Grand Rapids Community College Teaching and Learning Quality Report Year 2 Occupational Standards for WorkKeys August 8, 2013

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1 Grand Rapids Community College Teaching and Learning Quality Report Year 2 Occupational Standards for WorkKeys August 8, 2013 Report History: Year 1 report was presented to Deans Council on September 14, Report was approved by Deans Council on February 14, During the period of time from presentation to approval, additions were made to include data through December This report contains complete data for and fiscal years. PURPOSE: The purpose of this report is to measure the impact that the Occupational Standards the WorkKeys process has on enrollment, retention, and completion in Job Training and Workforce Training programs, and to make recommendations on how the process can be improved to impact these outcomes. OVERVIEW: In Job Training launched a planning process to address declining enrollment, completion rates, and address foundational skill gaps for students. This strategic process resulted in a three year enrollment process plan to require students to complete WorkKeys assessments, and meet occupational standards before admission into Job Training Programs. In the academic years, Job Training began assessing students in October of 2011, with the goal of all students beginning classes in December of 2011 meeting the occupational standards. Additionally, in the academic years, as a result of ongoing regional economic development collaboration with over 600 employers in the region, Workforce Training (Training Solutions) began requiring students to complete the WorkKeys assessments in response to employer demand for a credentialed workforce. Area employers are requiring new hires to not only have the occupational training necessary for the job, but additional nationally recognized credentials in their portfolio, specifically the NCRC. PROGRESS RE: RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LAST REPORT 2013Recommendations 1. Define and develop a process measure for Student Satisfaction relative to WorkKeys and the NCRC. IMPLEMENTATION: Student satisfaction around the enrollment step of assessment for foundational skills was implemented through a process change. Each student had a one on one meeting after their testing experience. Staff explained results, discussed the National Career Readiness Certificate earned and its role in the marketplace, as well as the next steps in the enrollment process. Prior to this process implementation, students were assessing and leaving the building with no staff interaction. Student complaints included: not knowing what to do next and no access to assessment results. The process improvement has eliminated student complaints related to testing. 1

2 2. Implement foundational skills open lab at MTEC to address students not meeting occupational standards, this includes both students not earning an NCRC, and those earning a Bronze Certificate, scheduled to begin in October 2012: (Update 12/30/12, began January 7, 2013). Initially the lab will work as an open concept, self-paced lab, with a tutor available. Student satisfaction and success in raising level scores to meet occupational requirements (post testing required), and the time needed to meet those occupational standards will be a key process and outcome measures for the open concept style. Further planning will address the learning from the Career Prep Course from the Pathways out of Poverty work, where instructor led foundational skills learning was a stronger model for raising foundational skills. IMPLEMENTATION: FastTrack lab for MTEC students began in January In six months, 27 students have enrolled in FT and 7 students have successfully completed and enrolled in Job Training and Workforce Training programs. Students must meet the occupational standards for enrollment to be eligible for retesting and movement into programs. (See reference page for detailed occupational standards). 3. Teams comprised of Job Training and Workforce Training staff began process design in spring of 2012 to create a tracking system for collecting employment information. Data will be collected for the 2013 academic year. IMPLEMENTATION: Data is compiled for programs. See enrollment and completion chart. 4. Workforce Training will begin to require students to meet occupational standards in programs beginning in January of Students registering for the January 2013 Medical Assistant class and the February 2013 Pharmacy Technician required to complete a minimum ACT Workkeys scores (NCRC Silver level). IMPLEMENTATION: Students enrolling in Workforce Training programs were integrated into the testing process in the Career Advancement Center. Each student received a one on one meeting and discussion of their results, the impact of the NCRC in the marketplace, as well as next steps in the enrollment process. 5. Design and implement an instructor feedback loop on the impact of addressing foundational skills prior to admission into Job Training and Workforce Training programs. January 2013 Update: Work on this process will begin in March IMPLEMENTATION: Medical Assistant instructors are currently piloting a feedback loop reviewing NCRC scores and comparing those with individual student success or lack of success in the program. This feedback loop has resulted in an assessment project, as part of the program review process, to modularize the program and increase contextualized writing into the curriculum to see if scores and success are positively impacted. Results from this work should be available by July Job Training programs are working to finalize an instructor feedback loop by December,

3 PROCESS MEASURES: 1. Student Satisfaction (see page 1 Process Measure #1 for details) 2. Timeliness (see page 1 - Process Measure #2 for details) 3. Number of applicants meeting Occupational Standards/earning NCRC (See Table 1 - page 3) Note: This number includes individuals earning No Certificate and a Bronze Certificate 4. Number of applicants with foundational skills gaps (See Table 1 page3) Note: This number includes individuals earning No Certificate and a Bronze Certificate 5. Instructor satisfaction with level of information on class knowledge about foundational skills, behavioral skills and learning styles. Process improvement proposed Process measure delayed until from Medical Assistant instructors and summer 2014 for Job Training instructors. Table 1: Process Measures 3 and 4 Number of Applicants Number of applicants meeting Occupational with Foundational Standards = 270 Skills Gaps = 145 Number of Applicants meeting Occupational Standards = 268 Number of Applicants with Foundational Skills Gaps= % 34% 68% 32% 3

4 OUTCOME MEASURES: The number of students completing Job Training and Workforce Training programs has slightly improved. We expected initial progress on both enrollment and employment and expect continued progress over the year based on our recommended steps for The reporting charts and tables below contain an aggregate display and a detailed display of program activity. Chart 1 (page 4) displays the aggregate date for the following Outcome Measures: 1. Number of students completing program and percentage of students employed 2. Number of students employed in their field of study. Chart 1: Outcome Measures T&L Quality Model WorkKeys Outcome Measures 90% 79% 80% 70% 68% 70% 60% 50% 47% 40% 30% 28% 20% 10% 0% FY FY FY Completion Employment *No employment data for FY10-11 Additionally, Table 2 (pages 5 & 6) displays the detailed program outcome measures of student completion, withdraw and employment. Due to the program structure, the Still Attending column represents students who began their program in the 2013 fiscal year, but will have completion dates in the fiscal year. (end dates between October 2013 and January

5 Table 2: Job Training and Workforce Training (Training Solutions enrollment numbers) Training Program 2013 Enrolled 2013 Complete 2013 Dropped 2013 Complete 2013 Still Attending 2013 Employed 2013 Employed 2013 Transfer to GRCC Credit Program Automotive Technician % % 3 Construction Electrical % % 2 Computer Applications Specialist % 0 0 0% 1 Computer Support Technician % % 2 Green Construction Remodeling % % 3 Introduction to Construction % % 6 Welding/Fabrication Technician % % 15 Machinist/CNC Technician % % 0 Residential Construction % % 1 Medical Assistant % % N/A Pharmacy Technician % 15 In progress N/A N/A Personal Trainer % % N/A Total % % 33 5

6 Table 2cont d: Job Training and Workforce Training (Training Solutions enrollment numbers) Enrolled Complete Dropped Complete Employed Employed Transfer to GRCC Credit Programs Training Program Automotive Technician % 8 38% N/A Construction Electrical % 1 6% N/A Computer Applications Specialist % 1 7% N/A Computer Support Technician % 2 12% N/A Green Construction Remodeling % 10 37% 11 Introduction to Construction % 3 12% 7 Welding/Fabricati on Technician % 15 68% N/A Machinist/CNC Technician % 19 70% N/A Residential Construction % 1 13% N/A Medical Assistant % N/A N/A N/A Pharmacy Technician % 12 86% N/A Personal Trainer N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Total % 72 34% 18 ISSUES/CONCERNS Participation, Time and adequate resources to engage faculty on awareness, impacts, and program improvements on links between assessment results and curriculum. Providing MTEC adequate resources to create sustainable FastTrack options for students. 6

7 RECOMMENDATIONS/NEXT STEPS FOR NEXT YEAR Next Steps: 1. Departmental Action Project: Job Training Credentials and Certifications The goal to increase GRCC certificate and National Certification attainment will have an impact on the enrollment process, specifically the mechanisms to deliver the national assessments and for student success. This action project includes faculty participants and should improve participation and time for faculty to analyze and understand the impact of NCRC occupational standards. These credentials and certifications are part of the program review process for each Job Training and Workforce Training Program 2. Departmental Action Project: Job Training Plus The open lab concept of the current FastTrack model is not meeting the needs of students with foundational skills gaps. Planning will begin to address an integrated model for contextualized learning model for Job Training Programs. 3. Michigan Pathways to Credentials Grant allows for integration of Career Coaching and career Pathways to be developed and implemented. Pilot projects will provide experiential learning opportunities and case management style support for stronger completion by FastTrack students. This grant project combined with the Kellogg Pathways to Success Project will allow for pilot activity to inform a sustainable model of comprehensive student services (from intake to successful employment/transfer). 4. Complete Instructor feedback loop pilot, based on results, institute Job Training Instructor feedback loop and measure instructor satisfaction by June

8 References and Background Information: WorkKeys assessments help employers select, hire, train, develop and retain a high performing workforce, verifying individual s readiness for work. National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) is an industry recognized portable, evidenced-based credential that certifies essential skills needed for workplace success. The NCRC is earned when an individual completes Workkeys assessments in Math, Reading and Locating information. Occupational Standards for WorkKeys are found in the ACT occupational database representing the analysis of several thousand jobs profiled by employers using WorkKeys skills scales. The occupational profiles were developed by combining information from the job profiles for groups of jobs that share the same identification numbers in the ONET database. o & Table 3: Job Training Occupational Standards for GRCC Programs Job Training Program ONET Occupation Code Applied Math Locating Information Reading for Information NCRC Automotive Technician Silver Computer Support Technician Silver Construction Electrician Silver Green Construction Remodeling Silver Introduction to Construction Bronze Machinist/CNC Technician Silver Residential Construction Silver Welding/Fabrication Technician Silver Table 4: Workforce Training (Training Solutions) Occupational Standards for GRCC Programs Workforce Training Program ONET Applied Locating Reading for NCRC Occupation Code Math Information Information Pharmacy Technician Gold Medical Assistant Program Silver Personal Trainer Silver Phlebotomy Skills for Healthcare Bronze Composite Technician Silver Deconstruction Silver 8