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https://www.breakthroughtech.org/

https://opportunityinsights.org/

https://usa.generation.org/

https://opportunityatwork.org/

https://www.opencampusmedia.org/category/newsletters/the-job/

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https://youtu.be/2B4v6JCwt6o

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MiWorkforce Cohort with Paul Fain February 3, 2023

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https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/colleges-must-improve-their-employer-partnerships-here-is-how/

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Many employers turn to their local community colleges for customized training, upskilling, and non-degree workforce training, but colleges shouldn't take employer engagement for granted.

As workforce needs grow and enrollment crunches ripple throughout traditional higher education, more employers are being approached by new workforce training players including 4-year institutions, non-profits, for-profits, and unions, while others have expanded their own workforce credentials. The primary way colleges systematically engage employers is through industry advisory committees. Committees help program staff align curricula with employer needs and keep a pulse on a variety of industry trends.

Some committees advise an entire college while others are focused on an industry area, like manufacturing or healthcare, while others still are focused on one or a small handful of specific program offerings in which the employers have specific expertise. These committees are an invaluable structure for colleges to prove to employers that they're the optimal partner for workforce training, but the problem is that the quality and consistency of engagement of the committees can vary greatly.

Some colleges will only convene their committees of a dozen or so individuals a few times a year for an hour or so-rarely enough time to stay on top of fast-moving trends. Other committees are built exclusively on personal relationships that may be jeopardized when the convener leaves the institution, especially concerning as more than half of higher education workers hope to leave the industry over the next year.

Committee membership might be appointed by deans, vice presidents, or the president but administered by workforce program staff or faculty, resulting in awkward dynamics between the committee of advisors, the college professionals receiving the advice, and their bosses.

These are only a few of the many challenges colleges have reported around running and utilizing advisory committees. That's why it's essential that college presidents and workforce leaders standardize and enhance the quality and consistency of advisory committees across the college.

Standardized Industry Advisory Committees Across a College Improves Workforce Outcomes

Pima Community College implemented the use of an advisory committee handbook and staff training to accomplish this very goal.

"While every industry sector has its own unique set of nuances, a standardized process for industry engagement ensures that employers' voices remain central to our program design." Ian Roark, Pima Vice Chancellor of Workforce Development & Innovation, told me, who lead the process reform. "We colleges need to report out less and listen more, and a process that is designed to let the employer speak and for the college to listen can further enhance alignment to meet business and industry needs."

The nearly 42-page handbook is organized into five sections that help the college ensure a clear and high-quality experience for the staff and employers:

1. Purpose: Explaining the purpose and roles of faculty, staff, and administration in advisory committees' administration; clarifying the programs that should have an Advisory Committee.

2. Membership Guidelines: Establishes a consistent and equitable process for identifying qualified advisory committee members, membership terms, responsibilities, and best practices for maintaining a successful committee.

3. Meetings, recordkeeping, and reporting: Clarifies important protocols about meeting preparation, notetaking, keeping track of goal completions, and appointment processes.

4. About Pima: Includes consistent language about the college, accreditation, the district and governance process, the strategic direction of the college, and advisory committee policies.

5. Appendix: Includes templates, and a glossary of key terms, critical for helping employers understand the lingo of higher education and to ensure that the college's workforce components are communicated accurately and consistently.

Evidence-Informed Strategies to Run Industry Advisory Committees

In addition to a standardized advisory committee experience for employers and college leaders, colleges can also use specialized employer advising techniques within their advisory board structure. At the early stage of creating a new program, advisory committees could utilize the Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) Occupational Analysis which combines the best of focus group input gathering and the best of a facilitated storyboarding process to capture the tasks, skills, and knowledge required for a job.

The Business & Industry Leadership (BILT) model, which was developed by the National Science Foundation-funded National Convergence Technology Center as an Advanced Technical Education National Center of Excellence, emphasizes specific practices committees could use like co-leading meetings and increasing meeting frequency to improve the effectiveness of the advising structure. Colleges can review this introduction video to the seven essentials of BILT and an in-depth orientation video to implement BILT at their institutions.

College presidents across the nation should consider using all three strategies, either independently or combined, to help their institution improve its industry reputation, improve its program quality, and stand out from the competition as the ideal partner for employers to enlist for their workforce training needs.

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Colleges Must Improve Their Employer Partnerships. Here Is How.

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College presidents and workforce leaders should implement these strategies to take their industry advisory committees to the next level.

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https://us-east-2.protection.sophos.com/?d=pima.edu&u=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucGltYS5lZHUvYWJvdXQtcGltYS9hY2NyZWRpdGF0aW9uL2Fzc3VyYW5jZS0yMDE4L2RvY3MvY3VycmljdWx1bS1jdXIvYWR2aXNvcnktY29tbWl0dGVlcy13b3JrZm9yY2UtYWR2LzE4LWN1ci1hZHYtMTAyODI0LWJ1c2luZXNzLWluZHVzdHJ5LWFkdmlzb3J5LWNvbW1pdHRlZS1tZW1iZXItaGFuZGJvb2sucGRm&i=NWQ3ZmE4ZjY2YzkzMmUxMTI1NTczODBj&t=SmgxWDZsUUVrb09sOGQrTGlGbzVqOCt1L2pydFA1QjZTM0VpWjRId2Fkbz0=&h=89522691396c4abeb55a3bf998801631&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVaxCzALxjWwAqkV07eOVdJLe4-ozbRmPZDqMOIVZ6lJoQ

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By Hana Lahr and Davis Jenkins*

Thinking back, what helped you decide on your college major? Maybe it was an engaging course, a helpful professor, or an advisor who helped you connect your interests with a field of study and career. Whatever or whoever it was, can you imagine how much more difficult the decision would have been without this support and guidance?

Unfortunately, that's the reality for many community college students, who receive little support to explore and choose a program of study. Students are often asked to pick a program on their application, and follow-up advising around programs and careers is sporadic. With so little guidance, it's not surprising that a large percentage of community college students enroll in associate of arts or general studies degrees in their first term, while many others do not enroll in any program or degree. When students enroll in an associate of arts degree or remain undeclared, they are less likely to take courses that will prepare them for a job or transfer in a field of study. Moreover, taking courses in a program of study-especially when they are well taught-can help students gain early momentum, which CCRC research indicates improves students' likelihood of completing a degree. The effects of gaining more credits in the first year and generating early momentum are even more impactful for students of color and low-income students.

To help more students gain early momentum, community colleges need to reimagine new student onboarding with a focus on helping students enter a program of study aligned with their interests, strengths, and aspirations. We conceive of "onboarding" as a process that may take students' entire first year: It starts before a student even enrolls and extends until they have chosen a program direction, passed program foundation courses, and created an educational plan. The goal is to help students choose a program of study; connect with a community of faculty, students, and others with similar interests; take a course that "lights their fire" for learning; and build a full-program educational plan that shows the courses and timeline for completion. We call this the "Ask-Connect-Inspire-Plan" framework. It is based on our research with almost 120 community colleges across the country that are implementing guided pathways reforms. Here, we describe the program onboarding model and how it can support students to choose and enter a program and community of like-minded peers and faculty.

Ask

During the Ask phase, every student is asked about their interests, strengths, and aspirations by advisors or admissions counselors. Their answers serve as a starting point for other conversations with advisors and faculty about what programs would enable them to pursue their interests and goals. Typically, students are encouraged to consult the college website, take a career assessment, and generally find their own way into a major, so engaging all students from the start in these conversations is a marked shift. Further, discussing possible academic and career paths-including those students might not be aware of-increases the chances that students will choose a direction that is a good fit for them.

Connect

We know from the research by Vincent Tinto and others how critical academic and social engagement is to student commitment and success. Yet, very few community college students are purposefully engaged by the college or helped to feel like they belong there. In the conventional model, students are expected to reach out to faculty or others and to initiate these relationships on their own. In our program onboarding model and as a follow-up to the "ask" stage of the process, students are introduced to faculty, students, and others with whom they share interests. At the same time, faculty and program area personnel actively reach out to students beginning in orientation through activities designed to help expand students' understanding of academic and career opportunities in their fields (including liberal arts and sciences) and to recruit students who share interests. These recruitment efforts, together with network building among students who have chosen a program area, can help students forge connections that research shows are critical for motivating them to complete their programs and open opportunities for employment and further education.

Inspire

An added benefit of talking to students and learning about their interests and goals is that advisors, admissions counselors, and faculty can help to guide students into courses that will "light their fire" for learning. Our research shows that in many colleges, students' first-term schedules often include developmental education and general education survey courses. These courses do little to help educate students about academic and career opportunities and are often seen as something students merely have to get out of the way. Research suggests that students who take a well-taught course in a topic of interest are more likely to persist in their programs, even in challenging fields such as STEM. However, because many students leave after their first term and nearly half of students never return for their second year, it's critical to provide students with well-taught and engaging courses early. For that to happen, faculty teaching those courses need support to strengthen their teaching in ways that "light the fire " for learning among students who may never have experienced good teaching.

Plan

Finally, every student should be helped to develop a full-program educational plan by the end of their first term. The plan should show students what courses they need to take and in what timeframe to complete a program aligned with their goals for employment and further education. In focus groups, students often share that they worry about taking courses that won't apply to their degrees and that having a plan that has been co-created with an advisor or faculty member is reassuring and motivating. Students may change their plans over time, but having a preliminary plan will enable them to see the implications of any changes to what they need to take and the time and cost to completion. Colleges can also use these plans to monitor students' progress and ensure that the courses students need to progress are scheduled when they need them.

* * *

The Ask-Connect-Inspire-Plan framework represents a new way of onboarding students to college, one that focuses on helping students build momentum into a program from the start, rather than assessing college readiness and creating a first-term schedule. Research suggests that shaping the new student experience through the Ask-Connect-Inspire-Plan framework will benefit students generally, but it is likely to be especially beneficial to students who have not been served well by the education system in the past and may not have had guidance and support to explore their interest and develop a plan from family and peers. Thus, rethinking the new student experience using the program onboarding model is important not only to increase student persistence, but also to ensure more equitable outcomes.

These practices, like all guided pathways reforms, are not a one-size fits all model. They will need to be personalized to every student, based on their interests and circumstances. However, in order to personalize these practices to all students, colleges need to start with the first practice: Ask. Initiating conversations with students will provide colleges with important information that can be used to tailor these experiences and ensure that every student is receiving the support they need to choose and enter a program of study aligned with their goals and interests.
Hana Lahr is a senior research associate and program lead at CCRC. Davis Jenkins is a senior research scholar at CCRC.
* The Ask-Connect-Inspire-Plan framework was developed by members of the CCRC guided pathways team, including Davis Jenkins, Hana Lahr, Amy Brown, Maggie Fay, Serena Klempin, Umika Kumar, and Amy Mazzariello. We are grateful to Al Solano, founder of the Continuous Learning Institute, and Mark Akiyama, Interim Dean of Guided Pathways and Special Projects at Diablo Valley College for their thought partnership and feedback on this framework.

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Ask-Connect-Inspire-Plan: How to Reimagine Onboarding into a Program of Study

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By Hana Lahr and Davis Jenkins* Thinking back, what helped you decide on your college major? Maybe it was an engaging course, a helpful professor, or an advisor who helped you connect your interests with a field of study and career.

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https://youtu.be/OWDc42eg_dA

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Data Discovery: Washtenaw Community College

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https://youtu.be/VO1jK-QgeXw

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https://youtu.be/MrjgAzQcMCo

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Data Discovery: North Central Michigan College

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https://youtu.be/qBPjVWiO5dg

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https://youtu.be/n5axYI0Q9Uc

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dyBaltlXlU

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Data Discovery—Grand Rapids Community College

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https://youtu.be/HalHpHKX5DU

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Data Discovery—Glen Oaks Community College

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/10AzeSAf2gqoYeJV6Y_BV900oSqsDg8Gd3Ubb5bVFRiM/edit?usp=sharing

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/18JmPilwf39NoRxfGFFzSjOnObJHyzJUyEFtWzVyj7Ig/edit?usp=sharing

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cnhMrg1FuzysNhsRbyQe51E0OIX8j3sfj7w9-ul0uMM/edit?usp=sharing

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cnhMrg1FuzysNhsRbyQe51E0OIX8j3sfj7w9-ul0uMM/edit?usp=sharing

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OKkfVebtaDyCcwh-k55Lrqjox4En2jgA8-eyhbFxtlg/edit?usp=sharing

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https://nationalequityatlas.org/

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" Equity Atlas data underscores what we are seeing on the ground every day, and provides critical information for us to advocate for humane, equitable, common sense policy to keep people housed."

- Debra Ballinger, Monument Impact, Concord

In the Bay Area's Contra Costa County, our analysis found that 12,000 renter households would be at imminent risk of eviction if the county's eviction moratorium expired, with more waves of evictions close behind. This data on the magnitude of the risk helped the Raise the Roof coalition successfully urge the Board of Supervisors to extend the moratorium and rent freeze from July 15 to September 30, 2020.

Photo: Brooke Anderson Photography

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" Equity Atlas data underscores what we are seeing on the ground every day, and provides critical information for us to advocate for humane, equitable, common sense policy to keep people housed."

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2022 Annual Planning and Workforce Analysis

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2022 Annual Planning and Workforce Analysis

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The Annual Planning Information and Workforce Analysis Reports provide economic and demographic data and analysis for Michigan's 10 Prosperity Regions. This information is provided to assist with regional and local plans for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

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2022 Annual Planning Information and Workforce Analysis Reports

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The Annual Planning Information and Workforce Analysis Reports provide economic and demographic data and analysis for Michigan's 10 Prosperity Regions. This information is provided to assist with regional and local plans for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Tags:

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This video provides an explanation of the resources available in your customized workbook.

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MiWorkforce Cohort Data Workbook Overview

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https://www.unitedforalice.org/national-overview

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Household Survival Budget: The bare-minimum costs of basic necessities (housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and a smartphone plan).

ALICE Threshold: The average income needed to afford the Household Survival Budget. Households below the ALICE Threshold include both ALICE and poverty-level households.

ALICE: Households with income above the Federal Poverty Level but below the basic cost of living.

Poverty: Households earning below the Federal Poverty Level

Total Households: The number of households as reported by the American Community Survey.

We all know people who are ALICE - Asset Limited, Income Constrained, E mployed - earning more than the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to afford the basics where they live. ALICE workers were celebrated as essential heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet they do not earn enough to support their own families.

ALICE households and households in poverty are forced to make tough choices, such as deciding between quality child care or paying the rent - choices that have long-term consequences not only for their families, but for all.

In order to better understand this growing population, United For ALICE provides a framework, language, statistics, and tools that community stakeholders can use to inform policy and drive innovation. The Research Center is the hub of UnitedForALICE.org - a one-stop source for exploring the latest ALICE data, on a national scale down to the local level in our partner states. Use the tabs below to navigate the Research Center.

National Overview - 2021

United For ALICE calculates the cost of household essentials for all counties in the U.S. These costs, outlined in the Household Survival Budget, are calculated for various household sizes and compositions.

Of the 126,903,920 households in the U.S. in 2021...

13% earned below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)

29% were ALICE, in households that earned above the FPL but not enough to afford the basics in the communities where they live

Together, 41% of households in the U.S. were below the ALICE Threshold (poverty + ALICE divided by total households)

While the COVID-19 pandemic brought employment shifts, health struggles, and school/business closures in 2021, it also spurred unprecedented public assistance through pandemic relief measures. Before the pandemic, in 2019, 49,791,793 households were below the ALICE Threshold; by 2021 that number had changed to 52,539,023.

State-Level Details, 2021

Hover over any state for state-level details and click on a state to make county-level details appear below the national map.

This interactive map provides four data points for each state and county:

Total number of households

Percentage of households in poverty

Percentage of ALICE households

Percentage of households above the ALICE Threshold

Percent Below ALICE Threshold

Your browser does not support the HTML5 canvas tag.

Sources: ALICE Threshold, 2018; American Community Survey, 2018

County-Level Details, 2021

Percent Below ALICE Threshold

Your browser does not support the HTML5 canvas tag.

Sources: ALICE Threshold, 2018; American Community Survey, 2018

National Comparison, 2021

Hover over the blue boxes below to see the state name, county name, total number of households, and percentage of households below the ALICE threshold. Hover over the gold boxes to see the state name and average percentage of households below the ALICE Threshold for that state.

This interactive figure compares the percentage of households that live below the ALICE Threshold in each state in 2021. State averages are shown in gold. The percentage of the population that is below the ALICE Threshold within each county is represented by the blue boxes. This visual shows the variation in financial hardship that exists across and within states.

National Demographics, 2021

Use the drop-down menu to select a group (e.g., age). Hover over the bars in the figure to see the total number of households for each sub-group (e.g., under 25) and the percentage and number of households by income (poverty, ALICE, Above ALICE Threshold).

This interactive figure shows the demographic breakdown of poverty-level, ALICE, and above ALICE Threshold households in 2021 at the national level. Data shown below include households by age, household type, race/ethnicity, and rural/urban area.

Note: All racial categories except Two or More Races are for one race alone. Race and ethnicity are overlapping categories; in this figure, the AI/AN (American Indian/Alaska Native), Asian, Black, Hawaiian (includes other Pacific Islanders), and Two or More Races groups may include Hispanic households. The White group includes only White, non-Hispanic households. The Hispanic group may include households of any race. Because household poverty data is not available for the American Community Survey's race/ethnicity categories, annual income below $15,000 is used as a proxy.

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Household Survival Budget: The bare-minimum costs of basic necessities (housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and a smartphone plan). ALICE Threshold: The average income needed to afford the Household Survival Budget. Households below the ALICE Threshold include both ALICE and poverty-level households.

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Mott RT. What metrics would help us identify applicants that are more likely to succeed in our program. 

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Mott RT. What metrics would help us identify applicants that are more likely to succeed in our program. 

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Identify sources for understanding regional workforce needs

Develop and enhance assessment plans and program review processes for programs that lead to job advancement

Identify whose not in our CTE credit programs--look at non-credit programs and dual enrolled students

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Pull program level disaggregated student data to get a better understanding of who are students are. Review ALICE data. Review other local demographic data to identify underserved populations in our community. This will help us develop target populations and create intentional strategies for outreach and supports. Pull labor market data and trends (Burning Glass, BLS, etc.) to understand trends and needs. Internal assessment data to determine how well our students are achieving necessary skills to be successful in the workforce (technical skills assessments, licensure exam success rates, advisory board input, etc.)

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1. Identify current Advisory Council Participation
2. Identify companies in the area to join Advisory Council
3. Look at student enrollment and completion data.

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For certification programs leading to licensure have a better method to measure success.   The data tracks completion of programs however a student that has achieved a license and working may decide to delay finishing their degree or cert .  If helped them achieve a job outcome I measure a success.

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1. Watch CCRC videos
2. Build on already existing relationships- through employment partners, track graduates/employees career paths, promotions, additional education.  Add a hindsight battery of questions to solicit suggestions from them about coursework, etc that would have been beneficial to them during their college experience.
3.  Utilize current Academy participants as student mentors to give additional support to program students.

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Along with those demographics already listed, where the student lives and distance from the college they attend. Clinic travel also would be a possible area to explore (some clinical exposures may be an hour of travel time etc.

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Convening the faculty in our technical programs for a discussion about data - enrollment, transfer rates, completion rates, labor market info, etc. Beyond sharing the data, we hope to have a conversation about shared curriculum and requirements. In the video, Davis Jenkins said that everyone should take a welding course. Earlier today, our CADD instructor told me that, "Everyone should take a CADD course." What are the essential skills that weave between these programs? What are the "gen ed" equivalents for technical programs? Should be an interesting discussion.

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NCMC Manufacturing & Engineering Technology

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NCMC Manufacturing & Engineering Technology

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Stephen Strom - NCMC

1. Use labor market and other data to align with choices on program development and growth

2. Develop a data warehouse for the College

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Next steps: Data mine the pre program demographics (diversity, age, financial need, part time vs full time, rigor of course work, gender etc). From there compare date to students that successfully completed the program to identify barriers and successes

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John Fink (CCRC): Looking at Program Completions Using Tableau

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John Fink (CCRC): Unpacking Program Enrollments

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1. What do you want to know about students?

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2. What data sources are you currently using to better understand students?

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3. What other data sources are you most interested in exploring?

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4. What is one burning data question that you have today?

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Create a pathway in industrial trades that leads to electrician certification.

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Jim-NCMC

Establish program outcomes that aligns with workforce needs and assessment tools that will be useful in identifying early program needs to enhance student outcome.

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Kevin Conner
Faculty IT
Glen Oaks Community College

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Julie Parks, Interim Dean, School of Workforce Development, Grand Rapids Community College

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Dean of Health Sciences Mott Community College

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Becoming a Teacher.

Sean Martin, Robotics Instructor
Advance Manufacturing Technology
Washtenaw Community College

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Starting a second career after retirement

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Karen Rivard Director of Law Enforcement/CJ and Fire Science at KVCC

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Jenny Schanker, Director of Research and Institutional Practice,
Michigan Center for Student Success
Diving into Social Media over the past two years!

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Hiking to the bottom of Bryce Canyon and back

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Tracy Labadie, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Assoc. VP Collaboration, Compliance & Analytics and Interim Dean for Industrial Trades & Public Service

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A roller coaster--thrilling, energizing but can also be an uneasy experience.
Erin Sonneveldt, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment, NCMC

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Erica Orians, Executive Director, Center for Student Success at the MCCA

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Stephen Strom, Ph.D.
North Central Michigan College
VP of Academic Affairs

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Josh Wyner from the Aspen Institute:  Interview for Strengthening MiWorkforce Pathways

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Wyner: Workforce Playbook as a Foundation

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Wyner: Workforce Playbook as a Foundation

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Josh Wyner from the Aspen Institute:  Interview for Strengthening MiWorkforce Pathways

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Davis Jenkins from CCRC:  Interview for Strengthening MiWorkforce Pathways

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Davis Jenkins from CCRC:  Interview for Strengthening MiWorkforce Pathways

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Jenkins:  Connections to Guided Pathways

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Jenkins:  Connections to Guided Pathways

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Davis Jenkins from CCRC:  Interview for Strengthening MiWorkforce Pathways

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Our nation is urgently trying to increase the number of college graduates it produces, and community colleges are under enormous pressure to contribute to this growth. In Redesigning America's Community Colleges: A Clearer Path to Student Success, Thomas Bailey, Shanna Smith Jaggars, and Davis Jenkins argue that to substantially increase student completion, community colleges must engage in fundamental redesign.

Synthesizing findings from CCRC's intensive study of community colleges over the past eight years, Bailey, Jaggars, and Jenkins argue that improving developmental education, instruction, student supports, and the overall student experience is necessary but not sufficient; targeted reforms must be implemented as part of a broader institutional restructuring.

The authors delineate a set of research-based design principles and strategies to help colleges achieve this challenging goal, and lay out a path for community colleges working to achieve greater success for their students, and for our nation as a whole.

The authors discussed the book at panel event on May 14 in Washington, DC. A recording of the event is available below.

Thomas Bailey was also interviewed about the book on WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show on July 8. A recording of the discussion is available on WNYC's website.

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Thomas Bailey, Shanna Smith Jaggars, & Davis Jenkins

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Redesigning America's Community Colleges: A Clearer Path to Student Success

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Our nation is urgently trying to increase the number of college graduates it produces, and community colleges are under enormous pressure to contribute to this growth. In Redesigning America's Community Colleges: A Clearer Path to Student Success, Thomas Bailey, Shanna Smith Jaggars, and Davis Jenkins argue that to substantially increase student completion, community colleges must engage in fundamental redesign.

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This guide presents examples and instructions for data analyses colleges can conduct to better understand student enrollments and completions in particular programs. Such analyses can help colleges scrutinize representation of historically marginalized groups in programs leading to greater opportunity after graduation. There is an equity imperative in this effort. Without disaggregating program enrollments with an eye to what those programs lead to-and interrogating and redesigning practices and policies perpetuating inequities-student success reform approaches such as guided pathways will likely continue to reinforce existing racial/ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic stratification. Examining representation across college programs with equity in mind is an important complement to the work colleges are doing to increase completion rates overall and close equity gaps.

The authors recommend that colleges undertake a series of data exercises and reflective discussions based on the following three questions:

1. What programs are our students currently enrolled in?

2. What opportunity does each program lead to in terms of further education (e.g., transfer to bachelor's programs or bridges into more advanced workforce credentials) and/or immediate job prospects and earnings. Which programs lead to greater or lesser opportunity?

3. Is student representation across programs proportionate? Which subgroups of students (by race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and age) are underrepresented in higher-opportunity programs?

To answer these questions, the authors show how to carry out a set of relatively simple data analyses that colleges can replicate using their own data. Similar analyses can be used to examine program completions.

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Unpacking Program Enrollments and Completions With Equity in Mind

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This guide presents examples and instructions for data analyses colleges can conduct to better understand student enrollments and completions in particular programs. Such analyses can help colleges scrutinize representation of historically marginalized groups in programs leading to greater opportunity after graduation. There is an equity imperative in this effort.

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Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed (ALICE) Populations in Michigan

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Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed (ALICE) Populations in Michigan

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The ALICE Project — Michigan Association of United Ways

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ACROSS MICHIGAN, 1.5 Million, or 38 PERCENT OF HOUSEHOLDS STRUGGLE TO AFFORD THE BASIC NECESSITIES OF HOUSING, CHILD CARE, FOOD, TECHNOLOGY, HEALTH CARE AND TRANSPORTATION.

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The Strengthening MiWorkforce Pathways project seeks to strengthen equitable access to and through workforce programs through network-building with a strategic focus on program design, alignment with local labor market needs, incorporation of industry-recognized credentials, progress into bachelor's degree programs, and deployment of timely advising interventions to maintain student momentum. Generously funded by the Ascendium Education Group, this work centers on four core strategies. Below is a brief video overview of the project and accompanying slides.

The MCSS hosted a series of exploratory workshops in Winter and Spring 2021 featuring all four project strategies with our partners at the Community College Research Center, the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, the Rutgers University Education and Employment Research Center, Jobs for the Future, and Achieving the Dream. These four workshops provide valuable background from national experts on the important work we hope to achieve in this project. Review all four videos to learn more.

Improving Equitable Workforce Program Design

Strategy #1 is open to selected programs at community colleges that are interested in improving their applied certificate and degree programs. Colleges engaging in this deeper dive will better understand how programs are helping graduates successfully access jobs with family-sustaining wages, ensure that colleges are providing equitable access and success, supporting program exploration, and delivering effective student supports.

Awarding Academy Credit for Industry Recognized Credentials

Strategy #2 focuses on supporting colleges in their efforts to award academic credit for industry credentials by developing equitable policies, establishing equivalencies, designing an equitable process to award credit, and communicating credit equivalencies and policies to students and employers. In addition to the video below which provides a comprehensive overview of this strategy and features three colleges and their efforts to award academic credit for industry credentials, the MCSS is hosting a series of workshops to support colleges in their efforts to establish equitable credit for prior learning policies and practices.

Institutional Policy Workshop (March 10, 2022)

Aligning Industry Credentials Workshop 1 (June 2, 2022)

The Student Experience (August 4, 2022)

Aligning Industry Credentials Workshop 2 (October 6, 2022)

Industry Credential Marketing Materials

Institutions are invited to use marketing materials to communicate the new industry credentials database on the Michigan Transfer Network.
Customizable News Release Social Media Toolkit
Colleges and universities can begin entering credential equivalencies on the Michigan Transfer Network. Although institutions can create, edit, or delete credentials at any time, institutions are encouraged to create equivalencies before the priority deadline of March 17, 2023 before this new functionality is scheduled to go live on April 17, 2023. Detailed instructions to create equivalencies and request new providers are available below. Submit a Help Request in the secure area of the MTN to report issues.
Create Edit Delete Credentials Requesting New Providers and Credentials Instructions
Designing Transfer Pathways to the Bachelor's Degree

Strategy #3 will focus on building multi-institutional transfer agreements between applied workforce programs at community colleges and bachelor's degree completion programs at Michigan's public and independent institutions of higher education. In October 2022, MCCA facilitated the development and implementation of four new transfer agreements including:

Applied Business

General Applied Science

Healthcare

Information Technology

25 community colleges and 10 universities joined the four agreements which collectively provide a bachelor's degree completion pathway for graduates of 529 associate degree programs at community colleges in programs such as Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Hospitality Management, Cardiac Sonography, Cybersecurity, and more. Visit the Michigan Transfer Network to learn more about these agreements.

Developing Timely Advising Interventions

Strategy #4 focuses on expanding the capacity of advisors and counselors to provide student supports by creating customizable guidance focused on creating equitable access to workforce programs and a shared understanding of the career opportunities for students. A workgroup of executive leadership, faculty, advisors, and counselors have worked to identify 8 crucial lessons to support college personnel committed to supporting students. The Center for Student Success will release these new guides in late Spring 2023 focused on the following topics:

1. Expanding Knowledge of the Local Labor Market

2. Exploring Diverse Careers

3. Foundations of Equitable Advising, Onboarding, and Student Supports

4. Analyzing Disaggregated Program Data

5. Special Resources for Faculty

6. Supporting Faculty and Advisor Relationships

7. Understanding Personal Bias in Career Exploration

8. Communicating the Value of the General Education with Students and Employers

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The Strengthening MiWorkforce Pathways project seeks to strengthen equitable access to and through workforce programs through network-building with a strategic focus on program design, alignment with local labor market needs, incorporation of industry-recognized credentials, progress into bachelor's degree programs, and deployment of timely advising interventions to maintain student momentum.

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Katie Giardello, Manager of Network Engagement, MCCA's Center for Student Success

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https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/

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Find the college that's the best fit for you! The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard has the most reliable data on college costs,graduation, and post-college earnings.

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https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJclcOmtqTktE9bLsolgkXlwhpnGuzyAhOzX

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https://padlet.com/jbschanker/rysw8g3xrgz5ej