Maria de la Cruz, CHEO Career CoachDotsy Baxter, CHEO Instructional Designer

Improving Communication between Higher

Education and Industry

Maria de la Cruz Dotsy Baxter

Maria is the Career Coach for the CHEO TAACCCT grant at Pueblo Community College. During the last 15 years, she has had extensive experience in leadership positions: Admissions Director at Trinidad State Jr College; and the Perkins Administrator/Career Counselor/21st Century Grant Administrator for Huerfano RE1 School District. She has also contributed countless hours of service to numerous community endeavors.

 

Dotsy is the Instructional Designer for the CHEO Grant at Pueblo Community College. She helped transform HIT courses from Face to Face to Hybrid and Fully Online. As Instructor for these same courses her experience is well rounded. Dotsy also has a BS in Rehabilitation Education and a wealth of Professional Development and Continuing Education training in Instructional Technology and Design.

Gap? What Gap? InfusionGeneration Boomers, X, Y, and ZA salesperson knows the productEducation/Industry PartnershipsCareer Pathways

Objectives

SOFT SKILLS are “Skills, abilities, and traits that pertain to personality, attitude, and behavior rather than to formal or technical knowledge” (Moss and Tilly 2001)

Technical skills ALONE do not make someone competitive in the job market

Educators need to address those gaps and help students recognize that they have these skills (Shameless self promotion)

Gap? What Gap?

Oral and written communication Teamwork/collaboration Work ethic/

self-motivation/dependability/honesty Critical thinking/questioning/problem solving Leadership/influencing Ability to work under pressure Creativity/innovation/resourceful Organizational/time management Attention to detail

Soft Skills

Teamwork

Communication Skills

Think Critically

Resourcefulness in solving problems

Understand and communicate quanti-tatively

Integrity and Ethics

Understand global cultures and values

What employers want

Who is being asked to help develop these skills?

This is not about creating more work for you or your students

Many of your assignments are already “infused” with soft skills.

Ideas – 53 Ways to Check for Understanding

DON’T PANIC…

Activities best for learning

Multitaskers; media-oriented Used to working in teams Optimistic & confident; want to be rich and

famous Achievement-oriented; need structure and

feedbackNegotiate anything; lack diplomacy

“Entertainment attitude”Get bored quickly if it’s not FUN

Computers & devices are NOT “technology” Balancing work-life realities

Soft Skill & this Generation

Re-think◦ Modify our assignments to help students practice

and connect◦ Integrate more “real world” experience◦ Integrate business etiquette into class etiquette◦ Assess communication skills - rubric◦ Design and assess team dynamics and behaviors◦ Practice presentation skills◦ Assign a portfolio or list of acquired skills

What does this mean to educators?

Innovative Measures of Communication with

Industry

Advisory CommitteesSector PartnershipsInternshipsApprenticeshipsEmployment HubsCommunity CouncilsCommunity Endeavors

Partnerships

Advisory Committees Academic Programs – 2 Advisory Meetings Informational Meeting vs. Collaborative

Problem Solving Regular Agenda Item: Workforce

Preparedness & Technical Skill Requirements

Establish Common Goals Identify Barriers Plan collaborative student activities: mock

interviews, internships, field visits, class presentations

Industry Sector Partnerships Become INVOLVED. The Time is NOW www.sectorssummit.com

Graphic is a hyperlink to: https://vimeo.com/107279690

Find an Active or Emerging Sector Partnership in Your County

Industry Driven Partnership with Education, Colorado Workforce, Economic Development

Participate regularly Are all Voices at the Table from the Employers

perspective? From the Educational perspective?

Other Perspectives ? Community Involvement

Industry Sector Partnerships

The Southern CO Healthcare Sector Partnership Results:

Internships that address Educational StandardsEducational Strategies that meet Industry NeedsEnhancing the community – Economic

Development to attract and retain quality employees

Growing our Own Employment Pool from Middle School > High School > College > Industry

Innovative Educational & Training Tools Anticipating & Planning for the FutureWE ARE PUEBLO PROUD – product of the Sector

PartnershipPueblo Proud hyperlinked to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymOwyqw9F6chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymOwyqw9F6c

Industry Career Hubs

www.PlanYourHealthCareer.Org Employment HUB for the Healthcare Industry Benefits to Industry

Direct Communication with students/employeesLink to academic programsLink to Workforce Centers

Benefits to Higher EducationHub assignments can be embedded into academic

curriculum to address soft skill developmentMany educational institutions have similar career sites

Career Pathway Development Traditional Paths: Education > Employment Non-traditional paths: Employers are involved in the

Educational Training ProcessCOLLABORATION Sharing Resources Creating Common Goals Collaborative Communication Tools Collaborative Assessments Collaborative Problem Solving RESULT: COLLECTIVE IMPACT !!

Questions & Answers

This product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.

Consortium for Healthcare Education Online project material by CHEO Project TAACCCT Round 2 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License “This product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.”