DIVISIONAL STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
To accomplish this collegiate goal, the Office of Workforce Development and Corporate Relations shall pursue the following set of strategic objectives:
OBJECTIVE 1: Conduct a “needs assessment” of the following CTE programs and services and implement a program improvement model focused on capacity building, student retention and enrollment growth:
- Business
- Accounting
- Computer Science and Information Technology
- Computer Applications and Office Technologies
- Electronics
- Law/Paralegal
- Management/Supervision
- Real Estate
- Child Development
- Nursing
- Behavioral and Social Sciences
- Chemical Dependency
- Administration of Justice
- Natural Sciences
- Bio-Med
- Career Center
- Center for Academic and Workforce Excellence
The needs assessment and program improvementactivities envisioned for this objective aim to ensure that LASC’s CTE programs and services are responsive to labor market needs. Consequently, the LASC’s 5-year CTE planning process will include unit plans providing for:
- An assessment of “major issues are facing the CTE program or service;
- Establishment of a “performance baseline” that includes:
- Development of a Student Profile, including:
- Demographic profile;
- Prerequisites Performance; and
- Program Performance data
- Development of a Departmental Profile that includes:
- An analysis of current departmental processes (programming, staffing, operations, etc.);
- An assessment of unit’s retention, persistence, and success rates; and
- 5-year Cost Analysis
- Development and adoption of a program improvement model that:
- Aims to improve student success (metrics might include decreasing student attrition rate and improving student persistence rate); and
- Aims to infuse technology in support of improving instructional delivery strategies.
- Improvement of the unit’s “program monitoring” capacity that includes:
- Design and implement a student tracking system;
- Establishment of an advisory committee and convene regular meetings; and
- Identifying research needs and streamlining processes of data collection and reporting.
- Creation of revenue development opportunities ( FTEs and Grant Development); and
- Faculty leadership development activities.
Program development activities will seek to (a) broaden LASC’s capacity to provide training in targeted short-term programs; particularly relevant in serving the needs of regional small- and medium-sized employers, (b) facilitate implementation of diverse instructional practices that lend themselves to older workers’ skills enhancement goals and (c) improve LASC’s capacity to understand the demands of local employers on an ongoing basis. Research by California’s Employment Development Department’s Labor Market Information Division indicates that despite the range of jobs identified in each industry, and the range of skills needed for the differing jobs, a certain skills are commonly required across industries and occupations. They are listed below, along with definitions of these skills from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET).
- Active listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting inappropriately.
- Coordination Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
- Critical thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Considering the costs and benefits of potential actions to choose
- decision-making the most appropriate one.
- Mathematics Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Reading Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related
- comprehension documents.
- Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively (in most instances, the ability to communicate in English is explicitly stated or inferred).
- Time management Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Further research, in this same study, on the match between current labor market needs and current capacity of entry level employees identifies a gap between the current workforce and the basic skills needs of employers. The American Management Association has stated that 36 percent of new hires do not have the basic skills required for their jobs. In the Los Angeles region these figures are much higher. An Advisory Committee will be established to guide LASC’s effort in responding to this challenge and is expected begin meetings in the Spring of 2008. The current committee of LASC’s CTE Program Chairs will play a pivotal role in this effort. The CTE Program Chairs, at their May 2008 meeting, will consider the Manhattan Area Technical College’s statement (http://www.matc.net/gac_pac/gac/pac_role.pdf ) on the role of program advisory committees (see attached) to inform considerations on the design, composition and purpose of Advisory Committee.
OBJECTIVE 2: Respond and comply with recent Perkins 4 legislation. (Source: http://www.perkins4.org)
The current Perkins legislation will once again reshape the emphasis of career and technical education of today’s community colleges and brings together internal and external constituencies in the development and implementation of a 5-Year College Plan for career and technical education at the institution. With a focus on student outcomes and program improvement, the legislation expresses the types of linkages expected between post-secondary institutions, secondary institutions and regional employers. Key elements in this plan shall include:
- A reliance on Labor Market Information to inform program development;
- Increased focus on high-wage, high skill, or high-demand occupations and non-traditional fields; and
- Provision of readily available occupational information in areas such as employment sectors and occupational supply and demand.
The new legislation expands the permissible uses of received funds and identifies technical assistance and professional development as required uses for the allocated funds. The strategic objectives listed in this section are envisioned to reflect core performance indicators for LASC’s Office of Workforce Development and Corporate Relations over the next 5 years. In addition, to fostering strategic accomplishment of these, the Office of Workforce Development and Corporate Relations will focus on:
- Developing valid and reliable assessment of technical skills;
- Developing and enhancing data systems to collect and analyze data on secondary and postsecondary academic and employment outcomes;
- Improving the recruitment and retention of CTE faculty, administrators, and career and academic counselors; and
- Supporting occupational employment information resources.
OBJECTIVE 3: Strengthen Relationships with Feeder Secondary Institutions. (Source: http://www.perkins4.org)
The new Perkins 4 legislation also increases accountability for the implementation of Tech Prep programs. In strengthening relations with feeder secondary institutions, LASC’s Office of Workforce Development and Corporate Relations will establish and report on the following performance indicators:
- The number of secondary and postsecondary Tech Prep students served.
- The number and percent of secondary Tech Prep students who:
- Enroll in postsecondary education;
- Enroll in postsecondary education in the same field;
- Complete a state or industry-recognized certification or licensure;
- Complete courses that earn postsecondary credit;
- Enroll in remedial math, writing, or reading courses upon entering postsecondary education.
- The number and percent of secondary Tech Prep students who:
- Are placed in a related field of employment within 12 months of graduation;
- Complete a state or industry-recognized certification or licensure;
- Complete a two-year degree or certificate program within the normal time;
- Complete a baccalaureate degree program within the normal time;
For accountability purposes, the legislation provides new definitions of Tech Prep students.
- A “Secondary Education Tech Prep Student” is defined as a student who has enrolled in two courses in the secondary component of a Tech Prep program.
- A “Postsecondary Education Tech Prep Student” is defined as a student who has completed the secondary component of a Tech Prep program and has enrolled in the postsecondary component at an institution of higher education.
OBJECTIVE 4: Develop and improve community partnerships.
LASC plans to partner with regional employers and community-based organizations, including municipalities, for economic development. It is the College’s intention to more actively pursue mutually beneficial partnerships and contractual arrangements that promote workforce and economic development. Activities here will include efforts in at least three areas:
- Curriculum Development: LASC believes that one way to develop and improve community partnerships is to expand its current inventory of CTE programs and services. Over the next five years, in response to researched labor demands of regional employers, the College expects a number of new short-term certificates and degree programs will be developed, as well as significant improvement made to existing CTE programs and services. Initial discussions have identified potential areas for curriculum development. These include:
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Department |
Discipline |
Potential Curriculum Development |
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Arts & Humanities |
Speech |
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Behavioral and Social Sciences |
Administration of Justice |
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Psychology |
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Business |
Business |
Consumer Service Academy
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Business |
Computer Applications and Office Technologies |
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Computer Science and Information Technology |
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Department |
Discipline |
Potential Curriculum Development |
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Business |
Electronics |
Computer Networking Technology
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Center for Information Security |
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Logistics and Transportation |
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Vendor Certifications |
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Nursing |
Nursing |
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- Resource Development: Over the next five years, FY 2008- FY2012, the Office of Workforce Development and Corporate Relations will write, submit and compete for at least two economic development grants per year. The focus of these grants will be on providing training to industry-driven regional collaboratives targeted as a vehicle for showcasing the quality and efficacy of our CTE programs and services at little to no-cost. We see this as is a powerful advantage for LASC and we intend to use these funds as a means of putting LASC before as many training and development managers and other decision-makers as possible.
- Community Outreach: During this period, FY 2008- FY2012, LASC will seek to intensify its CTE image development and networking efforts. These efforts will seek to fully integrate LASC into the community of decision-makers within the County and to provide opportunities for making contacts that can be potentially developed into revenue development opportunities.
OBJECTIVE 5: Increase Divisional FTEs by 10-15%
LASC is currently experiencing a budget crisis and is expecting a $2.5 million deficit in FY ’08-’09. The College, over the next five year, is committed to growing its revenue base to profitability. The Office of Workforce Development and Corporate Relations plans, through the achievement of the above four objectives, to contribute to this institutional goal by increasing divisional FTEs by 10-15% for each CTE unit over the next five years..