COMMUNITY COLLEGE PARTNERSHIPS

June 26, 2013
Community College enrollment is near record highs. More significant is the increase in employment opportunity for many of those graduates. An October article in USA TODAY reported: “Employment for Americans with an associate’s degree or some college has increased by 578,000 the past six months to 35.2 million . . . The trend underlines that some of the midskill jobs that disappeared in the recession are coming back and it may signal more lasting growth in such occupations.”
Less well publicized is the growing training-partnership between local business and their community college, designed to benefit both partners. And, most important of all is the recognition by many community colleges that video-based training is the best way to increase the learning and retention goals of the local labor force.

Nebraska’s Central Community College (CCC) is an excellent example of the partnerships occurring between our nation’s community colleges and local business — through video-based media.

To quote from CCC’s webpage

Nebraska Training provides state-of-the-art business training solutions advancing your workforce to the top in the 21st century. The Statewide Interactive Multimedia Training Library allows you on-site training, seven days a week, 24 hours a day – at your convenience. Nebraska Training’s commitment to providing innovative training utilizing WEB and CD-ROM formats positions you for success in a changing business environment.

Our Mission
To create and manage an up to date interactive multimedia training materials library utilizing CDs and web technology. The multimedia library offers interactive training available for use anytime, anywhere and can be customized and designed to meet individual and organizational needs.

Nebraska Training
An employer-led coalition that included local community, civic, economic development and education representatives served as a catalyst in developing Nebraska Training. Now, the collaboration has expanded to include employers and community colleges located throughout the state of Nebraska.
The importance of higher skills in today’s fast-paced environment is made evident by the increasing predominance of advanced technology: equipment, processes, services and software. Nebraska Training is committed to equipping individuals with the higher skills needed to succeed in the 21st Century.
Over 253 training topics in a variety of interactive multimedia courseware are available to develop workforce skills for the 21st century. One individual may participate in 40 hours of training, while another may elect to design a longer individualized mastery plan of up to 120 hours, for a particularly difficult skill area.

Community colleges are a vital part of their geographical community, providing training for the area’s businesses and industries.

Both the community colleges and local industry are realizing that technology-based training has become necessary — and that the training platform has to be accessible, affordable and accountable. Media rooted in full motion video meets those requirements.

In addition, smaller companies often can’t afford training because it’s not in their budget. However, if training is incorporated into a community college environment, it becomes both affordable and accountable.

Unlike businesses, community colleges have the ability to review and accredit curriculums, bringing accountability to the training program. In this way, smaller companies are not left out of the training loop. They can compete in the marketplace.

Effective media training has allowed community colleges to expand their student base and to become both visionary and flexible, necessary traits in today’s competitive world. It has allowed the community colleges to retain lower-enrollment programs by meeting critical numbers, but on a flexible schedule.

Just one more way video-based courseware has helped America re-train its workforce. Stay tuned. This movement is going to revitalize local business and industry.