learners participating in government programs. New demands in the workplace have created the need to focus education and training on technology and customer-oriented processes. As the workplace becomes more competitive, a number of individuals have joined the ranks of the unemployed and other groups--minorities, immigrants, women returning to the workforce--who have traditionally been represented in low status occupations. The capacity to serve these groups effectively rests on the ability to work with government agencies and local business and industry and to facilitate or provide the education and training component of job and basic literacy programs.
  
  The first strategy is to become proactive in education and training for employment in the community and seize the opportunities provided by current legislation. In this context, the opportunity for two-year technical colleges to play an expanded role in preparing workers is given by the Reemployment Act of 1994. This initiative makes it possible for community and technical colleges to qualify for funding to provide counseling to displaced workers, participate in job training programs, and offer basic-skills training services in the community. Under this system, trainers are able to choose the place of training. Thus, the opportunity for postsecondary technical institutions lies in setting up high-quality programs at a low cost and in convincing interested individuals of these training opportunities. The second strategy is to re-evaluate the current resources available--the organizational structure and commitment to be able to participate, facilitate, and/or deliver training programs in the community. There are a number of possibilities and creative ways for effective participation as demonstrated by efforts implemented by some colleges. These opportunities include programs such as Job Training Partnership Act, One-Stop Career Centers, and Employment Services, which may operate in partnership or consortium format with other organizations in the community. These activities can expand or complement existing college programs such as Tech Prep, career counseling, GED programs, and continuing education services.

Facilitating International Trade

Chances are that an international component is housed either in the college's foreign language or business departments. With few exceptions, these resources will be found to be underutilized or functioning in isolation both in terms of integration within the college and in its connections with the community at large. In these times of increased global competition, each state is fighting for a piece of the foreign market to survive within the framework of an international economy, and postsecondary technical institutions can play a major role in facilitating education and training and related services in the community. Three strategies that fit this scheme were identified:

The first strategy is to asses the resources available in the college and the community to integrate a multidisciplinary approach tailored to the needs of potential trade. For example, it would be helpful to know if there is interest from foreign language and business faculty, professionals in the community with expertise in international trade, support from the college administration, local business and industry, and government agencies supporting international trade. Further, it would be advisable to identify the potential goods and services with possibilities for trading in foreign markets to bring in the appropriate technical expertise to inform the trading operation. In short, the best option would be to put together a team of players based on the available resources in the community and objects of trade. As the program grows, the scope increases gradually to include a comprehensive plan to meet the needs of those entrepreneurs interested in trading in goods and services not originally produced in the area.

The second strategy involves a clear definition of the education and training component, including print and audiovisual materials for instructional and dissemination purposes. To create awareness and ongoing visibility in the community, a series of workshops and seminars should be part of this strategy. Within this strategy, the role of the interdisciplinary team should be to determine cooperatively the development of a coherent structure of participation for the common good. For instance, a course or seminar on international public relations can be team taught by bringing together foreign language and business faculty with professionals in the community who have international experience to blend practical experiences into a meaningful format for entrepreneurs. In short, the point is to have education and training opportunities with a practical focus on international relations, trading procedures, import/export regulations, and other related topics available to the public. This is a strategy which can be used in addition to the print and audiovisual materials for personal consultation or self-paced instruction.

The third strategy requires addressing the nuts and bolts of international trade by offering counseling services in key areas of international trade, and research on markets, products, services, and/or procedures. These services are a natural progression of strategy number two, and at this point the establishment of an assistance center with an international focus should be considered if there is sufficient demand for its services. The strategies suggested to establish a SBDC and a Business Institute apply in this case in terms of setting up a center with defined goals and services and working with faculty and professionals in the community (please see "Supporting the Business Community: Business Consulting Services," p. 10). The aim--as in establishing SBDCs, Business Institutes, and/or business incubators--is to develop partnerships, alliances, and networks in the community to assure continuous political and financial support.

Technology Transfer and Development

Facilitating technology transfer and development is another opportunity for productive participation in economic development. Colleges across the country are already offering programs in leading technologies and can enhance their participation by assisting companies in the development and application of new technologies. This contribution can be channeled through the establishment of Technology Centers with the following goals:

• To train and retrain on the use of advanced technology.
• To transfer technology to local industry.
• To serve as demonstration sites for new equipment and manufacturing processes.
• To provide assistance to industry on technological needs.
• To help develop new technology.

Educational and training programs under the auspices of an ATC must offer a flexible schedule to meet the training needs of industry (e.g., night sessions, customized training). Brient (1991) reported some of the opportunities for education and training in the following areas:

• Design
• Manufacturing
• Materials science
• Hazardous materials
• Telecommunications
• Electro-optics
• Medical technologies
• Office automation
• Management (p. 20)

• Identify technological innovations with practical applications for local industry.
• Create awareness in the business community through formal and informal meetings, including breakfasts and lunch sessions at a nominal cost to recover expenses.
• Provide seminars offering hands-on exposure.
• Target both the decisionmakers and users of technology in the local industry.

The opportunities outlined here represent ways for two-year colleges to participate in economic development by assisting local industry in recognizing and considering alternative forms to increase its productivity. In context, an important function is to help companies assess their technological needs and develop a vision to improve the effectiveness of their operations. While some companies can use the more sophisticated services of an ATC, others only need an opportunity to select the appropriate hardware and software to upgrade existing equipment and processes. Further, an ATC can serve as an agent to facilitate technology development either through active participation as described above or by assisting small firms in their own technological development efforts.