TRANSITIONING WORKFORCE STUDENTS

INTO HIGHER EDUCATION

KCTCS MISSION

• The mission of KCTCS is to improve the employability and quality of life of Kentucky citizens as the primary provider of:

• College and Workforce Readiness. • Transfer Education. • Workforce Education and Training.

SINCE OUR CREATION IN 1997, KCTCS HAS BECOME THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING IN THE COMMONWEALTH. IN FACT, FOR MOST

KENTUCKIANS, THE JOURNEY TO HIGHER EDUCATION BEGINS HERE — AT ONE OF OUR 16 COLLEGES LOCATED ON 68 CAMPUSES ACROSS THE STATE.

THE ORIGINS OF WORKFORCE TRANSITIONS

WORKFORCE CREDIT• KCTCS began awarding credit for workforce training in 2001 to capture and credential learning as it occurs. • KCTCS is benchmark funded not FTE.• KCTCS is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.• Created a team of stakeholders from the System Office and colleges to create the guidelines and process.

• Established a process still in place today to identify and approve workforce classes for credit. • Classes are customized training courses for business and industry.• Colleges continue to charge their usual and customary fees not tuition.• Developed the Business & Industry Training (BIT) special topics courses that award fractional credit.

WORKFORCE TRANSITIONS ORIGINS

WORKFORCE TRANSITIONS ORIGINS

• 60% of workforce students taking a customized course through their company is given some level of credit that could potentially apply to a credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) offered by KCTCS.• In 2010, Workforce Matriculation was added as a performance indicator to the KCTCS 2016 Strategic Plan. • In 2011 resources were allocated for a 3-year Workforce Transition initiative and staff was hired.

FRAMEWORK

System Level• The Workforce Transitions Project Manager is housed under Workforce Solutions.

• Provides support to the local colleges and focuses on potential system-level efforts to move the initiative ahead.

•Works closely with the Directors of Workforce Solutions, Institutional Research, Academic Affairs and Student Services.

FRAMEWORK

College Level• Each college has been assigned a Workforce Transitions Coordinator to work directly with workforce students who have some credit.

•The coordinators are mainly housed in, and report to, Workforce Solutions, but a few fall under other departments.

•Each college has a designated leadership team crossing Workforce Solutions, Academic Affairs, and Student Services.

FRAMEWORK

WORKFORCE MATRICULATION PERFORMANCE INDICATOR

• Definition:• Percent of students with workforce non-credential academic plan

who enroll as credential-seeking students or earn a credential within three academic years.

• Students reported in an enrollment group (or cohort) are excluded from subsequent enrollment groups.

• The matriculation figures are an unduplicated count.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR

WORKFORCE TRANSITIONS POLICY LEVERS

POLICY LEVERS

Workforce Transitions

Data• The target for Workforce Matriculation

has been set to 10.2% by the 2015-16 academic year.

• The collection method and schedule for matriculation data is established in conjunction with the Office of Research and Policy Analysis at the KCTCS System Office, with college-level responsibilities communicated to their Institutional Research departments as well as Workforce Transitions coordinators and supervisors.

Adult Intake• KCTCS will develop unified

policies/procedures and strategies in the areas of student support services, intake and assessment and financial aid. This change will include establishing academic and administrative policy reviews and approval processes.

• Review all the academic building blocks, including the certificates and diplomas offered at KCTCS.

• Make necessary refinements to improve service delivery based on results of student success data and staff feedback.

POLICY LEVERS

Credit for Prior Learning• KCTCS will develop a handbook for all

credit for prior learning processes to ensure consistency in assessing, awarding and costs related to awarding prior learning credit.

• Conduct workshops with faculty and staff, adult education and career center staff to create awareness of the credit for prior learning options and process.

• Standardize and institutionalize the practice of promoting credit for prior learning to all entering adults.

Apprenticeship Studies• KCTCS will convene a workgroup consisting

of representative members from the four colleges that currently offer the Apprenticeship Studies degree

• The workgroup will develop a handbook for all credit for Apprenticeship Studies to highlight existing best practices and strive to generate consistent policies that can be applied system-wide for the awarding of Apprenticeship Studies degrees.

POLICY LEVERS

YEAR 1Lessons Learned

•Familiarity with the Initiative• Establish understanding of intent with faculty, staff, and students,

as well as the larger community of business & industry•Target Group Wants/Needs

• Identify incentives• Offer class schedule flexibility

•Credit for Prior Learning• Identify current CPL culture at colleges for both promotion and

application•Slow Building Process

CHALLENGES

•Initiative is Fully Functional• 16 Coordinators Hired & Trained• Internal Processes Established at All Colleges

•Refinement of Data• Change in Definition of the Performance Indicator• Increased Functionality of Internal Data Tool

•Increased Coordination Between Departments

•Strong Support from Business & Industry

SUCCESSES

SUCCESSES

11% Over Year 1 Goal for

Student Matriculation

11% Over Year 1 Goal for

Student Matriculation

THANK YOUKelly McKown, Workforce Transitions Project Manager

kelly.mckown@kctcs.edu; 859-256-3271

Donna Davis, Director of Workforce Solutionsdonna.davis@kctcs.edu; 859-256-3249