House Committee on Veterans Affairs

Transcription

1 Huse Cmmittee n Veterans Affairs Oversight Field Hearing fr the Subcmmittee n Ecnmic Opprtunity Texas Innvative Appraches t Jbs and Emplyment fr Veterans Presentatin by Texas State Technical Cllege System Mr. Rb Wlaver Executive Vice President, TSTC Wac Backgrund and Histry Texas State Technical Cllege was established in 1965 as the James Cnnally Technical Institute (JCTI) f Texas A & M University t meet the state s evlving wrkfrce needs. JCTI was lcated in Central Texas at the frmer James Cnnally Air Frce Base in Wac. In 1967, JCTI expanded t include a Suth Texas campus in Harlingen. Additinal lcatins sn fllwed. JCTI separated frm Texas A&M University in 1969 and became an independent state system with its wn nine-member Bard f Regents and the name Texas State Technical Institute (TSTI). In 1991, the Texas Legislature elevated the status f TSTI s campuses by designating them as technical clleges with the name Texas State Technical Cllege. The fur independent clleges within the Texas State Technical Cllege System (TSTC) are c-educatinal, tw-year institutins f higher educatin ffering ccupatinally riented prgrams with supprting academic curses fr certificates r assciate degrees. Emphasis is n advanced and emerging technical prgrams nt cmmnly ffered by public junir clleges with a cre fcus n placement and earnings utcmes. Fr 48 years, TSTC has been prducing tp-quality graduates, wh are natinally recgnized fr their highly specialized, technical capabilities and jb-ready skills. TSTC s strng relatinship with business and industry ensures that cursewrk fcuses n the reginal and statewide needs f Texas emplyers and leads t success in the jb market. Texas State Technical Cllege System / Nvember 6, 2013 Page 1

2 TSTC is Texas nly state-supprted technical cllege system. Its statutry missin is t prvide an articulated and respnsive technical educatin system aimed at identifying and addressing industry needs. These tw features make TSTC unique amng institutins f higher educatin. The TSTC System currently has campuses in Wac, Harlingen, Marshall and West Texas, with lcatins in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brwnwd and Sweetwater. The System als has extensin centers in Hutt, Ingleside, Red Oak and Richmnd, in additin t partnerships with many f the state s public junir clleges. Acclades TSTC s clleges cnsistently rank as tp prducers f assciate degrees in engineering, precisin prductin, cmputer infrmatin systems, cmputer & infrmatin sciences, and enrllment f Hispanic students. In Cmmunity Cllege Week s annual reprt titled Tp 100 Assciate Degree Prducers, TSTC has ranked number ne in Texas numerus times in ne r mre categries and has cnsistently stayed amng the tp 50 clleges in the natin in nearly every applicable categry. In the 2012 reprt, TSTC Wac ranked number ne in Texas fr graduating the mst students in the categries f precisin prductin, engineering technlgies/engineeringrelated fields, and cmputer & infrmatin sciences & supprt services. In bth 2012 and 2013, the cllege ranked third in the natin fr cnferring engineering-related assciate degrees. TSTC ffers mre than 151 Assciate f Applied Science (AAS) degrees and certificates and has prduced mre than 93,570 graduates in its 48-year histry. TSTC Harlingen als ffers seven Assciate f Science (AS) degrees in bilgy, cmputer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, nursing preparatry and health prfessins. Texas State Technical Cllege System / Nvember 6, 2013 Page 2

3 Since 2009, the TSTC System has generated a 32 percent increase in graduates and a 36 percent increase in jb placements. The cmbined first-year earnings f TSTC graduates are prjected t surpass $55 millin in new salaries fr Texas a 54 percent increase ver the last fur years. Demgraphics TSTC students acrss the System are a diverse grup demgraphically. They are 65.7 percent minrity (56.91 percent Hispanic, 8.60 percent black, 0.19 percent ther minrities) and 34.3 percent white. The student bdy is cmprised f percent females and percent males. Students cme frm 200 f Texas 254 cunties, and nearly 63 percent are ecnmically disadvantaged. Veterans at TSTC TSTC is prud t have many veterans f the armed services amng its graduates. Since 2010, TSTC Wac alne has graduated 279 veterans. Rger Hinjsa, frm Brwnwd, Texas, served in the United States Army as a cmbat medic prir t attending TSTC Wac. Rger cmpleted his Assciate f Applied Science degree in Avinics and is currently wrking fr L3 Cmmunicatins as an avinics cable assembly technician. Travis Beach, frm Chester, New Yrk, served in the United States Army as a generatr mechanic. Travis cmpleted his Assciate f Applied Science degree in Aviatin Maintenance, als frm TSTC Wac, and is currently wrking fr L3 Cmmunicatins as a night shift supervisr fr the Manufacturing Divisin. TSTC System Cmpetency-Based Educatin, A New Apprach t Wrkplace Readiness Central t TSTC s effrts t assist veterans in their transitin int the wrkplace is a new initiative intended t shrten the time necessary t earn an award. The new cmpetencybased educatin mdel, hwever, des nt sacrifice the quality f skills learned. TSTC began ffering this cmpetency-based apprach in the fall f 2013 at tw lcatins. The mdel aligns particularly well with the needs f veterans, displaced wrkers and career-fcused high schl graduates. Texas State Technical Cllege System / Nvember 6, 2013 Page 3

4 TSTC Harlingen has implemented the first cmpetency-based certificate in Industrial Systems Technlgy, part f the grwing field f Mechatrnics. This prttype decuples skills develpment frm semester credit hurs and is recgnized as being amng the first cmpetency-based certificates in Texas by the Texas Higher Educatin Crdinating Bard. TSTC s multi-institutin teaching center in Hutt, the East Williamsn Cunty Higher Educatin Center (EWCHEC), has implemented cmpetency-based instructinal delivery acrss multiple certificate and degree prgrams. The primary emphasis is n skills mastery. Lecture materials are delivered nline, and class time is fcused n applied learning in state-f-the-art labs where students wrk bth individually and in teams. Students are rutinely assessed fr their ability t demnstrate cmpetency in skills which are linked t curses within a semester. Cmpetency-based prgramming is designed t allw a student t demnstrate mastery f real-wrld jb skills at his r her wn pace. In this way, a student will nt spend unnecessary seat time in classes reviewing infrmatin he r she already knws, either thrugh past jb experience r thrugh military service. As a result, a tw-year welding degree can nw be cmpleted in as few as fur semesters saving time and mney while minimizing a student s deferred wages. Cmpetency prgramming als ensures that the student learns and masters each required skill, rather than simply earning an average scre fr a semester-lng curse. Texas State Technical Cllege System / Nvember 6, 2013 Page 4

5 TSTC Wac Veterans Enrichment Effrts Althugh TSTC s smaller lcatins wrk with state and cmmunity rganizatins t prvide services t assist veterans, the larger campuses have implemented a number f special prgrams fr veterans. Fr the sake f brevity and this Cngressinal Field Hearing, the services and prgrams listed belw are specific t TSTC Wac. Veterans Cuncil Created in the spring f 2011, the Veterans Cuncil meets mnthly n the TSTC Wac campus in rder t bring awareness t activities, issues and/r challenges that pertain t veteran students. The cuncil is cmprised f TSTC staff, faculty, students and representatives frm several cmmunity supprt rganizatins. The cuncil als crdinates an annual Veterans Day Appreciatin Lunchen fr students, faculty and staff wh are veterans. The 2013 lunchen will be held Nvember 7 th at the Student Recreatin Center n campus. Credit Crsswalk Develped thrugh a grant in 2010, the Credit Crsswalk prvides veterans a tl t determine if cllege credit can be awarded fr their military training. The Crsswalk cmpares military ccupatins t TSTC s cursewrk and is used t determine if military training is transferrable t TSTC. The Crsswalk is available nline at an efficient tl available at the fingertips f any veteran searching fr the right place t cntinue his educatin. Targeted Recruiting at Frt Hd in Killeen TSTC Wac s staff and faculty regularly make targeted recruiting trips t Frt Hd, lcated nearby in the Central Texas area. Hundreds f peple transitin frm military assignments t civilian life each mnth frm this installatin. Recruiters attend transitin events, alng with jb and career fairs. TSTC Wac s infrmatin is disseminated t interested persns and help is ffered t veterans wh wish t begin the enrllment prcess. Als, Frt Hd persnnel are regularly apprised f the pprtunities fr veterans at TSTC Wac. Texas State Technical Cllege System / Nvember 6, 2013 Page 5

6 Veterans Supprt Services Center A Wagner-Peyser grant prpsal is currently under cnsideratin within the Texas Gvernr s Office. Althugh TSTC Wac traditinally enrlls a significant ppulatin f veteran students, the cllege s success in retaining and placing veteran students needs imprvement. During the academic year, 571 veterans attended TSTC Wac, abut 13 percent f the student ppulatin. Histrically, hwever, many f them leave withut earning a certificate r degree (see addendum). The cllege currently has nly ne full-time staff member devted t the needs f veteran students. The Wagner-Peyser funding will launch a Veterans Supprt Services Center with the gal f imprving TSTC Wac s ability t recruit, enrll, retain and graduate veteran students int highdemand ccupatins. TSTC Wac s Veterans Supprt Services Center will be lcated within the Divisin f Student Develpment and will prvide the fllwing services: Expanded recruiting effrts, especially at Frt Hd which is lcated apprximately ne hur suth f campus (In fiscal year 2013, apprximately 11,000 sldiers will exit the service frm Frt Hd.) Enhanced intake assistance, including review f military training transcripts and TSTC Wac prgram recmmendatins and including the use f Credit Crsswalk sftware t review military transcripts fr cllege credit Expedited benefits assistance, prcessing and validatin Scial services supprt and referrals Specialized cunseling supprt and referrals (PTSD, scial adjustment, etc.) Educatinal supprt (caching, mentring, tutring, etc.) Enhanced placement assistance The prject will utilize strategies frm the Texas Wrkfrce Cmmissin s Cllege Credit fr Heres, alng with the Credit Crsswalk develped at TSTC Wac, t ensure that military training can be applied t a technical training prgram. Texas State Technical Cllege System / Nvember 6, 2013 Page 6

7 TSTC Harlingen recently created a similar full-service Veterans Center, serving apprximately 200 veteran students. Services ffered include benefit assistance, referrals fr supprt services, schlarships, tutring, academic advisement and veterans event crdinatin with utside service agencies. The cllege is als actively invlved in the Cllege Credit fr Heres Schlarship Prgram. Cnclusin Withut exceptin, the clleges within the TSTC System are cmmitted t serving U.S. military veterans. That cmmitment has led t the creatin f a Veterans Service Center n ne campus and t the develpment f plans fr anther. TSTC is als cmmitted t finding innvative educatinal pathways fr the efficient and cst-effective transitin f veterans int the wrkplace. The cmpetency-based learning prttype is but ne such pathway. As part f Texas Skilled Wrkfrce Initiative, the prttype is intended fr statewide implementatin and is geared tward assisting veterans wanting t maximize military training and earn a cllege credential. With the cmpetency-based learning mdel in place and access t the Credit Crsswalk, veterans attending TSTC will be able t make the mst f their military training as they successfully transitin int the civilian wrkfrce. Texas State Technical Cllege System / Nvember 6, 2013 Page 7