Perkins End of Year Evaluation

Perkins funding made a difference at our college by: Allowing us to increase awareness of Career and Technical educational opportunities. Making more options available to our high school students through Career and College Promise pathways – Aviation Machining – Welding expansion – Mechatronics/Automation, Mobile App Developer Reducing transportation barrier for local high school students through pilot program. (not funded through Perkins but part of initiative)

Our college’s best practice using Perkins funds is: Hire an additional welding instructor to meet demand for day and evening courses. Hire a second machining instructor (sustained this year by college) but as a result of a resignation, we had the opportunity to hire a female machining instructor that is well versed in current industry practices. Notes of consideration: We were struggling to meet the demand for courses offered both day and evening in machining and welding with one instructor for each program. Funding has allowed us to hire a second welding instructor which allows us better scheduling for instructors, meeting day and evening course demand. It has been difficult to retain faculty in CTE due to earning potential in the industry.

Our College Perkins Team: NameTitle Phone Suzanne Rohrbaugh Vice President for Academic Affairs x 2137 Kris BrooksDepartment Chair, Applied Technologies x 2182 Joy TomsDirector for Workforce Training & Outreach x 2240 Laura CoffeeDean, Workforce Development x 2156 Steve WoodruffVice President for Administrative Services x 2209

1. We strengthened the academic, career and technical skills of our students by: Re-examining our CTE programs for relevancy to industry resulting in curriculum revisions for Electrical Systems Technology and Industrial Systems Maintenance programs of study. Increasing capacity in welding and machining as result of funding a 2 nd full-time position. Added welding course to machining Added welding day cohort in addition to night welding program Continuing to develop CCP pathways that complement existing high school programs and are of interest to the secondary educational partners. Examples of new pathways: Information Technology – Mobile App Developer Electronics Engineering

2. We linked career and technical education at the secondary level with career and technical education at the postsecondary level: Rockingham Community College Day & Career Expo All four high schools within county participated in event Students toured all CTE program areas at the college Business and Industry partners participated in the Career Expo to connect the programs of study with specific jobs in the area. Job-Shadowing and Work Based Learning Students in the aviation machining pathway were allowed to participate in a job-shadowing experience with a local machining company. Parents were invited to an open-house prior to students beginning their experience. Junior Achievement This partner provided the curriculum and materials for soft skills training which was embedded within the pathway.

3. We provided students with strong experience in, and understanding of all aspects of an industry by: Inviting high school and college students to tour a local industry in operation. (Beta Fueling Systems, MSI) Machining Welding Providing work based learning opportunity for electrical student with Duke Energy through a structured program with the company while allowing the student to complete his/her education. Allowing students to participate in the Career Expo. Upcoming “Taste of Industry” event

4. We developed, improved, or expanded the use of technology in career and technical education by: Inviting 2 faculty members to participate in a Distance Learning Academy to encourage online coursework development. Resulted in online content development for safety which can be utilized some of the Industrial Technology programs Will be repeated this summer with additional faculty through Title III funding Seeking National Science Foundation grant to introduce and promote STEM education to socially and economically challenged students.

5. We provided professional development by: Distance Learning Academy, Quality Matters Business and industry tour for CTE faculty to see first-hand the skillsets required for industry (Beta Fueling Systems) NC Electrical Code Class for faculty to maintain license OSHA instructor update:24 hours Fanuc Robot Vision training: 24 hours Energy Management 1: 32 hours Energy Management 2: 32 hours Energy Management 3: scheduled for Oct 2016 Taste of Industry Event – scheduled for June 2 & 16, 2016 High school counselors are invited to campus to participate in a hands-on experience in machining, welding, electrical and automation/mechatronics programs followed by an industry tour.

6. We developed and implemented evaluations of our career and technical education programs by: Conducting a comprehensive Advisory Committee Meeting to solicit input into curriculum design and improvement. Integrating faculty into Customized Training opportunities to ensure relevant practice and skillsets which align with employer needs. Faculty members of Industrial Technology programs work directly with industry to develop training plan specific to industry needs. Our faculty members are providing that training. Evaluating all courses/programs of study each semester through student evaluations and assessment of program Student Learning Outcomes.

7. We Initiated, improved, expanded, and modernized quality career and technical education programs, including relevant technology by: Purchasing 2 new pieces of equipment for our machining program. Precision Engine Lathe Vertical Knee Type Milling Machine Our equipment is quite old and somewhat even outdated. Because of increased enrollment and broader schedule to accommodate high school students, it is difficult to repair or replace due to the high demand for use. Implementing a “lean” approach to organizing storage of supplies and materials. Hired a machining instructor with extensive industry experience with Caterpillar and is certified in Lean.

8. We provided services and activities that are of sufficient size, scope, and quality to be effective as evidenced by: Adding an Aviation Machining CCP pathway that integrated the coursework with job-shadowing experiences and incorporates soft skills training. This meant adding a daytime cohort to allow high school students to participate in this program. Adding instructional capacity in Welding to accommodate the CCP pathway interest. Realigning electrical and industrial systems programs of study to create a core curriculum that allows a student to determine interest once enrolled. Quality of graduates obtaining employment and business/industry seek our graduates to fill vacancies. Beginning our first apprenticeship with a local industry to meet employer demand.

9. We provided activities to prepare special populations students who are enrolled in CTE courses by: Invited local high schools in Rockingham County to participate in RCC Day and Career Expo with a business and industry tour as part of the events. A large percentage of Rockingham County high school students are considered disadvantage and underprivileged as a result of their socio-economic level. Student Services Staff visit local high schools and Goodwill Resource Centers to be available to provide information to potential students that have identified barriers (e.g. transportation, fear of attending college). This is an area we need to work on and are in the process of developing a plan for improvement. One approach we have discussed is inviting female students to tour our CTE programs with our female machining instructor.

Closing Thoughts This funding has allowed us to increase our capacity and improve our equipment in CTE programs. Without this funding, this would not have been possible. We are able to leverage funds which increases our ability to offer services (state budget, NCWorks grant funds, Title III grant, Healthy Places NC).