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DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 393 490 JC 960 188

AUTHOR Johnson, Larry, Ed.TITLE Common Ground: Exemplary Community College and

Corporate Partnerships.INSTITUTION League for Innovation in the Community Coll.;

National Association of Manufacturers, New York,N.Y.

PUB DATE Apr 96NOTE 84p.

AVAILABLE FROM League for Innovation in the Community College, 26522La Alameda, Suite 370, Mission Viejo, CA 92691($15).

PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141) Collected Works

General (020)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Community Colleges; *Corporate Support;

Corporations; Educational Finance; Job Skills; *JobTraining; *Labor Force Development; *Partnerships inEducation; Program Descriptions; *School BusinessRelationship; School Community Relationship;Technical Education; Two Year Colleges

ABSTRACTDesigned to illustrate exemplary strategies used by

community colleges to meet the needs of corporate partners and whichother colleges may wish to model, this monograph providesdescriptions of partnerships at 14 community colleges written by thepractitioners involved. Each narrative discusses how the partnershipswere formed; their structure, organization, and funding; and lessonslearned in the process. The following partnerships are featured: (1)Central Piedmont Community College (Virginia) and Okuma America; (2)Cuyahoga Community College (Ohio) and Ford Motor Company; (3) DallasCounty Community College District (Texas) and the National CorporateSupplier Training Network; (4) Delta College (Michigan) and GeneralMotors Corporation; (5) Foothill-DeAnza Community College District(California) and Hewlett-Packard; (6) Humber College (Toronto) and

the Canadian Plastics Training Centre; (7) Johnson County CommunityCollege (Kansas) and Burlington Northern Railroad; (8) KirkwoodCommunity College (Iowa) and AEGON USA; (9) Lane Community College(Oregon) and Symantec Corporation; (10) Monroe Community College (NewYork) and Eastman Kodak Company; (11) Moraine Valley CommunityCollege (Illinois) and Autodesk, Inc.; (12) South Seattle CommunityCollege (Washington) and the Boeing. Company; (13) Sinclair CommunityCollege (Ohio) and the Reynolds & Reynolds Company; and (14) St.Louis Community College (Missouri) and McDonnell Douglas Corporation.(TGI)

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COMMON GROUNDExemplary Community College and Corporate Partnerships

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League for Innovation in the Community CollegeNational Association of Manufacturers

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

COMMON GROUNDExemplary Community College and Corporate Partnerships

Larry Johnson, Editor

A joint publication of

The League for Innovation in the Community College

and

The National Association of Manufacturers

April 1996

CONTENTS

About the Publishers

Foreword

Introduction

Central Piedmont Community College and Okuma America

Cuyahoga Community College and Ford Motor Company

Page

1

5

Dallas County Community College District and

the National Corporate Supplier Training Network 11

Delta College and General Moiors Corporation 15

Foothill-De Anza Community College District and Hewlett-Packard 21

Humber College and the Canadian Plastics Training Centre 27

Johnson County Community College and Burlington Northern Railroad 33

Kirkwood Community College and AEGON USA 39

Lane Community College and Symantec Corporation 45

Monroe Community College and Eastman Kodak Company 51

Moraine Valley Community College and Autodesk, Inc. 57

South Seattle Community College and the Boeing Company 63

Sinclair Community College and the Reynolds+Reynolds Company 69

St. Louis Community College and McDonnell Douglas Corporation 73

lit

League for Innovation in the Community College

The League for Innovation in the Community College is a nonprofit educational

consortium of resourceful community colleges crganized to stimulate

experimentation and innovation in all areas of community college development.

Founded in 1968, the League seeks to serve as a catalyst, project incubator, and

experimental laboratory for community colleges throughout the United States and

Canada. The League is committed to sharing the results of its efforts with all

community colleges. Its programs and conferences are open to staff from all

colleges, and its publications are disseminated to every community college in the

United States and Canada. The League regularly includes community colleges

throughout North America in its projects and invites collaboration with all

organizations committed to improving community college education.

The National Association of Manufacturers

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the only association

advancing the vital interests of all segments of manufacturing for national

policy makers. As the largest industrial trade association, the NAM represents more

than 13,500 member companies and their subsidiaries, accounting for 85 percent

of U.S. manufacturing output and jobs. The NAM's primary mission is to advocate

policies that promote American economic growth and competitiveness. A top priority

of the association is to support high levels of training and education for its member

companies and promote high-performance workplaces. The NAM celebrated its

centennial in 1995.

FoREwoRD

In today's global economy, the knowledge worker is essential to U.S.competitiveness. From the factory floor to the boardroom, there is a new senseof urgency to have a skilled work force that responds to today's challenge forquality goods. Cutting-edge technology, customization, and new manufacturingprocesses have created even more pressure to create learning opportunitiesthat continuously upgrade the knowledge of all workers.

The National Association of Manufacturers believes that the competitiveadvantage of U.S. manufacturers lies in the application of technologicaladvances in combination with an increasingly skilled and adaptable work force.To that end, U.S. manufacturers are spending over $60 billion in educatingand training the nation's work force. As more and more manufacturers adoptthe principles of high-performance workplaces, that amount is increasinglybeing focused on front-line workers.

To facilitate this process, a growing number of manufacturersboth largeand smallare turning to their local community colleges for help. Often, incooperation with local employers' groups, community colleges have respondedwith vigor, designing customized workforce development programs and highlyfocused course work for a range of employee needs. The following "successstories" speak for themselves, telling the tale of a growing partnership betweenhigher education and the business community. Many of these are examples oflarge company/community college alliancesbut a surprising number of smalland medium-sized companies, often suppliers to larger firms, are realizingthat they, too, must have the kind of worker that can deliver to their customersthe highest quality product. These smaller companies, whose needs aresignificant but whose resources are thin, are particularly eager to work withtheir local community colleges.

We hope you enjoy and learn from the information in this monograph.Clearly, it is just a small example of the "common ground" that manufacturershave with the vast and unique system of community colleges. If we can createout of these alliances a foundation for lifelong learning, we will be successful

in meeting the challenge of the global economy.

Jerry Jasinowski, PresidentThe National Association of Manufacturers

INTRODUCTION

The League for Innovation's interest in the corporaterelationships of community colletaes can be traced to theearliest years and activities of the organization. but its currentfocus stems from a seminal meeting held in 1990, when thecorporate services representatives of 18 League colleges metto discuss common interests and needs. It was immediatelyevident that much could be gained by sharing experiences,materials, and other resources, and the Business and IndustryServices Network (BISNET) was formed to facilitate theexchange of knowledge and information between themember institutions. Soon it became clear that more formalmechanisms were needed to coordinate information.facilitate communication, disseminate information, andassist in organizing collaborative projects. The idea of analliance of community colleges with business and industryarose. and with encouragement from several corporateleaders, the League sponsored a Community CollegeBusiness and Industry Forum in Dallas. Texas, in early 1992.At this meeting. attended by representatives of 23corporations. the League was urged to develop a nationaleffort to coordinate information, activities, and collaborativeprojects that would assist community colleges in servingthe training needs of business, industry, government, andlabor.

At about the same time, it became clear that much moreinformation was needed about what community collegeswere doing in the corporate arena and in 1992, the Leagueembarked on a comprehensive national study thatinvestigated the scope of community colleges' involvementin workforce training. More than 725 colleges responded tothe survey, which revealed that 96 percent of communitycolleges provided workforce training for employees ofbusiness. industry, government, and labor. As a result of thesefindings, and with the expressed support of corporatepartners such as the Student Loan Marketing Association.National Computer Systems Corporation, IBM, EastmanKodak, and Xerox. as well as community collegeorganizations such as the American Association ofCommunity Colleges, the Continuous Quality ImprovementNetwork, ED>Net, the Coalition of Advanced TechnologyCenters. and others, the League advanced an ambitious ten-point agenda to promote the expansion and improvement ofcommunity college workforce development programs. Thisagenda. expressed in a white paper entitled The WorkjOrcel'raining Imperative: Meeting the Training Needs (d. theNation, formed the core of what has become a major strategicfocus of the League, the Workforce Initiative.

The Workforce Initiative, now in its fourth year, sei vesas an umbrella for a wide-ranging set of projects, activities.and an annual national conference designed to help

community colleges understand and address the tremendousissues involved in ensuring that the nation's work force iscompetitive in the global marketplace. This monograph, thesecond in the series devoted to workforce issues andcorporate relationships with community colleges, identifiesand describes fourteen exemplary community college/corporate partnerships. Each of these relationships beganas simple fee-for-service workforce training contracts, butall have evolved into much more comprehensive, long-termrelationships.

The colleges described in these pages havedistinguished themselves on many fronts in the workforcetraining arena. The purpose of this monograph. however, isto illustrate the ways the colleges have met the needs ofspecific partners and to describe practices other collegesmay wish to model. Each college was asked to contribute achapter detailing how these relationships were formed, howthey are structured, organized, and funded, and what hasbeen learned in the process. The stories of these partnershipspaint an enlightening picture of the quick responsiveness ofthe colleges, their flexibility, and their willingness to adaptto changing circumstances.

In each case, the programs go beyond the typicalworkforce training that virtually all community collegesoffer: the colleges have built close relationships bydiscovering the common ground they have with theircorporate partners and building a sense of shared purposeand community. In so doing. enormous benefits have accruedto both sides, allowing the partnerships to grow and prosperin unforeseen ways as they adapt to the needs of a changingworkplace.

The long-term partnership between Foothill-DeAnzaCommunity College District and the Hewlett-PackardCorporation, for example, has paid large dividends for bothorganizations since the college began offering courses atfourteen Hewlett-Packard sites in the 1970s. Over the morethan 20 years the two have been working together. Hewlett-Packard has repeatedly donated funds and equipment. andmade major contributions that allowed for the developmentof three joint-use athletic fields. Hewlett-Packard employeesare important members of the college community, servingas both faculty and students: the college, for its part, is avalued source for high-technology courses and training.

St. Louis Community College enjoys a similarrelationship with one of its long-standing partners, thcMcDonnell Douglas Corporation. Over thc MOT than tenyears of their relationship. McDonnell Douglas has lookedto St. Louis Community College to help it through times ofenormous expansionand wrenching cutbacks. In theprocess. the partnership has adapted to changing needs and

.V ( t I 1.-V

weathered all of those storms, providing training to over8,500 employees and aiding in the creation of more than3,000 new jobs.

The National Corporate Supplier Training Network isa unique national partnership between leading manufacturersand six outstanding community colleges, including theDallas County Community College District and MonroeCommunity College. In this innovative and collaborativepartnership, leading organizations such as Eastman Kodak,Sematech, Texaco, and Motorola have taken an active rolein designing curricula focused on total quality approachesto production and manufacturing and have devised acertification program to qualify their suppliers in thesetechniques.

The partnership between Delta College and GeneralMotors Corporation has evolved into an internationalactivity, the Automotive Service Education Program (ASEP).This large-scale training effort is designed to keep GMemployees and dealerships current in the latest automotivetechnologies and takes place in several states and foreigncountries. The relationship between Sinclair andReynolds+Reynolds Company has also outgrown theborders of their community. as Sinclair has helped thecompany expand its network of management training tocommunity colleges across the country.

With leadership and support from business, labor.government, and education, the state of Washingtonembarked on an ambitious project to ensure the viability ofthe state's manufacturing base. Boeing Company and SouthSeattle Community College were major players in the effort,which began with the comprehensive identification of coremanufacturing skills and competencies and resulted in amanufacturing technology core curriculum that links highschool and community college programs.

In an effort of similar scope, the partnership thatfounded and sustains the Canadian Plastics Training Centrealso unites industry, labor, government, and education,bringing these sectors together in a comprehensive effort toupgrade the skills of a key Ontario industry. Located atHumber College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto.the Centre provided training to over 50 plastics companiesin its first two years.

When Symantec began looking for a relocation site.Eugene, Oregon. was among 19 cities under review. Thekey factor that made the difference in Symantec's eventualdecision to choose Eugene was the tremendousresponsiveness of Lane Community College to the trainingneeds of the company. Within eight wet ks of the company'sdecision to move to Eugene. Lane was offering customizedtraining to the future employees of Symantec.

Autodesk, Inc., the world's leading developer of designand drafting software, teamed up with Moraine ValleyCommunity College to create an Authorized AutoCAD

Training Center to facilitate the transfer of Autodesktechnologies to new and existing users and resellers. In theprocess, Moraine Valley has been able to remain at theleading edge of drafting and design technology. Throughcontributions of software, hardware, and instructor training,Autodesk has ensured that the center can continue to provideup-to-date instruction to both credit and noncredit studentsand that its customers and resellers have access to the latestin AutoCAD technology.

Cuyahoga Community College joined with Ford MotorCompany and the United Auto Workers to create the WaltonHills UAW-Ford Education Center within the Walton HillsStamping Plant. This center, open to employees and theirfamilies, has made a significant contribution to Ford's effortsto involve its employees in improving production processesand to the community at large.

In testament to their mutual long-term commitments.several colleges and their partners literally have foundcommon groundand have raised new buildings on it. Withthe support of local government, Johnson CountyCommunity College teamed up with the Burlington NorthernRailroad in a series of training programs and activities thathave resulted in the creation of the National Academy ofRailroad Sciences. Housed in a joint-use facility built byBurlington Northern on the JCCC campus. the Academyfeatures state-of-the-art railroad simulators and can supportinstruction in all aspects of railroading. Central PiedmontCommunity College and Okuma America, a leadingmanufacturer of computer numeric controls, joined togetherto create the CPCC Okuma Technology Institute. Thismultiple-use facility, constructed by Okuma on companyproperty but offering classes open to the community. is usedfor educational, demonstration, and sales purposes.

When AEGON, an international insurance company,began its search for a location for its North Americancorporate data center, Kirkwood Community College sawthe opportunity for synergy with a long-time customer.AEGON now operates its North American data operationsout of a joint-use facility built by AEGON on the Kirkwoodcampus. The expanded partnership that emerged is a marvelof collaboration in which facilities, technology, andresources are extensively shared between the two entities.

Each of the following chapters is a success story. Eachdescribes how a college is working hand-in-hand with keycorporate citizens and others to make a lasting difference inits community. As community colleges across the continentstrive to meet the enormous need for workforce training anddevelopment, these remarkable relationships demonstratethat our colleges are indeed up to the task.

Larry Johnson. Associate DirectorLeague for Iniuition in the Community College

9

Chapter 1

Central Piedmont Community College and Okuma AmericaSherrie Kantor, Rick Kipp, and P. Anthony Zeiss

Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) wasestablished in 1963 with a special focus on workforcedevelopment. Its mission statement included an emphasison providing academically, financially, and geographicallyaccessible education and training. The Charlotte, NorthCarolina, college was destined to become the flagshipamong the state's 59 community colleges. leading thetransition from an agricultural to a manufacturing-basedeconomy. From the beginning and through the seventiesand eighties. CPCC fanned the innovative spirit of its facultyand staff by encouraging the integration of their educationalexpertise with the industrial expertise of the area'semployers. The growth of these partnerships with businessand industry was a consequence of the college's mission toeducate students responsibly and effectively.

The college's focus on workforce development has paidhuge dividends for its countywide service area and beyond.Charlotte (and surrounding Mecklenburg County) hasbecome the third largest financial center in the United States.and the region is recognized as one of the fastest growingareas in the country. In 1993 and 1994. several nationalbusiness magazines cited the area as being the best place tostart a business, and Charlotte has recently been named asthe best city in the nation for foreign business start-ups.The college consistently contributes to the favorablebusiness climate by providing effective and reliable workersin a variety of manufacturing and service fields.

A comprehensive strategic master planning processwas developed by the college during a 16-month periodbeginning in 1993. The college's governing board wasinterested in reassessing the mission of the college to ensurethat the college was responding to the needs of businessand industry. The master planning process involvedcomprehensive studies of community, student, and businessneeds and included the development of 45 action steps. Withthe information gained through the process. the governingboard reassessed its role in the community and resolved torenew the original mission of the college by establishing aclear vision statement for the institution: "CPCC Intendsto Become the Nation's Leader in WorkforceDevelopment." The college then articulated its renewedvision with the North Carolina Department of CommunityColleges' new focus on workforce development, and withthe Governor's emphasis on workforce preparedness. As aresult of these efforts. CPCC interprets the term "workforcedevelopment" in its broad sense to include vocations in thearts, sciences, humanities, and the trades and technologies.

The college has embraced a set of workforcedevelopment goals which will help it to begin leading the

1

way in workforce development on a larger scale. Forinstance, approval of a $35 million capital construction bondreferendum, the largest in the school's history, was recentlygained from the county commission. These constructionbonds will allow the college to establish a multicampussystem to better serve its students, those who employ them.and the community at large. CPCC currently serves 61,000different students each year and it has outgrown its physicalcapacity. Further, the college is seeking methods forblending its credit classes with its corporate and continuingeducation classes in order to be more responsive to the needsof business. The college is also focusing on innovativedelivery systems. including the International CommunityCollege, interactive video formats, and the Internet. In short,CPCC is accelerating its focus on customers and itsresponsiveness to the needs of employers. As thecompetition for diminishing resources increases in thepublic sector, CPCC recognizes the importance of focusingon workforce development as a key part of its overallmission.

The effects of international competition and increasingdomestic problems have created new demands on thefundamental structures of government and education.Community colleges face serious issues regardingdecreasing revenues and increasing expectations. In themidst of this uncertainty. CPCC sees an opportunity tostrengthen its position as a critical service provider and toprovide better services. The college. its governing board.and its leaders strongly believe that financial, political, andsocial benefits abound for institutions that shift or expandtheir missions, resources, and efforts to strengthen theircommunity's economyespecially community colleges.Collaborating with government, businesses, and communityagencies has become the normal operating mode for thecollege as it moves into the 2Ist century.

CPCC is deliberately erasing the traditionalinstructional division lines between credit versus noncreditand vocational versus transfer courses and is attempting tofocus on the current needs of its primary customersstudents and those who employ them. To do this, the collegeis serious about providing customized instruction which isneed-based and market-driven. Courses are being designedto serve new learner needs in five general categories:emerging workers; existing workers; entrepreneurs;transitional workers; and avocational workers. Of course,these categories are not meant to he limiting, but. rather.more definitive than the traditional credit and noncreditcategories. Certainly any student. assuming he or she meetsminimum entrance requirements. may take any course the

Chapter 1

college offers, but there is a practical utility thataccompanies the new categories. Faculty. staff, andadministrators now think about instruction as being directlyassociated with human development and the workplace.They are concerned with "student needs 'categories" asopposed to "college instructional categories."

A major component of this cultural shift within thecollege is partnering with businesses. An excellent exampleof such collaboration is the partnership between CentralPiedmont Community College and Okuma America.

Background and History of Partnership

The Okuma America partnership dates to 1987 whenthe Okuma Machine Tool Company decided to put amanufacturing plant in the United States. Okuma is a high-tech machine tool manufacturer with headquarters inOguchi. Japan. on the outskirts of Nagoya. Nagoya is anindustrial city second in size only to Tokyo. and lying justto the southwest. Because of United States traderestrictions at the time, key Okuma products like ComputerNumeric Control (CNC) machine tools had strict importlimitations. Okuma decided the only way to compete forthe American market was to establish a U.S.-basedmanufacturing site. It has since expanded into North andSouth America.

When the company was deliberating about location,Central Piedmont Community College became involved aspart of the regional economic development team. A pre-employment plan to assist in the start-up operations wascrafted by CPCC's New Industry director. The New Industrydepartment worked with Okiiina America to design trainingand recruitment activities. Education in technical, basic.and communication skills followed, along with hands-onmanufacturing training. In eight short years. what began asa start-up operation with only a few employees has grownrapidly into an organization with more than 340 employeesand revenues of over $239 million.

After the establishment phase. the company and thecollege maintained what could be characterized as aconventional relationship. From time to time. the companysent employees to the college for classes and made generouscontributions of CNC machines for use in training.

Okuma America's human resources managerexplained, "As the company grew, not only did its needsfor training internal employees grow, but so did the needfor training external personnel."

The president of Okuma America had a distributornetwork of sales and service personnel all over the countrywho needed to obtain and maintain knowledge of state-of-the-art equipment. Furthermore, customers needed to fullyunderstand the equipment and its features to maximize itsproductivity.

Creation of a Technology Institute

Timing was everything in the 1994 formation of theCPCC Okuma Technology Institute. The company wasgrowing quickly and needed quality training for its internaland external constituencies. At the same time, the college,under new leadership. was broadening its workforcedevelopment mission. Research had validated the need formore accessible, convenient, and customized education formanufacturing businesses as well as other industries.

With the assistance of CPCC's research department andthe guidance of the president of the Manufacturers' Councilof the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and plant managerat Westinghouse, a demand analysis was conducted usingan extensive survey. The results gave the college, thecompany. and the manufacturing community as a wholethe impetus to go forward with the implementation of thetechnology institute.

Together. CPCC and Okuma partnered to provide afacility that would serve the company's technical trainingneeds and be a community training resource for the localmanufacturing industry at the same time.

None of this would have been possible without thevision and leadership of the Okuma CEO, who saw the valueand importance of education for his company, his industry,and his community. His enlightened philosophy about therole of the corporation in the community paved the way forthis partnership.

Activities and Programs of the PartnershipOrganization. The partnership between Central

Piedmont and Okuma is informal. The college providescomputers. equipment. software, furnishings, and expertise.Okuma provides classroom space and labs, as well as accessto its CNC machines for hands-on training. The collegealso provides a normal range of support servicesscheduling classes, hiring faculty, marketing the institute,and evaluating courses. Okuma provides input on coursescheduling, context and selection, and receives a freetraining slot for one of their employees in every class taught.

The partnership is managed and staffed with acoordinator from the Corporate and Continuing Educationdivision. Corporate and Continuing Education is one of thefour main instructional units of the college, responsible for37.000 of CPCC's 60,000 students. The college's workforcedevelopment initiative enjoys the strong support of CPCC'spresident. A dean handles policies and negotiations withthe company, and day-to-day work is conducted by a full-time coordinator. Okuma's human resources managercoordinates the partnership for the company.

The Manufacturers' Council of the Charlotte Chamberof Commerce and the area business association also playkey roles. Without ongoing input from these and otherindustry professionals. the institute could not enjoy its

2 1

Courses are open to the public but aretargeted towards employees ofmanufacturing companies in the area. Theschedule of offerings appears in thecollege's schedule each quarter, and abrochure is sent to surrounding companies.

current success. The president of the Manufacturers'Council and the vice president of Okuma are particularlyinstrumental in this regard.

Staffing. The college selects instructors with input fromindustry, especially Okuma. The instructional staff includesboth full-time and part-time individuals selected based ontheir knowledge and ability to teach in industry.

The coordinator of the project is assigned to thebusiness and industry services department of Corporate andContinuing Education (CCE), led by a director who is oneof eight that report to the dean. Several of these directorshave responsibility for business and industry training, bothat business sites and on campus. Directors are organizedinto teams that target the predominant market segments ofthe Charlotte region. CPCC's Okuma coordinator worksdirectly with the CCE team, thus assuring that the center'sefforts are coordinated with those serving other aspects ofthe manufacturing industry.

The Okuma coordinator receives supervision andinstructional support from Okuma America. A publicationspecialist assists regularly in the designing of appropriatemarketing strategies and materials. Clerical assistance isprovided by Okuma as well.

In addition, the coordinator often calls on several ofthe Corporate and Continuing Education full-timespecialists to teach, design instruction, or to recruit and traininstructors. The importance of having full-time specialistswho can develop instruction, recruit appropriate part-timeexpertise. and maintain high-quality and well-deliveredinstruction cannot be overemphasized.

Through the college's relationship with the SoutheastManufacturing Technology Center (SMTC). specializedtechnical instructors are often brought in to teach technicalcourses either at the institute or at client facilities.

Periodically, the CPCC director of research is calledupon to help assess demand. and the research to date hasproved very valuable. Because of this ongoing evaluation,only one course had to be canceled due to low enrollmentin the first year of course offerings.

Overall Program. The center offers an array of short-and long-term training degrees and certificates. Coursessuch as Time Management: Accounting. Production, andInventory Control Systems (APICS): Statistical ProcessControl: Supervision: and Teamwork dominate the short-term training ofkrings.

Chapter 1

These kinds of courses have a wide appeal not onlyfor Okuma, but also for other companies in the area. Clientssend employees to take the particular class or classes thatwill most enable the company to operate the plant at anoptimum level. Many of these offerings, such as themachinist courses designed for Okuma, are structured sothat they can be credited toward an associates degree. Inthis manner, the Training Institute's instructional offeringsare part of a much larger set of educational options.

Courses are open to the public but are targeted towardsemployees of manufacturing companies in the area. Theschedule of offerings appears in the college's schedule eachquarter, and a brochure is sent to surrounding companies.Approximately 30 percent of the first students enrolled wereOkuma employees.

The site is also used as a testing center for prospectiveemployees by the new industry unit of the college. Pre-employment training classes are arranged and employersare able to select from the pool assembled and tested. Theprocess helps both employers and employees make the rightmatch before employment begins.

In-service meetings for large groups (25-50) areconducted by the college as well as the company. Theflexible space is very conducive to these kinds of activities.Okuma uses the facility to bring its distributors, sales staff,and suppliers together for in-depth product training. Thein-class experience is coupled with a tour of the plant,allowing the participants to come away with a knowledgeof not only what the product can do, but how it is made.

3

Programs and Services

Assessment/Training. The college uses an employeeassessment package developed by CPCC's New Industrydirector, as well as the Zenger Miller package.Environmental and safety classes are also available. Smallbusiness and import/export courses will be offered at theinstitute. A computer-based workplace basics lab is alsobeing planned. Individualized instructional packages willenable participants to learn and reinforce both technical andbasic skills.

Registration Services. On-site registration, advising.and bookstore services are scheduled at the institute thebeginning of each quarter. A coordinator is available toadvise students during the quarter.

Thaching Aids. Okuma provides traditional teachingaids such as overheads, white boards, and VCRs. Thecompany's hospitality has even extended to the students'"snack needs.- When the building first openedbeforevending machines had been installedOkuma providedsoft drinks in the lobby for night students, a wonderfulmodel for quality and customer service!

Advisory Committee. An advisory committeecomposed of representatives of area business meets

Chapter 1

quarterly to advise the institute about future programs andservices. This important community link helps ensure thatthe institute's programs are relevant, timely, and meetingthe needs of customers.

Facilities

Okuma purchased a 50,000 square-foot building on 15acres adjacent to its plant in 1993. The completely renovatedspace now contains 14 state-of-the-art classrooms, ademonstration/showroom, and a computer center. CentralPiedmont purchased the software, equipment, and furniturefor the computer center, which it now operates. Theshowroom, complete with Okuma's costly CNC equipment,is used for learning activities, as well as for providingdemonstrations to students, distributors, and customers.

The building was dedicated in July 1994, and the firstclasses were offere in the fall of 1994. A number ofdignitaries, including the mayor, were on hand toacknowledge the importance of the resource this partnershiphad created for the Charlotte business community. In thefirst six months, 12 companies and 200 employees receivedtraining through the institute.

A walk through the institute's lobby with its beautifuland imposing displays conveys an instant message that high-qual ity learning is practiced. Instructional delivery methodsused at the institute include teamwork, role play, lecture.plant tours, and hands-on training for computer CNCprogramming and operations classes. Because Okuma isone of the best known CNC manufacturers, the college hasgained access to otherwise unaffordable equipment to trainstudents. Future plans call for using distan.ce learning, andOkuma has already approved plans for a teleconferencingauditorium.

In the near future, the partnership will expand to addressthe training needs of other area industries with the kind ofeducation and technical training offered by the institute. Inthe long range, the college plans to build a campus nearbyto accommodate technical training not now available at theinstitute, such as flexography.

Funding

The partnership with Okuma required an initial largeinvestment of space, renovation, and equipment, all ofwhich were provided by Okuma. The college purchasedcomputer software, furniture, and equipment for thecomputer center. All instructional planning, training, andcoordination activities ( including those open to non-Okumaclients) are funded and sustained with college resources.

Okuma 7rovides funds for building maintenance, whilethe college is responsible for marketing and instructionalexpenses (faculty salaries, materials, course development,supplies, printed schedules and brochures, advisorycommittee costs, and otim- related expenses).

Evaluation

Classes are evaluated by students and are observed bythe CPCC coordinator and the Okuma training director.Responsiveness to community demand is assessed throughresearch and by the advisory committee. The dean anddirector maintain open communications with companyleaders; all involved feel they can be candid in thesecommunications. Competency-based measures like thosethat relate to productivity (production, absenteeism ofemployees, etc.) have yet to be developed.

Impact on the Community

The partnership is valued highly by both the collegeand the company, and its benefits are numerous. It is difficultfor a college to keep up with the latest technology fortraining, especially when it involves highly specializedmachines like CNC equipment manufactured by Okuma.By training in this innovative company setting, both collegestudents and manufacturing employees have access toquality education using the most advanced equipment. Theinvestment is leveraged by opening the facility to functionsfor sales staff, distributors, and customers.

The company's and the college's images in the businesscommunity and the community at large are enhanced bythis partnership. The economic development capacity forthe community in general, and the manufacturing industryin particular, is enlarged by this training facility. Finally,by making education convenient and affordable, individualsand companies can more easily develop their work forcesand do so with a much greater frequency than was possiblein the past.

Lessons Learned

CPCC and Okuma have learned several lessons. Oneis the value of a keep-it-simple philosophy. The partnerstook a mere nine months from conception to implementationto create the Okuma Technology Institute. Because theykept the vision clear, the process was simple, andunnecessary bureaucracy did not complicate efforts. Bothpartners had champions that operationalized the vision andhave remained vigilant about attending to its success.Finally. ongoing communication and flexibility havesustained the initiative taken. These practices have helpedthe partners build a technical institute that contributes notonly to their own organizations. but also to the economicdevelopment and vitality of the entire Charlotte businesscommunity.

About the authors: Sherrie Kantor is dean pf corporateand continuing education at Central Piedmont CommunityCollege in Charlotte. North Carolina; Rick Kipp is humanresources manager at Okuma America; P. Anthony Zeiss ispresident Qf Central Piedmont Community College.

4 13

Chapter 2

Cuyahoga Community College and Ford Motor CompanyJerry Sue Thornton and Lois E. Baron

Upgrading skills for success in today's and tomorrow'swork environment takes some creative planning and oftenrequires a departure from traditional educational processesand structures. Such was clearly the case in the partnershipbetween the Walton Hills UAW-Ford/Cuyahoga

-Community College. It was not until the UnifiedTechnologies Center, an innovative, creative entity withinthe community college, constructed a customized,nontraditional program for Ford that a viable relationshipwas possible. This journey illustrates the need for rethinkingand reorganizing if the community college is to effectivelyserve industrial needs and become a true partner in planningand change.

Background

Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), founded in1964, is a public, comprehensive community college whosemission is to provide high-quality, accessible and affordableeducational opportunities and servicesincludinguniversity transfer, technical, and lifelong learning programsthat promote individual development and improve theoverall quality of life in a multicultural community.

The college offers university-parallel programs thatprovide the first two years of a traditional four-year collegeor university curriculum, and career and technical programsto meet the ever-growing need of the local community fortechnicians and paraprofessionals trained at the two-yeardegree level. It also provides a broad range of cultural,educational. recreational, and occupational offerings to meetthe lifelong learning needs of county re5idents.

The first institution of its kind in Ohio, the collegebegan in a renovated school building which grew to threecampuses and two alternate learning sites. The college nowhas 77 degree programs, a sophisticated distance-learningprogram, and a multitude of partnerships. Reaching out tothe community. Tfi-C's partnerships extend to business.industry, labor, the arts, government, other educationalinstitutions, neighborhood groups, and special-needspopulations. These partnerships include a unique science,math, and engineering program with NASA that begins inkindergarten and moves through the 12th grade: thesecondary school Northeast Ohio Tech Prep program:special automotive training: and the Unified TechnologiesCenter which opened in 1986. Through these relationships,the college stimulates economic and human resourcedevelopment and enhances the quality of life for CuyahogaCounty residents.

Service District. The population of the college's service

5

area declined 18 percent between 1970 and 1990, from1,720,835 to 1,412,140. At the same time, poverty hasincreased. According to the Council for EconomicOpportunities of Greater Cleveland. 68.6 percent of allcensus tracts in Cleveland were considered in poverty in1970. By 1990, the figure had risen to 93.1 percent withone-half of all people residing in Cleveland below thepoverrj line. Even the suburban tracts in poverty showedconsiderable increase: from 6.3 percent in 1970 to 25.7percent in 1990.

Long-term trends show that Cleveland has lost relativestrength in employment. During 1979 to 1983. Clevelandlost 9.8 percent of all jobs compared to an 8.7 percent lossin Ohio and only a 1.9 percent loss nationally. From 1983to 1990, Cleveland employment increased only 14 percent,while Ohio gained 18.4 percent and the United States 23.4percent.

The major employment sectors in Cuyahoga Countyare retail trade, durable-goods manufacturing, healthservices, education, other professional services, and finance,insurance and real estate.

Losses have occurred in such traditionally largeemployment fields as miscellaneous chemicalmanufacturing, the motor vehicle industry, and basicmachinery. As is true nationally, Cleveland has gainedpositions in the professional and service fields such asnursing. hospitals. and business services.

Fighting to reverse negative trends. Cleveland is nowknown as the "Come Back City.- It has revitalized itsdowntown, built a new baseball stadium and arena complex,and received $90 million from the federal government foreconomic development zones. There is intense focus onneighborhood revitalization and improving the schoolsystem. In the fall of 1995. the Rock and Roll Hall of Fameopened as Cleveland celebrated its bicentennial. The collegeis represented on all economic development boards and isconsidered a valuable community resource.

Student Body & Faculty. 1994 enrollment was closeto 25,000, including both full-time and part-time students.The college draws its students primarily from CuyahogaCounty. Over two-thirds attend part-time, and 70 percentattend class primarily during the day. Approximately 30percent ot' the students are minorities: the average age is30.

The students are primarily from low to moderate-income households, with nearly half receiving some formof financial aid or scholarship assistance. Thesocioeconomic status of the college's students reflects on

Chapter 2

their academic preparation, with the majority needingdevelopmental preparation.

The college employs 374 full-time faculty, 306 ofwhom are tenured; and 850 to 925 part-time faculty.depending on enrollment. The student/faculty ratio is 21 toone. Two hundred fifty-three full-time faculty have mastersdegrees. 98 have doctoral degrees. and the balance havethe baccalaureate or its equivalent.

The Partners

Cuyahoga Community College Unified TechnologiesCenter. The Unified Technologies Center (UTC), whichopened in 1986, is designed to provide innovative resourceservices: introduce new technology into the workplace:support productivity, quality, and worker skill upgrading:and improve organizational performance by buildingemployee skills and knowledge levels needed to meetchanging job requirements.

It houses the Louis Stokes TelecommunicationsCenter, a state-of-the-art teleconferencing facility forconducting meetings and training sessions locally andworldwide; the Cleveland Electronic Commerce ResourceCenter which helps manufacturers move from paper-intensive to more highly automated modes of operation:and the Manufacturing Learning Center (MLC).

The Manufacturing Learning Center enablesengineering technology students to gain experience oncompany projects in a manufacturing setting. UTC'sResource Facility, of which the MLC is a part, provides"state-of-the-market- hands-on assistance to helpbusinesses understand manufacturing technologyapplications and train their employees in the use ofmanufacturing-related technology. It also supports creditprograms in engineering, quality improvement, and businessmanagement. The state of Ohio provided $2.5 million tohelp create the Manufacturing Resource Facility. Thesefunds were used for equipment acquisition and necessaryfacility modifications.

Parallel to the UTC is the Center for Training andEconomic Development which supports programs to meetcity and county public sector training needs. The UTC isan affiliate of the Cleveland Advanced ManufacturingProgram (CAMP). one of Ohio's Edison Centers and thecollege's primary vehicle for participation in areawideeconomic revitalization, worker training, and technologytransfer strategies.

Ford Motor Company. Ford Motor's Walton HillsStamping Plant is a supplier of quality sheet metal stampingsto Ford Motor Company assembly plants in the UnitedStates, Canada. and Mexico. Walton Hills is designated asa surrogate supplier to the Lorain and Ohio assembly plantslocated in Lorain and Avon Lake, Ohio, respectively.

Walton Hills opened in 1954 and occupies 2.2 million

Ford outlined characteristics critical toa high-performance workplace able tocompete in the changing marketplace:flexibility, employee empowerment,quality management for a continuouslyimproved work force, skills training toimprove problem-solving effectiveness,and task integration and problemsolving through work teams.

square feet of manufacturing space.. Annual production,through 24 major press lines and 12 major assembly lines,exceeds 152,000 tons of steel. At Walton Hills, that steel isprocessed into sheet metal automobile comooaents. Atpresent, there are 1.952 hourly and 204 salaried employees.

In 1982, the Education. Development, and TrainingProgram (EDTP) was established at Walton Hills andexpanded in subsequent collective bargaining agreements.The National Education, Development, and Training Center(NEDTC), a nonprofit organization headquartered inDearborn. Michigan, administers EDTP funding. developsprograms, and provides support and on-site assistance tolocal EDTP committees. Although the EDTP is part of anational system, the types of programs that are offered atspecific plants are determined by local joint EDTPcommittees, with representation both from the UAW andFord Motor Company to ensure that regional needs are met.

Project Background

In the early 1980s Ford Motor was on the leading edgeof a workplace phenomenon called "employeeinvolvement," aimed at including the work force indecision-making processes. As employees became moreinvolved, it became evident that many did not have the skillsneeded to he successful in improving the productionprocess. Employees were asked to become familiar withoperations such as statistical process control, charting, andreport writing. At the time, the average age of a WaltonHills' employee was over 50, and many had either lost basicskills through years of nonapplication, or in some cases.had never learned these skills. It became clear that if theemployee involvement concept was to succeed, ancillarytraining was needed to assist the workers.

Although Ford offered refresher courses, the widerange of employee skill requirements made it impossibleto provide effective training through traditional classes. In1986, aided by employee surveys and direct communicationwith workers, the plant's lite education advisor and the localjoint Education. Development. and Training Programcommittee learned that a significant number of employees

6 15

felt they needed additional skills training. Withrepresentatives from labor and management. and directionfrom the National Education Development Training Center,the Walton Hills committee sought out CuyahogaCommunity College's help in developing a skillsenhancement program (SEP) that would be accessible toall UAW-represented employees for basic skillsenhancement, other remedial efforts, and lifelong learning.

An initial meeting, held with Cuyahoga CommunityCollege's division of continuing education, helped assessabout 75 workers: about two-thIrds of that group proceededto work with Tri-C counselors to develop individual learningplans. However, because of the wide range of skills withinthis group and their varied work schedules, it was notpossible to obtain a sufficient number of students at anylevel to support traditional classes. The program floundered.

Fortunately, at about the same time, the UnifiedTechnologies Center at Tri-C was being established as abusiness training center for the purpose of providingworkplace training services throughout Northeast Ohio.Considering the Walton Hills needs, it was inevitable thatthe UTC became the logical resource for Ford's programdevelopment.

In 1988, the UTC staff reevaluated the situation atWalton Hills and presented the local joint EDTP committeewith an alternative solution. Based on prior experience withother companies, and because of the diverse needs and thevariety of employee shifts, the UTC staff determined thebest solution was a self-paced learning program whichwould be broad in scope, use a variety of multimediainstructional programs, and be housed at the Walton Hillsplant. The local EDTP committee was interested and choseUTC as the training provider to open the UAW-FordEducation Center at Walton Hills in February 1989.

From the center's inception, the UAW, Walton Hillsmanagement. and Tri-C worked as collaborative partnersto establish a program that could be supported by all themajor stakeholders. Partnering in this way. especially inthe planning stages. removed many of the barriers that cancause difficulty in securing stakeholder buy-in. Meetingregularly as a local EDTP committee. UAW representativesand Ford management representatives constantly soughtnew avenues to provide support and training to Fordemployees in order to strengthen the organization.

Purpose. The goal of the Walton Hills UAW-FordEducation Center is to provide "educational enrichment-to workers that can be applied not only in the workplacebut also in their personal lives. The major tenets on whichthe center was based include voluntary participation,confidentiality, and flexibility in designing programs so thatthey are maximally responsive to individual needs.

6)

The Program

As an on-site educational program, the Center operates

Chapter 2

mainly under the leadership of the local EDTP committee,with the Tri-C Unified Technologies Center functioning ina consulting capacity. The UTC functions as an independentcontractor and provides administrative, instructional, andskills enhancement academic advising services as requestedby the Education Center committee. In addition, the collegecoordinates and integrates its services with other on-siteeducation and training programs. as well as other jointprograms. The college also employs and assigns a projectcoordinator, four instructors, and two teacher aides: facultymembers are employed by the college.

Staffing. The Education Center staff consists of amanager and three teachers. There is a budget for clericalsupport, and when necessary, such support is provided byUTC employees. The manager is a certified teacher with abackground in the Job Corps and business training, plusexperience in teaching at the elementary, high school, andcollege levels. He reports to the director of the UnifiedTechnologies Center. The three teachers, all with masters-level degrees. are certified and retired from their schoolsystems. They were selected because of their experienceand their ability to relate to the Walton Hills workers: theydo not receive any special training from the Tri-C staff.

Program Content. In the 1980s. Ford Motor Companyoutlined the characteristics critical to a high-performanceworkplace able to compete in the changing marketplace:flexibility, employee empowerment. quality managementfor a continuously improved work force, skills training toimprove problem-solving effectiveness, and task integrationand problem solving through work teams.

Both labor and management at the Walton Hills facilityrecognized that by improving basic and thinking skills, andproviding the opportunity for self-learning, they could affectthe core competencies necessary to move their work forceinto the 1990s and beyond. To do this, the employees neededimproved interpersonal skills, problem solving andmathematical skills. information processing skills, a betterunderstanding of social, organizational and technologicalsystems. and the ability to use current and new technologymore productively.

When faced with the issues of varied schedules andeducational abilities, UTC chose an interactive learningmodel for the center. With assistance from the local EDTPcommittee. a curriculum plan was designed to includeaudiovisual media (print, audio and videos), competency-based computer tutorials, and simulations.

The interactive learning model used at the Walton HillsCenter was designed to incorporate certain goals: reducedtraining time, on-site availability of all courses to allemployees, flexibly scheduled training sessions, increasedstudent achievement, increased job proficiency, increasedstudent/instructor satisfaction, immediate feedback onprogress, and low attrition rates.

The center does not adhere to a rigid curriculum.

7

Chapter 2

instead, it has the flexibility to address the particular needsand diverse interests of individuals. When employeesimprove their skills and gain confidence, overallorganizational performance is improved and maximumresults are produced. In addition to GED preparation, basicEnglish, and mathematics, the program offers a broadspectrum of advanced courses and enrichment subjects,including effective communications, foreign languages,computer technology, personal development, and collegepreparatory work.

The Walton Hills UAW-Ford Education Center islinked with all training programs at the plant. By networkingwith counterparts within the company, the Education Centerassists employees with the varied technical trainingprograms offered by the company such as statistical processcontrol, problem solving, technical process training, andsafety. The programs offer support to participants and referpotential students to representatives from two-year and four-year colleges and universities. Spouses are also welcometo participate in the lifelong learning program, makingcontinuing education a family affair and reinforcing its valuein quality-of-life issues.

The Employee Comfort Zone. If a UAW-representedemployee is interested in participating. the Education Centerstaff conducts a confidential assessment and academiccounseling. Among the assessment instruments used arethe Wide-Range Achievement Test, Gates-McGintieReading Test, Test of Adult Basic Education, GED Pretest,and Math Achievement. Based on the results and theemployee's goals, an individual learning plan is developed.If participants are uncomfortable with a formal assessment.they are encouraged, but not forced to participate. Evenwithout formal assessment, the instructor works closely withthe student to develop an individual learning plan.

As students complete course modules, testing is offeredto allow them to measure their progress. While the majorityof students participate in testing, it is not required. Thepartners in the program are committed to voluntaryparticipation because it is frequently the learning process.not test results, which gives the greatest benefit to theworker.

All learning plans, assessment results, training records.and conversations with instructors remain completelyconfidential between participants and the Education Centerstaff. Maintaining a consistent staff at the center hasestablished a safe and secure environment that builds trustin the program.

Confidentiality. When the Education Center was firstdeveloped, the concept was not well received. Employeesdistrusted management and the motives behind theprogram's development. Some lacked appropriate educationand training prior to employment at Ford, and others feltinsecure admitting that they needed training and someremedial help. Immediately it became clear that the

8

employees would enter the program only if there wascomplete confidentiality. Therefore, management was notprivy to the names of those in the program. Once theconfidentiality policy was established and some workerscompleted parts of the program, the studc.nts themselvesbecame advocates for the Education Center. When youngerworkers learned of the older workers' success, theyresponded positively and enthusiastically.

Continuing good word-of-mouth for the center is anatural outgrowth of this success. Additionally, theEducation Center's staff remains highly visible throughoutthe plant. They are continuously available to workers,gaining their trust, providing educational advice, andaccepting informal referrals from coworkers, foremen,supervisors, and company trainers in a nonthreatening way.

Facilities. The Ford Motor Company provides theEducation Center a 60-foot by 15-foot area within the plantwhich accommodates a large work area and three smallerrooms for individualized testing and learning. The centeris located near the plant floor and is easily accessible andconvenient for employees. Thirteen computer stations areavailable, eight in the main lab and five in more privateareas. Education Center instructors work part-time in thecenter, which is open 44 hours a week.

UAW (Local 420) makes its facilities available foradditional training-room space and the annual educationrecognition ceremony where workers receive Certificatesof Achievement.

Financial Support. Financial support comes from anegotiated agreement between Ford and the UAW whichestablished the UAW-Ford Education Development andTraining Program. The jointly administered, comprehensiveEDTP serves the interests of UAW-represented Fordemployees, the union, and the company. The programpromotes training, retraining, and development activities.In the process, the program also contributes to thecompetitiveness and well-being of the companyaspectswhich are essential to job security, personal growth, anddevelopment of Ford employees.

Through this negotiated agreement, a UAW-FordNational Education, Development, and Training Center wasestablished in 1982 as a separate and distinct entity. TheNational Center and the program are under the generaldirection and guidance of a joint governing body consistingof representatives of the UAW and Ford management.Through the National Center, Ford and the UAW makeavailable a wide range of educational, training, andretraining services and activities, and support other jointactivities as agreed upon by the governing bodies withinthe level of funding as provided in the negotiated agreement.

Funds for the program are negotiated yearly Setweenthe local joint EDTP, the provider (UTC), and the NationalEDTC. The UAW-Ford National Education Developmentand Training Center reimburses the college for services

performed, equipment, furnishings, and instructionalmaterials. All furnishings, equipment, instructionalsoftware, videos, .books, and materials purchased by thecollege for the project become the property of the centerupon reimbursement of the college's costs.

Marketing the Program. The goals in marketing theprogram are twofold. First, the Education Center staff makessure that workers feel comfortable coming into the center:second, they ensure that workers clearly understand all theavailable programs. New employees learn of the programduring orientation and view a video called "The BreakfastC/ub," which highlights the benefits of the SEP. There isan annual education fair and quarterly open houses.Throughout the year,the Education Center providesannouncements over the plant's closed-circuit televisionsystem, bulletin boards, in the union local monthlynewsletter, and in the employee news publication. Inaddition, at least twice yearly, Education Center staffdistribute brochures containing course information andtechnology news to every worker entering or le:wing theplant.

Evaluation

One of the principal challenges for the EducationCenter was that the development of outcome measures abideby the confidentiality policy, and remain nonthreatening,yet useful. All past and present students are surveyed witha National Education Center form and a center-developedsurvey. The goal is not only to evaluate the presentprograms, but also to help in planning future offerings. Thereturn rate on surveys is about 10 percent. The centerprovides both quantitative and qualitative measuresincluding participation rates, participant return rates,participant successes, impact on the workplace, andinformal feedback from participants and management.

A bimonthly report summarizes the followinginformation: recruitment and follow-up coordination withother programs: instructional activities: the number ofparticipants in each program: and the number of participantswho have attained their personal learning goals. Thesereports are sent to the college and to the Ford/UAWcommittee. Participation rates and participation return ratesare two valuable indicators of the program's quality.Participation rates reflect on the program's ability to offerinteresting and effective courses to the workers. Theprogram manager, as an employee of the college, isevaluated for administrative performance through theCuyahoga Community College system.

Results

In 1989, the first program year. 185 employeesparticipated. Currently, 943 of the 1,952 hourly workers at

Chapter 2

the plant are involved in the program. This represents over48 percent of the hourly work force, which is an impressiveparticipation rate for a voluntary program that takes placeon the employee's own personal time. Fifteen participantshave received their GEDs, and 336 have succeeded incollege-level courses. Most importantly, 632 workers haveattained their stated individual educational goalN.

The program's greatest impact is evident in the overallimprovements in employee attitude, personal growth anddevelopment, and job performance. Prior to the program'sinception, the hourly work force's level of involvement inthe day-to-day business operation was minimal at best.Worker and management representatives have sincereported that the participants feel more comfortable withthe technical aspects of their jobs and are better preparedand more confident about joining in discussions focusedon improving efficiency and product quality.

9

Currently, 943 of the 1,952 hourlyworkers at the plant are involved in theprogram, an impressive participationrate for a voluntary program that takesplace on the employee's own personaltime.

The employees' confidence in their ability to adopt andmaintain modern operating techniques has also grownsignificantly, and in turn, has greatly enhanced thecompetitiveness of Walton Hills. The plant's success isreflected in its recent selection for the prestigious Q-1 Awardby Ford Motor Company. This award is given to a plantthat demonstrates having discipline and verifiable systemsin place to effectively reduce variability, resulting inconsistently improved quality.

But the program's real success is seen in someindividual stories: a metal finisher, participating in theprogram since 1989, recently received his GED and is nowa quality control representative at customer assembly plants:another participant who started the program in 1989received his GED and enrolled in a degree program at thecollegehe recently accepted a salaried position at WaltonHills; a female participant, who initially exhibited low self-esteem, was selected to conduct tours through herdepartment for visiting Q1 inspectors: and a spouseparticipant received her GED and has since been promotedfrom secretary to supervisor at her bank. She continues hereducation in the evenings.

While the benefits from the program are impressivefor Ford and its employees, the UTC also finds it the effortvaluable. The UTC uses the program as a model for otherlarge corporations: Westinghouse Naval Systems Division

18

Chapter 2

contracted with UTC for program development after an on-site visit to Walton Hills, and four other large corporationsnow have similar individualized programs. The UTC isbuilding a reputation for skills enhancement programs thatwork.

In addition, the college benefits as workers and theirspouses gain confidence in their ability and go on to college-level courses at Tri-C. The learning center, as the pivotaltraining resource, nurtures a close relationship between Fordand the area's institutions of higher learning.

As a publicly supported college, Tri-C gains a largepart of its fur.ding through levies. The Walton Hillsadministration and union provide invaluable support duringlevy campaigns and contribute to the high passage rate ofthese initiatives in the county. It is gratifying to see that thepartnership engenders not only employee education, butsupport for excellent education in general.

Unexpected Results. The program was designed as asingle, stand-alone program, not officially integrated intoany other activities at the individual plants. Walton Hills,like most plants, had various other training initiativesunderway, sponsored by both joint labor/managementprograms (apprenticeships and employee involvement) andFord itself (new equipment training, statistical processcontrol, technical development). During the initial planningof the Walton Hills Center, consideration was not given tohow this program would be integrated into other trainingand development activities at the facility.

Due to the center's quality staff and the goodrelationships between labor and management, the EducationCenter quickly became a vital link to all training initiativesalready in place. Training coordinators are quick torecognize that support services are available to theirparticipants through the Education Center. They havedeveloped close relationships with the Education Centerstaff and refer employees for special assistance ordevelopment, all the whiie maintaining the individual'sanonymity and confidence.

Another unexpected result was the number of olderworkers that quickly participated in the Education Center.Initially it was thought that the younger employees wouldbe more motivated to take advantage of this educationalresource. Surprisingly, the more senior workers were thefirst to recognize the value of the educational services. Asa result of this, the senior workers were eager to share, teach,and mentor the newer members of their work teams, as theyfelt more comfortable with their own skills and knowledge.

Challenges. Because the program is designed as avoluntary, confidential program, the major challenge is todesign systems that will accurately measure the results andimpact on both the individual and the organization. Short-term impact measurements are difficuh to obtain due to thefact that participation is voluntary and confidential.Nonetheless, reporting and information sharing strategies

allow the capture of specific positive changes in bothindividuals and processes that can be attributed to theavailability of Education Center programs.

Program Replication. Because the Walton Hills Centeris so flexible in design, the potential for replication by otherorganizations is unquestionable. This program is anexcellent model for those organizations with a work forcerequiring diverse learning needs. The start-up costs soonpay off in this kind of long-term, continuous learningenvironment. The critical factor to consider is theorganization's commitment to investing in its humanresourcei and the value it places on lifelong learning as akey to organizational success.

The UAW, Ford, and Tri-C have offered informationto numerous groups and organizations wishing to duplicatethe Walum Hills success. Tri-C has used this successfulmodel as a basis for development of other work-basedlearning centers. The program gained national attentionwhen it wl:s recently profiled in a report to the United StatesCongress on the use of technology in the workplace.

The Future

1 0

The pace of change in business and industry isstaggering. It is difficult enough to keep abreast of newtechnology and human resource development, but ifcorporations are not only to keep up but also to grow,systems that are both innovative and creative must bedeveloped. What has been learned so dramatically in theWalton Hills project is that traditional educational constructsmay work for the college, but they may not be pertinent tothe real needs of real companies. It is to everyone's creditthat the initial failure to establish classes did not end thesearch for appropriate learning opportunities. CuyahogaCommunity College is indeed fortunate to have the UnifiedTechnologies Center dedicated to the innovative, creativeprograms so necessary in today's marketplace: othercolleges can adapt the concept in rethinking theirrelationships with business and industry.

The Walton Hills project is built on common sense anda certain simplicity. It takes the latest technology and makesit accessible. nonthreatening, and life enhancing. It bindsworkers and management in a positive relationship. It placesinstructors and students within a trusting experience. Itopens up options and expands possibilities. And all this isaccomplished within a cost-effective, personalized programthat ends up giving the company and the workers the long-term results necessary to improve both quality of life andthe competitive edge.

About the authors: Jerry Sue Thornton is president ofCuyahoga Community C.,1Iege in Cleveland, Ohio: LoisE. Balm is cmlsultant to die president at CuyahogaCommunity College.

19

Chapter 3

Dallas County Community College Districtand the National Corporate Supplier Training Network

Glen I. Bounds, Daniel Mancillas, and James Picquet

In an interdependent economy where the lifetime ofcompetitive advantage is often measured in days, acorporation's success often relies on the knowledge,quickness. and quality of its suppliers. Recognizing this,seven Fortune 500 companiesincluding four MalcolmBaldrige Award winnersformed a consortium in 1993with their suppliers and a group of selected communitycolleges. The effort started with a vision to create a world-class training system that accelerates supplier learning andimproves performance for competitive advantage. TheConsortium for Supplier Training, as it came to be called,originally consisted of Digital Equipment. Eastman KodakCompany, Motorola. SEMATECH, Texaco, Inc.. TexasInstruments, Xerox. and six strategically located communitycolleges. Texas Instruments and the Dallas CountyCommunity College District's Bill J. Priest Institute forEconomic Development formed the vanguard of this effortto deploy world-class best practices throughout the suppliernetwork of 21,000 large and small companies.

Background. While the Dallas County CommunityCollege District has been engaged in workforce trainingsince its inception, it was not until 1984 that the districtcreated a separate corporate training division, the Businessand Professional Institute, which focused exclusively onthe training needs of business and industry. By 1986, theU.S. Small Business Administration had designated theDallas County Community College District as the SmallBusiness Development Center (SBDC) for North Texas,covering a 49-county area. Three specialty centers wereadded as part of the North Texas SBDC: the InternationalSBDC, the Center for Government Contracting, and theTechnology Assistance Center. In 1989. this cluster ofbusiness programs was located in the Bill J. Priest Institutefor Economic Development, a new $10.2 million facilitywhich also included Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)skills training programs and a business incubator. Theformation of the Consortium for Supplier Training presentedan excellent opportunity for the institute to expand its scopeof services to small businesses as well as large corporations.

The consortium is an organization of total-quality-focused global companies headquartered in the UnitedStates. It was created as a means to increase access totraining while reducing resources and duplication ofactivities. The mission of the consortium is to provideknowledge and methodologies to the 11.S. supply chain thatwill enhance the quality of products. achieve customer

satisfaction, and strengthen U.S. suppliers by providing asolid foundation of total-quality methods and processes.To deliver the training, network members selected sixcommunity colleges known for their responsiveness tobusiness needs and for their expertise in adult education.They are the Dallas County Community College District,Dallas, Texas; Finger Lakes Community College,Canandaigua, New York; Houston Community College,Houston. Texas; Mesa Community College, Mesa, Arizona;Monroe Community College, Rochester, New York; andNorthern Essex Community College, Haverhill,Massachusetts.

This powerful national team provides total-quality-related training that is affordable and accessible to smallbusinesses on an ongoing basis. Never before had majorcorporations joined to share their best quality processes anddesign a curriculum and strategy to make them available tosuppliers through community colleges. The benefits of thismove ale standardization of prime contractor requirementsand common language; customer/supplier cooperation andsharing of information related to quality issues; a monitoredprocess to minimize duplicated efforts by reducing overallcycle time and avoiding reinventing efforts; and lower costof individual training.

While the consortium was originally developed to servecorporate suppliers and their specific quality training needs,it has grown in size and scope and now qualifies as a national

model. Not only has the effort evolved to serve anyone whoapproaches a supplier training center with a specific need,but training is now seen as only one part of the overall effort.Consortium leaders have become .increasingly concernedabout assessing training needs in the context of strategic plans

to generate radical change improvement when training isfinally provided. These leaders have determined that trainingwithout consultation and support in implementation oftraining concepts is not likely to generate radical change.Therefore, a complete performance improvement system hasbeen developed which includes assessment, consulting,intervention, training, implementation, and evaluation.

Ultimately, this approach will help several thousandsuppliers reduce waste, defects, cycle time, employeeturnover, and the cost of conversions. By working togetherin this consortium, large and small businesses will alsoincrease their competitiveness, improve market response.and secure greater opportunity for product and marketingexperiments while realizing significant profits and

11 o u

Chapter 3

continuous qualityimprovements.

Purpose of the Project

The purpose of theConsortium for SupplierTraining is to adapt, testand deploy a set of total-quality courses amongsuppliers to enhanceproduct quality, achievecustomer satisfaction,and maintain a com-petitive edge in thecommercial arena.

By consolidatingthese courses anddeploying them throughcommunity colleges, thenetwork can assuredelivery of a high-qualitycurriculum that is comprehensive, consistent, effective,accessible, cost-efficient, and nonduplicative.

Consortium for Supplier Training Interface with Training Centers

Weer, MC.11whit,Int colleges)

Supplier TWAIN'C.N. r (allege)

Description of Partnership

Organization. The organizational approach is verystraightforward. Governed by an advisory board, the eightparticipating companies develop high-qualitymanufacturing processes and tools they wish to share withtheir suppliers, other manufacturers, and the general public.

The companies serve as site sponsors and, throughtheir program managers, design a 12-course core curriculumin total quality for selected community colleges serving assupplier training sites. The companies form a nationalsupplier training network that trains and certifies key facultymembers from each college in the new curriculum.

Staffing. The Consortium for Supplier Training is anindustry-driven organization. Quality-focused companiesheadquartered in North America may be admitted tomembership in the consortium by approval of the advisoryboard, composed of seven members of the consortium thatgovern the partnership. Each corporate member isresponsible for sponsoring at least one supplier trainingcenter and providing ongoing support to the center.Companies not sponsoring or selecting a supplier trainingcenter, but still wishing to participate, may join as associatemembers provided they support .a training center withfinancial or other resources, provide a training course, oractively participate in one of the consortium teams.

Specific responsibilities of the advisory hoard include:

determining qualification requirements andprocesses for instructors;

maintaining membership agreements andagreements with supplier training centers;maintaining supplier training center modelspecifications;managing consortium expansion;providing consortium communication;conducting independent supplier training centerquality systems reviews;determining curriculum needs and identifying andsupplying training materials to the supplier trainingcenters;developing standardized course evaluation forms;approving supplier training centers for theconsortium:

and budgeting 25 percent of the advisory boardmembers' time to support consortium activities.

Faculty members are drawn from the ranks of collegefaculty among the network's training centers. Prior totraining suppliers, faculty undergo training themselves,under the sponsorship of industry representatives. Uponsuccessful completion of "trainer training," college facultyare then certified to teach the specialized curriculum bythe corporate member sponsoring the training.

The Consortium for Supplier Training advisory boardcarefully selects instructors who:

are familiar and experienced with adult education/learning concepts;

arc available and able to provide follow-upconsulting after the delivery of the training;

represent the college and the Supplier Training

12 21

Network as role models in the practice of totalquality with demonstrated clear understanding andcommitment to total quality;possess good listening and communication skillsand questioning techniques;

demonstrate an ability to relate the course conceptsto a broad representation of industries andindividual needs;

have experience in delivering facilitation-basedtraining;

show tolerance and flexibility in the use of industryterminology and acronyms;

hold an educational background appropriate forthe level of training and target audienceat aminimum, a bachelor's degree or equivalentexperience;

have some exposure to high-tech manufacturingand an understanding of the issues and needsinvolved; and

can conduct workshop-style training using acombination of facilitation and good presentationskills.

Overall Program. The consortium advisory boardmeets quarterly with the supplier training council to ensurethat program activities are on track. These activities include:a combination of assessment services, strategic planningassistance, training, consultation, and evaluation servicesfor suppliers of the consortium members; and thedevelopment of curriculum and consultation strategies thatemerge from benchmarking the best-in-class submissionsfrom member colleges and companies.

Service. The Consortium for Supplier Training hasevolved to serve anyone who approaches a supplier trainingcenter with a specific need that can be addressed throughits offerings. The consortium board has determined thatsecond- and third-level suppliers form a web that crossesover most businesses in some manner. The board is stillconcerned about primary or "strategic suppliers" receivingpriority support to undergird the consortium's continuousquality improvement programs. Nevertheless, the overallmovement of all companies to the use of improvementsystems is seen as a primary service concern.

Supplier training centers discovered their own collegedistricts have benefited from the establishment ofcontinuous quality improvement programs using theconsortium materials as the base for internal staff andprogram development. Some have shared the training withlocal school districts and regional associations. Theseefforts, however, continue to he concentrated primarily inthe service areas of the colleges that have a supplier trainingcenter.

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Content. The consortium provides courses which focuson corporate improvement. While the primary focus is ona select group of quality courses, the delivery of othercourses such as literacy, computer skills, and manufacturingskills are considered important to improvement systems.

Training through courses, however, is seen as only onepart of the overall effort. In the last year, the consortiumhas become increasingly concerned about coupling theassessment of training needs with strategic plans to generateradical-change improvements after the training is provided.Training without consultation and support inimplementation of training concepts is not likely to generateradical change. Because of this, benchmarking the bestimplementation strategies that incorporate training as acomponent has been a focal point in developing newcontent.

Instructional Delivery. All courses are designed to bedelivered in a one- to two-day classroom format. They aresupported with a variety of media including videodiscussipn starters, examples of best practices, transparencysets, instructor and participant workbooks, and a host ofhands-on case studies and modeling exercises. To date theonly use of new technology as a delivery method is inMotorola's Six Sigma class which is now offered in a self-paced computer or CD-ROM-based version. TexasInstruments is currently considering the use of its businessprocess management course as a possible submission forthe first video course.

Special Innovations. Special innovations or strategiesemployed in each course are highlighted through simulationand role playing. Of special note are exercises that allowstudents to design a manufacturing course in "leanmanufacturing" of a portable solar power collection station.In this exercise, teams put together a best price and JIT-deliverable materials list, deal with cycle-time and wastemanagement in product development, and produce aworking prototype. The participants move from team andpartnering concepts to using benchmarking processes thattake into consideration a full set of engineering metrics.Other courses offer equally intense learning experiencesand similar types of attention-holding strategies andsimulations.

Special Features of Cooperation. A few of the specialcooperation efforts between colleges and corporationsshould be considered. Texas Instruments has provided themeans to hold one of the board meetings via two-wayteleconference using its satellite network and connectionsto six institutions. Rotating meetings between corporate andcollege locations provides opportunities for college trainersand consortium members to have firsthand, behind-the-scenes, and often restricted-area tours of corporate designand manufacturing areas never before toured by outsiders,much less a diverse audience of competitors. Access tocorporate strategies and long-range plans place supplier

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training colleges on the "leading edge" of technologicalchange and provide an opportunity for radical change inthe content of curriculum designed by these colleges.

Facilities. Several colleges have modified trainingfacilities for special use in the consortium; others have hadto move to larger facilities. Most of the colleges or trainingcenters operate in facilities designed for businesspartnerships and training that go beyond the consortiumactivity, but nonetheless consider consortium activity as akey element in their delivery and facilities planning.

Funding. The partnership is supported by a variety offunding sources. Individuals and businesses enrolling fortraining pay tuition for each course. Corporations providefunding to underwrite the project through an annualpartnership fee; a new associate membership category wascreated to encourage sponsorships that provide financialor in-kind resources. Each sponsoring company contributestraining for college staff and helps with marketing.

Evaluation. The consortium supports a four-levelevaluation process based on the Kirkpatrick Model. Thecompanies provide level-one evaluation in simple reviewof course delivery, but the colleges encourage more intenselevels of evaluation, including statistical process controland other forms of evaluation.

Impact

The consortium's efforts have resulted in increasedcompetitiveness, reduced waste, reduced defects, reducedcycle time, increased market response, and decreasedemployee turnover throughout the nation. A related resulthas been to reduce the cost of conversions for companiesand to provide them with greater opportunities to safelyexperiment with products and markets.

Displaced workers in defense-related industries, forexample, now have viable alternatives. As defensemanufacturing decreases, the conversion of thosetechnologies to commercial sector applications is buildingmomentum as the network provides opportunities for themajority to receive training in continuous quality practices.New products have already begun to emerge from redirectedenergies and creativity.

The friendly sharing of world-class courses encouragescompetitiveness and is one of the greatest advantages theconsortium offers. The consortium approach fosters agradual conversion that minimizes the number of totaldisplacements, and retools the work force at the same time.Texas Instruments alone has identified 464 suppliers with200 or less employees per company. Collectively, thenetwork members and their suppliers constitute a hugeemployee base.

Through the efforts of the consortium, all of theseworkers have the opportunity to become more efficient.

more productive, and more team-centered employees,raising the level of quality competition across the country.

Lessons Learned

Everyone involved agrees that these partnerships arevital to the economic well-being of the companies andcountries involved. The results have been dramatic enoughthat plans are underway for a European version of theconsortium. In the process, corporationseven though theyhad confidence that community colleges were flexibleenough to keep pace with themhave been surprised tolearn that college responses have often been faster than thoseof the corporate partners. Among the lessons learned bythe consortium are:

The consortium effort, although requiring constantmaintenance and considerable give-and-take, hasbeen worth every invested effort and dollar to date.

Curriculum challenges are significant; theselection of the right materials to bring forward inthe consortium has been as difficult as planningany college curriculum.

Often suppliers are too small to take advantage ofconsortium activities because internal productionor service demands keep them from stopping otheractivities to make time for learning. Those thatdo, however, come back for more because theyrealize a multiple return on investment.

Where open enrollment has succeeded, it has beenthe result of clustering small businesses in qualityconsortia. Finding alternate funding sources toassist companies in paying at least part of thetraining costs has been critical.

Building on the success of the Supplier TrainingNetwork, companies are starting to use the colleges for morethan just training services. A whole new arena ofmanufacturing assistance is evolving which utilizes verycomplex assessments, ratings of services, and planning andconsulting systems that will continue to change theconsortium. That is as it should be, however, for theconsortium has always been a laboratory of experimentationwhere both colleges and corporations place ultimate faithin one another to bring the best they have to the table tokeep America productive.

About the authors: Glen I. Bounds is provost of theBill Priest Institute for Economic Development in Dallas,Texas; Daniel Mancillas is director of resource developmentat the Bill Priest Center for Economic Development: JamesPicquet is vice prmost for instructional services at the BillPriest Center fin- Economic Development.

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Chapter 4

Delta College and General Motors CorporationJack Jonker

Delta College is a public. two-year institution in EastCentral Michigan. The college opened in 1961 and todayprovides comprehensive postsecondary education andtraining, as well as a wide variety of community servicesfor residents of the Delta College district (Saginaw. Bay.and Midland counties-1994 population: 399,320).

Each semester, nearly 11,000 academic students enrollin 36 transfer programs, 53 associate degree programs. and17 certificate programs. In addition, the college's CorporateServices division offers specialized training to upgradeoccupational skills in the automotive retail, automotivemanufacturing, and automotive supplier industries, as wellas business, health, and government markets.

The college is located on a 640-acre complex in BayCounty. Noted for its beautifully landscaped center garden.the campus contains miles of nature areas, an outdoorclassroom, running and fitness trails, tennis courts. archery,and golf areas, as well as a covered bridge. The naturalsurroundings of Delta College enhance the learning processof students. The Delta College main campus site. atUniversity Center, Michigan in Bay County, lies almostmidway between the Tri-County's major cities of Saginaw(pop. 69,512), Bay City (pop. 38,936). and Midland (por.37,819).

Bay County adjoins the bay, an important recreationalarea and waterway whose ports are part of the St. LawrenceSeaway. Delta serves this community in many ways, withtraining and courses, as well as with its own public radioand television stations.

As a community college. Delta provides programs andservices that are accessible to its constituents. To this end.Delta is committed to meeting the educational and trainingneeds of the community for high-quality programs. and toequal access to educational opportunity through openadmissions.

Delta is expanding its relationships with business,industry, and the professions, as well as with otherinstitutions or groups where partnerships are mutuallybeneficial.

The college's workforce development programs andservices are mcving from a current mode of fee-for-serviceto increased emphasis on a series of societal shifts inbusiness predicted by the Joyce Foundation of Michigan. athink tank formed to explore what the relationship betweencommunity colleges and business might be over the next40 years.

The foundation's work has uncovered a number oftrends for which Delta College must prepare a response:

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From credentials to competencies. Degrees willhave less significance than the clusters ofcompetencies and skills that are acquired and thatcan be applied to employment or further study.

From teaching to learning. There will be lessemphasis on what faculty know and more on whatstudents learn and whether this is transferable tojob performance and career enhancement.

From responsiveness to local needs to producingresults. Communities will want responsiveness tobe matched with producing results. Communitycolleges are seen as valuable local resources thatshould yield a high return on the community'sinvestment.

From buildings to processes. There will be lessemphasis on buildings and more on usingtechnology to create a virtual system of learningthat can be accessed from across the globe.Community colleges will bring added valuethrough their expertise in delivering learning withtechnology.

More specifically, the college is preparing students foreventual participation in the employment market throughprograms in three major course delivery unitstheacademic division, the community services division, andthe corporate services division.

Academic students enroll annually in such generalfields of study as business and information systems;consumer, human and public services; health services;communications: humanities and social science: natural,applied, and environmental sciences; and technical andindustrial programs.

At the same time, however, ensuring that credentialsare portable and appropriate to a national employmentmarket and that curricula are responsive to national skillstandards is the focus of special attention, as is thedevelopment of stronger school-to-work linkages toemployers through networking and employer advisorysystems.

Credit-free classes for the work force offered bycommunity services involve certification programs andbusiness, health, technical, and liberal arts courses forretraining or avocational interest, all of which preparestudents for a changing employment market.

In 1994. Delta College Corporate Services contractedto provide 665.790 training hoursdelivered to 27,000

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workers representing 513 companies in 20 states and 21foreign countrieswith instruction provided by 70 full-time and 225 part-time faculty.

Background/Overview

The General Motors-Delta partnership, established in1979, was the first major corporate/educational undertakingin the country. The Corporate Services-developedtechnology education "experiment" evolved into thenational GM Automotive Service Education Program(ASEP). Currently, five other auto manufacturers haveincorporated this model into their partnership activities withcolleges across the nation.

Fundamental reasons for forming this partnershipincluded new technology transfer and the need to improvecustomer satisfaction. In 1979, GM introduced atechnological revolution in automotive design: computertechnology in the automobile engine. The corporation waswell aware of the impact this revolutionary developmentwould have on GM dealerships, the service technicians theyemployed, and those who serviced their vehicles inindependent repair shops and large fleet repair operations.

As a result, there was concern that too many practicingtechnicians would not understand this new technology and,being fearful of it, leave the automotive servicemaintenance field. Computer-trained technicians were notyet available because the technology was just beingintroduced: training programs were still in their infancy.The corporation intended to provide additional training: atissue were the questions "where" and "how to do it right."The GM planning team had several proposals under review,including expanding their training centers, contracting withprivate training agencies, or working with the nation'scommunity colleges. As one would expect, there were bothpositive and negative implications in each of thesealternatives. Nonetheless, included in their final plan wasa decision to establish a pilot program at Delta College inMichigan. The purpose of the pilot was to develop anexperimental curriculum for training a new breed oftechnician capable of servicing the new generation oftechnology-rich automobiles.

The final curriculum design at Delta was implementedas soon as faculty were prepared to teach the newtechnology. The curriculum was different than most othercollege curricula in that all technical instruction wasspecifically product oriented, as opposed to generalinstruction. Students entering the program were employedby GM dealerships: in other words, every student begantheir tenure with GM on the first day of class. Thecurriculum was founded on the principles of tell. show, do.and practice. The practice principle was carried out in thestudents' sponsoring dealership and consumed one-half ofthe time allocated to technical instruction. The curriculumalso required general education courses. and successful

completion of the program met the college's associatedegree requirements.

Dealer reaction to the program was so overwhelminglypositive that consideration for expanding the modelgeographically began within six months. Could thisapproach be implemented in a multicollege district? DallasCounty Community College District demonstrated it could.The itext location question: Could the program beimplemented in a large metropolitan area? Triton Collegein Chicago proved this was possible. With success in allthree of these environments, GM named a National CollegeCoordinator, with the assignment of expanding the programnationally.

The ASEP project proved to be the successful test fromwhich Delta Corporate Services was able to developadditional training for clients representing manufacturing,automotive, business, health, education, government, andthe professions.

Encouraged by the college's president, CorporateServices was given the appropriate status and flexibility tooperate with independence according to the businessprinciples of the private sector. Delta College named anexecutive director.

While the ASEP project flourished nationwide, thecollege and the corporation broadened their relationshipinto other areas of training required by the automotivegiantfrom manufacturing and quality control, to newproduct technology education for dealers, customers, andother units of the company. Delta Corporate Service trainersbegan to be assigned abroad for GM's training needs inEurope, Asia, and South America.

General Motors intended to provideadditional training; at issue were thequestions "where" and "how to do itright."

When the college made the commitment to expand theinstitotional programming beyond the traditionaleducational offerings, a decision was made to create aseparate educational delivery system to augment the currentacademic and community services systems.

The new system spawned the Office of CorporateServices. By intent, the operation of this system could nothave any negative impact on the college's general budgetmeaning this division had to be developed as a self-sufficient operation. Further contributing to the uniquenessof this concept was the creation of several philosophicalfoundations which would serve as guidelines fordevelopment.

The initial markets served would be those theinstitution was not presently serving. Serving the

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needs of business and industry to upgrade theirwork forces became the priority.

There would be no attempt to duplicate courseofferings or become competitive with the college'sother delivery systems.

When necessary, the Office of Corporate Servicescould operate outside of the policies andprocedures governing the general operation of thecollege. With this freedom of operation, the officewas developed as an extension of the president'soffice. Thus, he would be aware of any plannedactivities that would deviate from college policy.

The instructional staff needed to be specialists, andutilized in a fashion different from the academicfaculty. Hence, a different faculty system wouldbe developed. Corporate instructors would not beeligible for tenure, would be expected to haveinstructional work loads different from academicfaculty, must be willing to travel, and must agreeto a directed professional development program.The corporate full-time staff would be I 2-monthemployees. Part-time staff would be employed onan as-needed basis or under a separate contractwith specific commitments.

Corporate staff would be expected to bring anyrequest for services to a planning group headedby the executive director of Corporate Services.A preemptive "no" to any request would thereforebe avoided.

Academic and Community Services instructionalstaff would have no automatic rights for teachingassignments in Corporate Services. Selectionwould be based on amount of industry experience.currency of technical information, and awillingness to teach content to GM standards.

If a regular academic faculty member was neededand agreed to an instructional assignment. he orshe would complete the assignment under asupplemental contract to the institutionalemployment agreement.

It was understood that training requests would varyfrom typical academic schedules. Thus trainingwould be provided where the employers wantedit. when they wanted it, and how they wanted itdelivered. The content of the program would alsobe directed by the employers.

The Office of Corporate Services would bedesigned to operate with delivery teams. All staffwould be required to participate and effectivelyperform in a ,eminar entitled "Principles ofTeaching and Learning."

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Any revenues in excess of expenditures would berecorded in a designated fund account.Expenditures from this account would beauthorized by the president with the intent of usingsurplus funds for growth and developmentactivities new to the college.

Flowing from these guidelines, the GM-Delta Collegetraining partnership has been designed to maximize thecapacity of General Motors to access and deliver newtechnology training to its dealers, customers, and variouscorporate entities worldwide. As such, the General Motorspartnership is consciously separated from traditionalacademic management. The course standards are set byindustry rather than faculty experts. Course, content, andcurricula adjustments reflect technological changes in GMvehicles.

Delta chose to place the GM-ASEP program in thenewly created Corporate Services unit. Corporate Service'scapacity to quickly respond to the customer's trainingproposals and GM's sincere desire to have a positive impacton public education in the United States has made for aproductive marriage.

To implement the partnership with Delta College, GMmade changes inside the Service Technology group thatincluded establishing a National College Coordinator anda field staff of regional managers of college programs toprovide coordinated planning and problem solving, and toseek new opportunities.

17

Activities and Programs

As indicated, Corporate Services is one of DeltaCollege's three delivery systems of education and training.The charge to Corporate Services is to offset costs whileexpanding the delivery capabilities of the college withoutaffecting the general fund that supports traditional collegeprograms. As such, each training contract is priced with aview toward cost recovery and the understanding that theaddition of administrative resources to support trainingdelivery must be funded by the contract.

All the projects are initiated by a meeting with the GMcustomer to determine his or her requirements: a proposalis then developed. If the proposal is accepted by thecompany. it issues a purchase order to authorize deliveryof the service. Corporate Services staff are employees ofthe college and receive the normal compensation packagegiven to Delta employees. They are, however, budgetedfrom the designated fund, not the general fund. The staffprofile for the GM automotive unit includes administrativemanagers, secretarial and support staff, facilities andequipment support staff, and instructional staff. Facilitiesinclude college-owned classrooms and labs, leased andrented offices, as well as classrooms and labs at variouslocations in and out of the college district.

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Chapter 4

Today's automotive instructors not onlyface the challenge of staying currentwith rapidly changing technology, theyalso are constantly striving to improvethe means of communicating thistechnical information to the student.

There are currently two methods of programdevelopment. In the first. ASEP and dealership trainingmaterials are developed and given to the college with therequired "Training the Trainer" courses. These courses arealso delivered to other GM employees in engineeringcenters and assembly plants. The second method is forCorporate Services staff to gather information aboutproducts and systems that are in a developmental stage touse in producing course materials on emerging technologies.Equipment and training materials are often provided by thecorporation, but a substantial amount of equipment ispurchased by the college for training purposes.

Distinguishing Factors. Corporate Services' strikingsuccess has made it a model for other colleges anduniversities aiming to establish similar partnerships.Adhering to a fundamental premise that creative andcollaborative thinking on the part of its staff can lead tosolutions for even the most difficult assignments, theCorporate Services staff approaches all training requestswith a "can do" attitude.

Other unique characteristics of Corporate Services arethat every corporate activity is considered a partnership,with the corporate partners having decision-making input.Every corporate activity is managed under a team conceptwith appropriate corporate staff as members of the team,and every project and activity is thoroughly evaluated tothe satisfaction of all parties.

At its inception in 1979. there were only two ASEPinstructors. Today, there are approximately 45 staff membersinvolved in the automotive arena, working as serviceinstructors, administrative and support personnel, and officeprofessionals. The instructional staff is assigned to one ofseveral specialized instructional areas. Because each areais different, staff assignments vary. All staff are expectedto travel to and from assignments as part of theiremployment agreement. However, such assignments areintended to be reasonable. None are intended to requireextensive time away from an employee's home base.

A sampling of instructional staff responsibilitiesincludes:

creating and maintaining a professional atmospherein classrooms and training laboratories consistentwith the organization contracting the service:

18

maintaining technical competence in theinstructional discipline area in which they areemployed:

assuming responsibility for all activities relatingto the instructional process. This may includeclassroom set-up, acquiring training manuals, andensuring availability of training components,vehicles, and necessary tools and equipment:

participating in the Corporate Services staffevaluation program: and

involvement in the Corporate Servicesinstructional quality program.

General Motors Corporation, being in the business ofmanufacturing and selling automobiles, continuallydevelops new and innovative technology. GM has trainedcollege staff and donated vehicles, training components,and literature as part of their role in the partnership.Corporate Services, in turn, uses the educationalbackground and training expertise of its instructors to passthe technology on to the automobile service industry. Inthis sense, Corporate Services provides a conduit for theeffective flow of technology advances. New tools, such asthe electronic vibration analyzer, make it easier fortechnicians to diagnose problems. The advent of newtechnologymost notably the electronic and computerizedcontrols in virtually every vehicle manufactured todayhas caused service instructors to incorporate moreinformation gathering resources (service bulletins, servicemanuals. etc.) into class instruction to help identify andrepair problems. Today's automotive instructors not onlyface the challenge of staying current with rapidly changingtechnology, they also are constantly striving to improve themeans of communicating this technical information to thestudent.

A significant focus of the GM-Corporate Servicesautomotive alliance is meeting requirements for theautomaker's engineering, testing, and research facilities.Advanced product training for engineers and experimentalbuilders is assessed, designed. developed, and presented inan efficient and professional manner. Product training isconducted in several cities in Michigan and at various sitesthroughout the United States.

As advanced technology expands into domesticproducts, that very same technology is being increasinglyexported to other countries. The GM-Corporate Servicespartnership is an international player with training providedin Puerto Rico, Yugoslavia. Guatemala. Nigeria, Costa Rica.Panama. Argentina. Japan, Kuwait, and the Virgin Islands.The costs of training facilities in these countries areabsorbed by the employer as part of the contract for servicesprovided by Corporate Services.

27

Facilities & Services. Corporate Services' worldheadquarters is located at the college's International Centrefacility in downtown Saginaw, Michigan. The collegeacquired the 170,000 square-foot International Centre fromthe city of Saginaw on a lease-to-own agreement. CorporateServices growth pattern through the years prompted themove of its administrative offices and training centers tooff-campus sites. This gives the division the capacity todeliver customized training wherever the client needs itwhether in Michigan. Tennessee, or elsewhere.

Millard Training Center In 1986, Corporate ServicesMilford Training Center was established to address needsin Southeast Michigan. Its primary objective is to providecourses tailored to meet the training needs of GM ProvingGround employees (mechanics, technicians, drivers,engineers, and others). The scope and customer base of thiscenter are constantly expanding.

The expertise developed through the engineering andproving ground training is of particular value within theassembly plant environment. As such, courses are designedand presented for specific production models to meet thetraining requirements of each assembly plant. Thede.velopment of manuals and documentation relating to in-process or end-of-line vehicle testing provides invaluableassistance in diagnosis and repair. This type of trainingupgrades workers' job skills by keeping them current withthe ever-changing technology of the modern work force.

Saginaw Training Center/GM Service TechnologyGroup. Locally, Corporate Services operates the SaginawTraining Center. which provides current GM ServiceTechnology Group training to GM dealer technicians. Thisalliance designs training courses and trains instructionalstaff for current update classes, ranging from one to eightdays log. Corporate Services also provides instructionalstaff to the GM Training Center in Warren. Michigan.

GM Employees/North American Operations. This areaprovides customized automotive/truck training courses andsupport services to fit the needs of the GM employees atassembly plants, engineering centers, and marketing groups.

Saturn Service Thchnical Training Center Staff atCorporate Services' newest facility in Spring Hill.Tennessee, provide bumper-to-bumper instruction on thepopular Saturn car and play vital roles in the training ofSaturn retailer technicians.

Program Development. The program development unitprovides new specialized automotive and truck trainingcourses, as well as modified training courses. specializedtraining manuals, support documentation, and graphicdisplay boards.

Auto Pro Training Network. Recognizing the need forthe attermarket to have access to training, the Auto ProTraining Network was established to prOvide all techniciansthe opportunity to receive training to stay competitive in

Chapter 4

the business, as well as making it possible for GM vehicleowners to receive quality service in an aftermarket servicefacility.

Funding

As noted previously, all Corporate Services activitiesare self-supporting. When a financial reserve is accumulatedin the Corporate Services operation, there is discussionabout whether these funds should be added to the generalfund budget for college operations. The administrationbelieves that any funding beyond an appropriate reserveshould be used to fund new initiatives for the college inorder to serve more of its di trict constituents. Thedetermination of an appropriate reserve is often an issue ofconcern for the various faculty committees involved in thedevelopment of the institutional bu 'get.

Evaluation

Evaluation of Corporate Services is customer-drivenand relatively informal. Surveys and interviews followingtraining activities are a few of the evaluative methods whichmay involve both trainees and employers. A strong focuson clear communication ensures that any neededadjustments will be made as appropriate.

Partnership's Impact

19

Because of its partnership with GM. Delta is able toaccess information on emerging technologies that isgenerally unavailable through other sources. Thisknowledge, in turn, is transferred to the automaker in theform of college staff trained in the latest automotivetechnologies. GM has prepared training courses that reflectthe most current company advances in vehicle design andmechanical components. As GM trained Corporate Servicesstaff to teach these updated courses. college faculty alsobenefited. The most current information on advances invehicle technology is available, whether the training occursat a corporate training center or in a college automotivelaboratory.

GM is mindful that public education has not alwayshad the resources to update equipment in technical trainingclassrooms. To ensure success of the newly formed college-corporate partnership. GM provides instructor coursematerials, participant manuals. tools, equipment. andvehicles through an unparalleled donation program.

Corporation Benefits

ASEP graduates provide GM dealerships withtechnicians equipped with not only a higher educationbackground, but also technical and customer relations skills.Each year ASEP graduates receive additional training to

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maintain currency in an ever-changing industry.The expansion of the ASEP program now allows

instructors to conduct work-site training in engineeringfacilities, assembly plants, and at dealership technicaltraining centers. This flexibility in offering training hasmade the ASEP program extremely convenient for GM andhas helped to institutionalize the approach within thecompany.

Lessons Learned

The most significant element in the development ofCorporate Services is the freedom the organization has tooperate independently of conventional college policies.Typically these institutional policies and procedures aredeveloped for proarams and functions that already existand are operational. Corporate Services systems do noteasily fit into that mold, as they are new and designed torespond directly to client requirements.

The most significant element in thedevelopment of Corporate Services isthe freedom the organization has tooperate independently of conventionalcollege policies.

Specialized business and industrial training requiresmany different formats in terms of subject matter, locationof training programs. and times that programs need to beoffered. General Motors prefers contracting for trainingrather than building training departments. An indication thatthis will continue is that company personnel routinelyindicate how much they like doing business with theCorporate Services unit because it is so "user friendly.-Significant amounts of new business training contracts havecome from recommendations from satisfied clients. Thekey issue in developing this new business: Do not forgetthe processes that brought successimprove upon them.

When the decision was made to create CorporateServices, the concept was adopted without seeking thesupport of the academic or student services units of thecollege. As might have been expected, there was someconcern that such services could have been offered withinexisting college units without adding a new dimension tothe institution. That the institution might become moreflexible if a new experimental delivery system was created.and that ncw concepts in training might he a natural fitwith other programs, were ideas that took a while to gainacceptance.

Related to this was the issue of' control. The chiefinstructional officer bolieved any instructional activity

offered within the institution should fall under the bannerof instruction. In hindsight, the resistance of some units ofthe college to the idea of creating the Corporate Servicesoffice raises the question of whether the way the collegeinitiated this concept was appropriate.

Faculty development, an issue that concerns mostinstitutions of higher education, was a major factor increating the Corporate Services office. Quite often, facultymembers believe they know training industry needs withoutconsidering the impact of new technology. The fact is thatmost faculty are unprepared to teach new technologiesbrought forward by industry without significant and directedprofessional development. Furthermore, the naturalpreference of the majority of faculty is to teach in theconceptual rather than the product-specific domain whichmost industries require.

The issue of awarding course credit applicable to theassociate degree is an interesting one. Inasmuch as theCorporate Services unit is not under the auspices of theacademic program, the coursework it offers is likely toinclude state-of-the-art technology unfamiliar to those whomake college credit evaluations.

Colleee credit for corporate training is one key methodof recognizing the value of such training. It is not, however,the only measure of instructional quality and worth. Thedevelopment of a parallel, alternative form of credentialingis an idea that should be explored.

After 10 years of operation, several uniquecharacteristics have emerged from Delta College'sCorporate Services programs. Unlike programs of manycolleges, Deka Corporate Services has the autonomy torespond to any

corporate training request worldwide with partnershipcontracts designed to encourage long-term relationshipswith clients. Furthermore, training and support services areprovided for organizations as diverse as General Motors,Dow Chemical and Dow Corning, Saturn Corporation,UAW/GM Human Resources, Aetna Industriesand evensome United Way agencies.

Delta College Corporate Services has gained areputation throughout the region. nation, and abroad as asignificant contributor to the economic developmentmission of workforce readiness. And its partnership withGeneral Motors provides an excellent example of how tosuccessfully train in accordance with corporateexpectations.

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About the Author: Jack Jonker is executive director ofDelta Corporate Services at Delta College in UniversityCenter. Michigan.

John J. Choultwhas. National College Coordinator,General Motors Service, Technology Group, contrthutedto this article.

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Chapter 5

Foothill-De Anza Community College District and Hewlett-PackardLorie Prouty

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District islocated in the world-renowned scientific and technologicalhub known as Silicon Valley. Foothill and De Anza, thedistrict's two colleges, are actively involved in the economicdevelopment of this Northern California community, andthey have played an important role in its transformationfrom a sleepy agricultural region covered with orchards tothe vital center of technology it is today.

Within the district's boundaries are headquarteredmany giants of the electronics and computer industriesApple. Tandem. Varian, Amdahl, National Semiconductor,Advanced Micro Devices. Sun Microsystems, and Hewlett-Packard. These companies are among the pioneers whosetechnological developments in information processing haveforever changed the world. As the information age wasushered in, they experienced phenomenal growth andthousands of smaller companies sprang up around f.:tem.This area that was once known as "The Valley of Heart'sDelight" suddenly became the new frontier.

Foothill and De Anza also grew in the years followingthe development of the integrated circuit. As Silicon Valley'spopulation boomed, enrollments climbed dramatically. Thecolleges were faced with educating thousands of studentsbeyond what the campuses were built to accommodate, andthey had to meet the challenge of keeping pace with newdevelopments as technology advanced more rapidly thanat any time in history.

A New Mission for the Colleges. The initial demandfor workforce development programs from Foothill and DeAnza was fueled by the large influx of Southeast Asians toSilicon Valley in the 1970s and 1980s that occurred at thesame time many high-technology companies were formingand growing. Thousands of immigrants who spoke little orno English were hired to perform the numerous repetitivetasks that were necessary for the production of electronicscomponents and computers. The newcomers, with theirstrong work ethic and intense loyalty to employers, werekey to the valley's success, but they also came with seriousdifficulties in reading, writing, and understanding verbalcommands. As emerging technologies increasingly requiredthat employees function in teams and perform complex jobtasks, workforce training became a critical concern.Companies anxiously looked to Foothill and De Anza forinstruction in English-as i-second-language, reading,writing, math. supervision, and a broad range of technicalskills. They also sought the college's help in findinggraduates with the technical skills they urgently needed. Inresponse, the district established two outreach programs,

the Business & Industry Institute and the OccupationalTraining Institute. Other programs to assist employers wereinstituted in later years.

The Business & Indusny Institute. A significant priorityfor the district when creating the Business & IndustryInstitute was for the office to operate as a service-orientedbusiness. The institute provides flexible scheduling andtimely response to training requests from employers. Afully-staffed office arranges for the delivery of programsand ancillary services exclusively for company employeeson campus or on site, at the client's option. Courses areavailable for credit or not-for-credit, arKi customizedtraining in nearly every field can be developed to clientspecifications by subject-matter experts. The office was thefirst of its kind in California, and has served as a model for

contract education programs developed by collegesand universities throughout the state.

In addition to providing skills assessment and jobtraining, the institute works with employers to offer creditprograms on site as an employee benefit. Thousands ofworkers have completed college courses without eversetting foot on the Foothill or De Anza campuses. Today.the program has more than 4.000 enrollments annually forindividual classes and degree programs in subjects rangingfrom basic skills to business administration. Courseworkis tailored to meet company objectives, and examples fromthe client's industry are used whenever possible. Instructorsgenerally are chosen from the district's full-time and part-time faculty ranks, although outside consultants are hiredwhen the required expertise is not available within thedistrict.

The Occupational Training Institute. Since its creationin 1975. OTI's focus has been on employment training andthe development of instructional programs to meet labordemands. Projects funded with public grants providevocational skills training for the underemployed and theunemployed. Classes are taught in a simulated workenvironment, and frequent exposure to local industry isprovided through guest speakers and facility tours.

The beneficiaries of OT1's programs are Silicon Valleyemployers who are able to hire from a pool of highlyqualified and well-prepared workers in such fields ascomputer repair. graphic arts, autoCAD, facilitiesmaintenance, medical assisting, and business officetechnology.

The Center Jiff Amlied Competitive Technologies. TheCACT is one of twelve established in California communitycolleges through a grant from the state and donations of

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funds and equipment from industry sponsors. The center.which has a philosophical foundation based in total qualitymanagement. uses technology transfer teams composed ofcenter staff, faculty. technical experts, and representativesof private-sector sponsors to help small and medium-sizedbusinesses access advanced technologies and applicationsthat can transform their operations. Companies receiveconsulting and training services to foster enhancedmanufacturing competitiveness domestically andinternationally, and to prepare them for the "factory of thefuture."

The Small Business Institute. De Anza developed theSmall Business Institute to provide support for newlyformed small businesses and for people interested in startinga business. Training in finance, mafketing and promotion,management. as well as a host of other topics, is offeredthrough a series of modularized courses available to thecommunity. A coordinator with small business expertise isavailable to direct business owners to helpful resources.

Working With An Industry Leader. Foothill and DeAnza have developed ongoing relationships with many localemployers, but the most significant and enduring is withHewlett-Packard, headquartered in Palo Alto. California.HP is one of the largest and most successful corporationsin the nation, employing more than 98,000 workers insixteen countries. 15,000 of them in the San Francisco Bayarea. Its founders, William Hewlett and David Packard. builtthe $25 billion company on a solid foundation of traditionalvalues. Hewlett-Packard's corporate philosophy, well-known in Silicon Valley as the "HP Way." includes anintense employee orientation, job security, comprehensivebenefits, unmatched opportunities for personal andprofessional development, and promotion from within. Itis this philosophy that has provided a fertile ground for thegrowth of a partnership between the company and theFoothill-De Anza Community College District.

Hewlett-Packard. which produces some 22.000products. is heavily involved in the research anddevelopment of new technologies and products. As a resultof this focus, obsolescence of knowledge within thecompany is an ongoing concern. To stay competitive. HPspends millions of dollars annually to educate, train, andretrain workers. The colleges play a key role in providingthe instruction they need, both on campus and on site. Inan average academic year. more than five percent of thestudents enrolled at Foothill and De Anza are HPemployeesa larger number than from any other employer.

Creating a "Win-Win" Partnership. The relationshipbetween the district and Hewlett-Packard was developedand strengthened over time. Initially, the company supportedthe colleges by providing classroom facilities in theevenings to serve an ever-expanding student population.During the 1970s and 1980s. Foothill and De Anza regularlyscheduled courses at fourteen Hewlett-Packard sites. HP

benefited from this arrangement as well, since classesoffered at company locations were convenient foremployees to attend. The course offerings included topicsthat were of great interest to students already in the workforce: management development, computer programming,quality assurance, accounting, speed reading. technicalwriting, retirement planning, electronics mathematics, andfirst aid.

The rapidly growing corporation also found thecolleges were an excellent source for new employees, andthey recruited many talented Foothill and De Anzagraduates. Students familiar with Hewlett-Packard'sreputation as a great place to work were eager to acceptjobs there. (One De Anza alumnus they hired was SteveWozniak. who later cofounded Apple Computer.)

Cooperation between Hewlett-Packard and the districtincreased over the years as both organizations found therewere many areas for mutually beneficial partnering.Hewlett-Packard found needs the colleges could meet:Foothill and De Anza acquired resources from the companyto do the job adequately. The relationshipthat developedis a shining example of "win-win." While Hewlett-Packardgenerously provides both colleges with equipment grants.instructor resources, faculty internships, studentscholarships, funds to develop recreational facilities.support for fundraising activities, and contract educationrevenues, the colleges in turn offer HP a pool of graduateswith job skills the company needs, state-of-the-arteducational resources for employees, facilities andprograms for recreation, cultural activities, and customizedon-site training. In addition, the district is a consumer formany Hewlett-Packard products.

The partnership involves individuals from several areasof the company and the district. Development officers ofboth colleges work with HP community relations personnelin securing donations ot' funds and equipment and supportfor special projects; the academic divisions receive inputfor the development of new programs and updatedcurriculum from company personnel who sit on advisoryboards: HP managers help the college's academic divisionsby identifying qualified part-time instructors who can teachthe latest technologies: and the district's contract educationprogram works with human resources and training managersat the company to set up programs for employees.

There are less formal connections also. HP employeeswho teach part-time or are students at the colleges havesponsored equipment donations when learning of an unfilledneed: they have also helped promising students obtaininternships and employment at HP.

Partnerships tor Training and Development

Preparing Students for Employment in High-TechIndustry. Some of the earliest collaborations betweenHewlett-Packard and Foothill-De Anza included the

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development of technical programs that prepared studentsfor employment with HP and other Silicon Valleycompanies. Three of the district's vocational programs weredeveloped by the Occupational Training Instituks. withsignificant input from HP personnel who served on advisoryboards. In addition to assisting with curriculumdevelopment, the company helped equip laboratories forthe classes. Students completing the programs had skillsthat were in great demand in Silicon Valley: they becameimmediately employable as semiconductor operators andas electronic and computer service technicians. The collegesprovided Hewlett-Packard with a pool of trained graduates.and the company employed large numbers of them.

Training for Hewlett-Packard Employees. One of themost significant aspects of the multifaceted partnershipbetween Hewlett-Packard and Foothill-De Anza isemployee training. The company contracts with the collegesthrough the Business & Industry Institute for job skillstraining, retraining, and for ongoing programs that giveworkers an opportunity to meet educational goals. Overthe last ten years. district contracts with HP have totalednearly SI million.

Supervisor Training for Enhanced Productivity (STEP ).One of Hewlett-Packard's most extensive (and expensive)training projects began in 1987. when HP asked De Anzato partner with them in designing a skills-upgrade programfor production supervisors that would help move thecompany toward its goal of building and operating a"factory of the future.- The strategic objectives of STEPemerged from a national survey of the company'smanufacturing managers who said supervisors would needto show greater initiative, be able to exercise processcontrol, work effectively in teams. and solve problemswithin their units. De Anza part-time faculty. workingthrough the Business & Industry Institute, interviewedpersonnel on the factory floor and met frequently withtraining managers and division directors as they worked tocreate curricula that would address the company'sobjectives.

The result was an intensive six-month, nineteen-unitprogram with a core of statistical process control (SPC)courses, and special training for team leadership, technicalwriting, problem solving, and presentation skills.Employees also were enrolled in the college's CooperativeEducation program as a way of linking the classroom withthe workplace. They attended classes nine hours per weekon company time and were expected to complete anadditional eighteen hours of homework on their own time.A final project was one of the program requirements:working in groups of three, students had to solve productionproblems in their work areas using SPC tools learned inclass.

The program was piloted with fifteen supervisors whowere assessed for basic skills competencies and taught study

Chapter 5

skills. Six months after instruction began, results of theprojects were presented during a grathiation ceremonythe problems identified ar.d solved by the students savedthe company more than $200,000 annually!

Following (he pilot's glowing success, De Anza servedas a resource to HP sites around the country as they set upSTEP programs through other community colleges. In athree-year period. 111 supervisors completed STEP at DeAnza: several hundred others were trained by collegesthroughout the country.

Six months after instruction began, resultsof the projects were presented during agraduation ceremonythe problemsidentified and solved by the students savedthe company more than $200,000 annually!

In addition, a modified version of STEP was offeredlocally for a select group of fifteen supervisors. Called ZIP(Zero In on Productivity), the program was designed toprovide financial management skills as well as the corecurriculum of STEP. Supervisors learned to understandbalance sheets and operating statements, departmentalexpense reports, and other accounting data that would helpthem make appropriate decisions when managing projects.

Partnerships for New Careers. When shifts in Hewlett-Packard's business needs have required the redeploymentof human resources, employees received the opportunityto train for higher-level jobs. In the last ten years, programsfor administrative support training have been offered severaltimes by the Business & Industry Institutefor workers beingpromoted from production and clerical jobs. The programhas been so.successful locally. HP has replicated it in otherareas of the country.

Following an assessment of the employees' abilitiesand the company's requirements. programs were designedto provide not only the appropriate skills training but thepersonal support students needed to succeed. Specialservices, such as counseling and tutoring, were madeavailable at the class location. In addition to businessEnglish and office mathematics, students learnedkeyboarding, office procedures. customer service, andcommunication skills. The keyboarding course utilized aVectra laboratory donated to Foothill College by HP.

Employee Skills Assessment and Basic SkillsInstruction. An ongoing need at HP. as well as at mostSilicon Valley companies. is basic skills instruction forproduction workers and support staff. In the last fifteenyears, the colleges have assessed the English and math skillsof more than one thousand HP employees and prescribedremedies to prepare the workers for training and retrainingprograms.

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Basic skills instruction has been delivered foremployees at several of Hewlett-Packard's sixteen Bay-areasites, with differing objectives. One large group ofproduction workers was taught reading skills asspecifications for the products they were assemblingbecame more complex; another group learned English-as-a-second-language, basic writing, and math skills to preparefor moves to other areas of the company when the facilitywhere they worked was closed down; several groups ofclerical workers were taught writing and grammar as theyretrained for higher-level administrative support positions:other workers received instruction in math to prepare themfor technical training programs: and still others were giventhe opportunity to learn skills that would make them morepromotable. In each case, the Business & Industry Instituteworked with Hewlett-Packard representatives to ensure thetraining would meet company and employee objectives.

Hewlett-Packard had been consideringleasing vacant school sites thatemployees could use for softball andsoccer games after work hours whenFoothill staff introduced the idea ofhaling the company develop multi-usesports fields on the campus.

Hewlett-Packard After Hours and HP Ahead. In 1984,Hewlett-Packard asked Foothill College to set up a serie'of on-site classes that would be offered after work hours.The company wanted to assist employees in developingjob-related skills, increase their awareness of other job areas.and provide opportunities for career and personal growth.The program. which began as Hewlett-Packard After Hoursand is now known as HP Ahead, has included a broad rangeof courses. One that has been offered consistently throughthe years. though. is self-assessment for career planning.This class helps employees assess job skills, personalitystyles, and career interests so they are able to develop careergoals.

Programs offered "after hours" allow employees toexplore new career directions by taking introductory classes.They also become familiar with the terminology and toolsused in other areas of HP. Course offerings includeaccounting. keyboarding. telecommunications. computerscience, financial planning. sign language, and timemanagement.

Hewlett-Packard Donations of Funds and Equipment

Cash Gifts. Hewlett-Packard often has providedfinancial support for college projects and programs overthe years and has funded student scholarships. Recently.

the company supported a fundraising event for De Anza'snewly-constructed Advanced Technology Center bypurchasing three tables at a cost of $15,000.

Over the years. a frequent beneficiary of the company'sphilanthropy has been the Euphrat Museum on De Anza'scampus. This facility provides a forum for ideas about artexpressed through one-of-a-kind exhibitions, publications,and events. In addition to De Anza student art shows, themuseum organizes exhibitions of work by local high schoolstudents and offers art classes to elementary students in thecommunity. In 1993. Hewlett-Packard gave $20,000 to fundan after-school art program and has helped underwrite costsfor staging benefits for the Euphrat.

Equipment Grants. Hewlett-Packard has been verygenerous in its donation of equipment to both Foothill andDe Anza. Gifts have ranged from a $750 fax machine givento De Anza's performing arts center to a $270,000equipment grant for the Computer Information Systemsprogram at the college.

It is not possible to calculate the total value of allequipment donations to the colleges, since records of thesegifts are incomplete. The district did not have a uniformprocess for tracking donations until the late I 980s. so itwas not always known when departments or individualfaculty members were recipients of equipment. There arerecords for the last seven years, however, showing gifts ofcomputers, peripherals, software, printers, and fax machinesworth approximately $80( .000. Two rants that wereespecially important to the su,:cess of coller,e programs wereused to establish computer labs.

Artificial Intelligence Lab. De Anza Collegesuccessfully approached Hewlett-Packard in 1987 with arequest for equipment to support an A.A. degree programin Artificial Intelligence/Cognitive Science. The programwas designed to mect an indu::try need for individuals withskills for conducting artificial intelligence researchactivities. Without the gift, the college would have beenunable to offer some of the courses needed to preparestudents for this field.

Vectra Computer Lab. In 1988. Foothill College askedfor and received a donation of ten Hewlett-Packard Vectraworkstations to equip a computer lab for its extendedcampus. New courses specific to the equipment weredeveloped and incorporated into an office automationcertificate program. The gift made it possible for the collegeto provide Vectra training for HP employees and foremployees of other companies using HP equipment. Inaddition, the lab also provided a site for training employeesof local temporary agencies who were likely to receive anassignment at HP. In 1993. De Anza also was given sixVectra workstations and related equipment.

Funding for Facilities

Baseball/Soccer Fields.ln 1988. Foothill College and

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Hewlett-Packard began exploring the possibility of forminga partnership to provide recreational facilities for students,the company, and the community. HP had been consideringleasing vacant school sites that employees could use forsoftball and soccer games after work hours when Foothillstaff introduced the idea of having the company developmultiuse sports fields on the campus. There was anundeveloped site on the edge of the campus which wasavailable for that use.

The company agreed to pay for developing threeathletic fields at Foothill. but in exchange they wantedexclusive use of the facilities from 4 to 6 p.m. daily. Thisstipulation created great controversy in the district. A longdebate ensued over the concept of a private entity beingallowed to "reserve" facilities at a public institution. Somefelt the company's use of the fields would interfere withscheduling for physical education classes; others wereconcerned the arrangement would set a dangerousprecedent. Yet the benefit to the college seemed to faroutweigh the consequences of such an agreement. WithoutHewlett-Packard's investment, there would be no newfieldsthe land would remain as it was. In the end. theboard of trustees allowed construction to proceed with astipulation that the agreement be reviewed after a period oftime.

It was initially estimated that the cost for developingthe athletic fields would be $125,000. Preparing the rock-hard soil was more difficult than anticipated. however, andin the end, HP paid more than $160,000 to complete theproject.

The arrangement for sharing the fields works very well;the company's use is "totally invisible," according toFoothill's president and does not in any way affect collegeclasses scheduled for the facilities.

Other Support for the District

Identifying Part-Time Instructor Resources. Hewlett-Packard is well represented among the part-time instructorresources the district relies on to teach courses in the mostcurrent technologies. During the early 1980s, when thecolleges were faced with a critical shortage of teachers fortechnical subjects, Hewlett-Packard approached De Anzawith an offer to help establish a pool of part-time instructorsby recruiting company personnel. The company publicizedthe need for instructors internally and asked employees tosubmit resumés for the colleges to screen.

The response was overwhelming; many employeeswelcomed the opportunity to teach in the evening. Itgave them a chance to make a contribution to thecommunity, and it provided an interesting diversion fromdaily responsibilities. Of those who were hired initially.many are still in the classroom. At present, nearly sixtyHewlett-Packard employees are assigned to teach classes

Chapter 5

at Foothill and De Anza on a regular basis.Faculty Internships. Hewlett-Packard has arranged

several faculty internships over the years, but there are norecords documenting the number of faculty who haveparticipated, or the nature of those internships. Thefollowing are examples of internships that were completedrecently.

Three De Anza business faculty were given theopportunity to intern at Hewlett-Packard in 1993. Theinstructors received exposure to international businessproblems with the goal of incorporating what they learnedinto the curriculum.

One faculty member was assigned to a cross-functionalteam involved in dev eloping a process for shipping partskits to an HP plant in India, where the parts would beassembled and the finished goods sold to customers there.The instructor learned about logistics, procurement, andcorporate culture. In addition to assisting the team with theproject, he was able to make recommendations forimprovements that resulted in a labor-hour savings for thecompany.

The other two instructors worked on developing anaudit plan for Hewlett-Packard's freight forwardingvendors. While learning about international documentationand shipping processes, they were able to respond to acompany need for process control on shipments to the HPprinter factory in Spain. They developed a flow chart andstep-by-step approach to auditing freight forwardingvendors.

Both De Anza and Hewlett-Packard gained from theseinternships. The instructors were able to enhance theircurriculum with international business topics and materialsand to share experiences with other faculty. The company.on the other hand, benefited from the instructors' expertise.

Impact of the Partnership

Though the partnership between Hewlett-Packard andFoothill-De Anza produces benefits for all involved,studentswhether employees of the company or membersof the communitygain the most. HP workers, many ofwhom have never been to college, are given the opportunityto earn college credit while learning needed job skills. Theseemployees do not have to leave the work site to register forcourses, buy books, or attend classes, and often programsare held during work hours.

Foothill and De Anza students attending regular on-campus programs gain from the partnership as well.Curriculum for leading-edge technologies is available partlybecause of input from HP personnel; part-time instructorsfrom the company offer an industry perspective for classesin such areas as computer science, business, marketing,finance, and technical writing; students have access toequipment in computer labs donated by HP; and the playing

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fields sponsored by HP are available to the community aswell as Foothill students.

The colleges reap numerous benefits from thepartnership also. In addition to ongoing donations of fundsand equipment. many thousands of dollars in profits fromtrain:ng contracts HP has awarded to the Business &Industry Institute have been used to develop new programs.update equipment, and fund training and retrainingprograms for faculty. Committed HP personnel whoparticipate on the colleges' advisory boards make animportant contribution as well; they guide the quality andcurrency of the district's instructional programs.

Hewlett-Packard receives a significant return on itsinvestment also. Not only do Foothill and De Anza producea pool of qualified graduates from which the company canhire, but state-funded classes at the colleges help workerskeep skills current or learn new job skills. Since thecompany reimburses employees for the cost of tuition, thesavings over other local institutions of higher learning, suchas Stanford. Santa Clara. or San Jose State, is significant.Hewlett-Packard also saves by contracting with the collegesfor classes. Programs are of high quality and much morecost effective than training from private vendors.

Hewlett-Packard is known for its contributions to thecommunity. Supporting the colleges reinforces that positiveimage. The company has received recognition locally forits work with community colleges; and in 1992, thecompany received the California Community CollegesChancellor's Partnership Award for its support of Foothill-De Anza and other community colleges in the state.

Lessons Learned

Private colleges and major universities have longsought support from major corporationsthey havereceived funding for buildings, equipment. endowed chairs,scholarships, and research projects. Only in recent years,however, have state-funded community colleges becomeinvolved in development activity. It is a new enterprise forthese institutions and there has been much to learn.

A very important lesson from the partnership withHewlett-Packard is the need for internal coordination andcommunication. Over the years. the company has beenapproached by administrators from the two colleges. as wellas directors of programs and academic divisions, individualfaculty members (part-time and full-time), and evenstudents. At times, more than one person went to seek thesame gift. The lack of coordination was confusing to thecompany, embarrassing to the colleges. and a duplicationof effort; more often than not. the individual seeking thegift did not .fully know how to go about getting what wasneeded. This approach was problematic for other reasonsgi fts were rarely documented and formal acknowledgmentswere not always sent.

Coordination improved significantly with theestablishment of development offices on each campus inthe late 1980s. The district's policy now requires thatrequests for donations be channeled through these offices.When grants of funds or equipment are received, they aredocumented by the development officer, and the donorsreceive a letter of thanks.

One valuable lesson from the partnershipwith Hewlett-Packard is that requests forfunds and equipment are granted morereadily when it is shown that the companyor its employees will ultimately benefit.

The colleges are still learning how to successfully seekdonations from major companies. One valuable lesson fromthe partnership with Hewlett-Packard is that requests forfunds and equipment are granted more readily when it isshown that the company or its employees will ultimatelybenefit. Successful proposals have stressed that point. Thisindicates the need for data to document the number ofcompany employees who are enrolled in a given period.

From both the company's and the district's perspective,an ongoing dialogue is essential to a partnership's success.The challenge is to maintain frequent contact at many levels,not only at the top. Many of the collaborations describedhere began with informal conversations between an HPemployee and a district staff member.

The college's academic departments need to stay intouch with company personnel who are aware of future skillneeds so that new programs can be developed. In thepartnership with HP, this often happened because an HPemployee was sitting on a college advisory board. At othertimes, the need was identified through contact with theBusiness & Industry Institute.

College outreach programs must communicateregularly with human resources and training departmentsto keep them informed about services available to addressworkforce training needs. This has been accomplished byfrequent calls to contacts throughout HP and with a periodicnewsletter; however, there are still times when managersare unaware that education services can be provided to themon site.

Individuals in both organizations need to be vigilantin identifying opportunities for partnering that result inwinning situations tbr all involved. There have been manyexamples of successful outcomes in the Hewlett-Packard/Foothill-De Anza partnership. As business and educationincreasingly recognize the value of working together toachieve common goals. these collaborations will becommonplace.

About the author: Lorie Prouty is &rector of theFoothill-De Anza College Business and Industry Institute.

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Chapter 6

Humber College and the Canadian Plastics Training CentreDavid Weatherston

The Canadian Plastics Training Centre developed froma unique partnership, and its success can be attributed tosatisfaction of a pressing industry need. Success may alsobe ascribed to the partners collectively coming to termswith the realities of an ever more harsh competitiveenvironment, and a growing sense of urgency that makesconcurring partners of people who might otherwise haveregarded each other with suspicion.

The partnership that founded and sustains the CanadianPlastics Training Centre (CPTC) is unusual in NorthAmerica in that it unites industry, labor, education, andgovernment. What makes it even more unique is that theindustry side of the partnership is not one enterprise or evenone type of enterprise. The industry side is a multi-stakeholder coalition of diverse companies in the plasticssector, including materials manufacturers, equipmentmanufacturers, and processors.

The sectorwide initiative that the Centre undertookantic'pates a major change in the way that the nation andthe province work at increasing internationalcompetitiveness. Until recently, the provincial and federalgovernments focused their attentions on one company orgroup of companies at a time, but an influential report onthe Canadian economy changed that. The report. by MichaelPorter of Harvard University, showed government plannersthat their assistance was multiplied manyfold when theyworked to create the conditions that let an entire sectorthrive. As government thinking and programs have shiftedto this type of focus, the CPTC has stood as an example ofaccomplishment.

The CPTC is an adjunct to Toronto's Humber Collegeof Applied Arts & Technology. Humber College occupiesseveral sites in the west end of the city, but its main campusis a few miles north of the international airport in thenorthwest corner of the city. It is the province's secondlargest community college, with some 11.000 students full-time and about 70.000 part-time. The college has a long-standing tradition of working with industry, and hasdedicated a separate division, Business & Industry Services,to the task of training and education.

The incentive to form the CPTC emerged in 1988, whenthe federal government's Canadian Labour Market andProductivity Centre and the Society for the Plastics Industryof Canada (SPI) collaborated in a study of the plasticsindustry, with a particular focus on human resource issues.The economy was doing well then, and like most otherindustries, the plastics industry was facing a present andfuture shortfall of qualified people. Moreover, this shortfall

was expected to become worse in a way that could affectthe competitiveness of the industry.

In Ontario, the plastics industry is large and unusuallyintegrated. The province is Canada's manufacturing centerand a North American center for the assembly ofautomobiles, which are increasingly made of plastics.Ontario's plastics manufacturing sector includes:

several major primary processors. making plasticsfrom raw petroleum feedstock;

the world or continental headquarters and principalfacilities of two leading manufacturers of injectionmolding and associated robotic equipment;

the headquarters and principal facilities of NorthAmerica's leading film manufacturing equipmentbuilder;

250 mold makers, who ship more than $200million in goods per annum; and

about 1,300 plastics processors, engaged in allaspects of the manufacture of finished products,including injection molding, extrusion, filmmaking, and printing.

lp 1993, the industry employed 59,000 people andshipped $3.7 billion dollars in materials, machinery, andmolds and $8.7 billion dollars in finished products.Impressively, the industry was growing at 6.5 per cent perannum and had an historical growth rate five times that ofmanufacturing in general.

Background and History

The manufacture of plastic materials, plastics-formingequipment. and plastic products is a technology-intensiveenterprise, but knowledge is not uniformly distributed.Plastic materials and plastic-forming equipment demandhigh orders of chemical, chemical engineering, mechanical,and electronic engineering skills just to get into the game,let alone succeed.

On the processing side, the picture's content changesradically. Here, there is a small skilled component and alarge component of unskilled people. able to do little morethan ensure that the machine is supplied with material andthat finished products are removed. Exchanging molds anddies, setting up the machines, and starting and stoppingproduction are handled by skilled setup mechanics. Manyof these employees learned their skills on the job. Theirlack of theoretical knowledge, however, is counterbalanced

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by excellent practical skills and a rich fund of experience.Porter's study of the Canadian economy noted that

skills born of past experience, without the foundation oftheoretical knowledge, tend to break down rapidly in theface of rapid technical change. The study further discoveredthat reliance on on-the-job xperimentation is anunproductive way to troubleshoot problemsbarelyacceptable when production runs are long, but constrainingwhen the focus changes to the shorter runs of just-in-timeproduction.

Porter's study of the Canadian economynoted that skills born of past experience,without the foundation of theoreticalknowledge, tend to break down rapidly inthe face of rapid technical change.

The lack of skilled labor and reliance on a small groupof people with obsolescing skills put the industry at greatrisk with one of its largest customers, the auto industry.Automakers were driving a major transition to suppliers'use of just-in-time production, with an accompanyingimperative for fast, flawless changeovers. Simultaneously,manufacturers began to insist that suppliers use statistically-based methods of quality management. Compounding theproblem, the entire plastics industry was beingrevolutionized by a new generation of molds. machines,and engineering resins which promised new capabilities andnew markets, if only companies had people on the shopfloor who could take advantage of the opportunities theyoffered.

Unfortunately, there was no source for such people. Atthe upper end of the educational continuum, qualifiedgraduates, primarily mechanical and electrical engineers,were appearing, but farther down the pipeline a seriousproblem existed. While there were plastics engineeringtechnology programs in British Columbia. Alberta. andQuebec, in Ontario--where 65 percent of the Canadianplastics industry is concentratedthere was nothing.

In retrospect, the scarcity of educational programs wasnot surprisingproviding hands-on training demands theuse of current production equipment, which is expensiveto buy and operate. Plastics production consumes asignificant amount of power, even in a training setting.Nevertheless, hands-on training was essential to thecredibility of any solution. Over the years, people in industryhad become increasingly intolerant of technology graduateswith insufficient practical experience. In spite of the laborshortage, managers were no longer willing to spend sixmonths or a year augmenting a graduate technologist'stheoretical understanding with enough practicalunderstanding to make him or her a productive contributorto the firm. Entry-level workers needed to bring practical

experiences with them.With the confluence of these factors, the set ious needs

of the plastics industry in Ontario began to be articulated:new and more effective ways had to be found toprovide training and education for the existingwork force and new entrants;a new breed of machine operator was needed whowould increasingly be called on to changemachines from one product to another in a shortproduction cycle, while maintaining high-qualitylevels and accurate statistical records; and

practically-trained technologists and supervisorswere needed who were capable of assistingqualified operators in infamiliar areas, whileperforming the more sophisticated quality analysisand machine maintenance tasks.

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The Canadian Plastics Training Centre (CPTC) wasformed expressly to meet these needs. Its purposes are:

to provide a balance of practical and theoreticaleducation that would give Ontario plastics industryemployers a rapidly productive employee with aconceptual framework sufficiently robust to handlefuture developments in the industry;

to provide these services in its own center and tocarry those services to customer facilities whenrequired;

to serve the province directly while developingmaterials for distance education, and ultimatelyform the nucleus of a national center or system;

to develop assessment standards and methods forcompetency-based accreditation; and

to develop programs at advanced levels in concertwith one or more universities.


The CPTC emerged from the partnership of industry,labor, education, and government as an independentancillary operation of the college. The CPTC contributes10 percent of its training revenue to Humber for collegeoverhead, but is otherwise responsible for all operationalexpenditures including facilities, salaries, and programdevelopment costs. Financially, the CPTC operates as acompletely separate entity. and can carry forward anydeficits or surpluses from year to year. The industry hasbeen enormously supportive of the Centre, providingequipment and molds on a no-cost leased basis, freematerials, and cash. Although revenue has risen faster thanexpected. allowing the CPTC to generate a cash reserve of$500,000. half of those funds will be used this year.

Organization and Staffing. The CPTC's organizationalstructure is unique in the college, lying wholly outside thenormal academic stream and connecting with the college'sstructure only at the top level. A joint steering committeerepresents the partnership and functions as the CPTC'sboard of directors. The committee includes four seniorrepresentatives from industry (two vice presidents and twogeneral managers from major companies): four seniorrepresentatives from the provincial labor organization andlarger unions, including the Ontario Federation of Labour.the Canadian Auto Workers, the United Rubber Workers,and the Communications. Energy & Paper Workers Union;and four senior representatives from the college, includingthe vice president of business development, a chair ofmanufacturing, and two faculty members.

The CPTC's director and representatives from theprovincial and federal governments also sit on thecommittee as ex-officio members. Given the diversity ofoutlooks represented, it is significant that all decisions todate have been achieved by consensus.

The CPTC's director reports to the joint steeringcommittee of the industry/labor/college partnership. Thejoint steering committee reports, via its co-chairs (industryand labor) to the board of governors of Humber College.

The CPTC has three major functions: marketing.program development, and service delivery. Theorganizational structure is very flat with cross-functionalteams tasked to the principal functions:

The curriculum design and development teamincludes a program coordinator, technical writer.and desktop publishing specialist. To date, theCPTC team has developed curriculum material tosupport six programs with over 100 discretecourses ranging from twelve to sixty-four hours.

The program delivery team includes a programcoordinator, project coordinator, productionscheduler, and the CPTC director.

The sales and marketing team includes the CPTCdirector, a project coordinator, and a sales accountengineer.

A fourth team is planned for standardsdevelopment and assessment methods.

As with the organizational structure, the assignmentof training loads is unique in the college. The CPTC relieson 40 industry experts who are available for the part-timedelivery of CPTC-designed curricula. Humber Collegeinstructors are used for general subjects such as math.communications. and a limited number of technical subjectssuch as hydraulics or electronics. There is just onepermanent faculty member, the program coordinator, whoacts like an operational manager in an industrial setting,organizing the work of the industry experts and scheduling

Chapter 6

instructors, students, and the limited number of machines.The industry experts. most of whom are employed by

SPI members, represent a significant additional contributionfrom industry. These experts are an important aspect of theresponse to the credibility issue. With new entrants, it ispossible to depend on instructors with less recent experiencein industry, but the CPTC has discovered that experiencedpeople. be they shop floor trainees or managers who engagethe CPTC's services, react far more positively when theyknow that the instructor "speaks their language" and hasimmediate experience of the pressures that govern theirlives.

In response to industry antipathy to the graduate wholacks practical skills, the CPTC is an applied learningenvironment. Student time is split equally betweenclassrooms and the shop. On the shop floor, the unvaryingarrangement is one machine and one instructor to fourstudents. There are no classes of passive students watchingan instructor delivering a demonstration. Instead, studentsare individually guided through hands-on operation of therelevant equipment. Production machine time is augmentedby self-paced, computer-based instruction specific to suchsubject areas as injection molding and mold design.

Current Services. The CPTC has designed a series ofservices to upgrade the skills of existing employees and toserve new entrants to the industry. The curriculum designershave aimed at producing an employee who is moreimmediately productive, while at the same time possessinga broader conceptual understanding. This understanding willserve as a platform for learning new technologies as theyare introduced. Students also learn the skills required tocontribute to a safer and healthier workplace.

Process Operator Certificate Programs. Thesecontinuing education programs. aimed at process operatorsworking at a semiskilled level, are offered in injectionmolding. blown-film processing. blow-molding processing.and pipe and profile extrusion. At the conclusion of theseeight-week certificate programs, students are prepared toset up their equipment for a production run without theassistance of a specialist: run the equipment: performroutine maintenance: establish and maintain conditionsrequired for complying with applicable health and safetylegislation: and set up and maintain quality controlprocedures.

Continuing Education Training Programs. These areintended for those who cannot commit to longer periods ofattendance or who require knowledge only in defined areas.Courses deliver theoretical and hands-on education andtraining ranging from the basic to the advanced. In additionto process-specific courses in injection molding, blown-film, blow-molding, and extrusion, these courses provideinstruction in such areas as:

designing molds and products for injectionmolding:

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Chapter 6

understanding blueprints for equipment andproducts;

understanding and troubleshooting pneumatic andhydraulic systems;

safe handling of materials and in the operation ofprimary and ancillary equipment;

creating and implementing preventive and routinemaintenance programs for plastics equipment; and

understanding programmable logic controllers(PLCs), computers. and electronics (intended aspreparation for intensive product-specific trainingby the equipment manufacturer).

Contract Training. Contract training is a fullycustomizable service that is provided either at the CPTC orcustomer facility. Instruction is typically deliveredfollowing assessment of the students' current knowledgelevel. New entrant programs are provided at the processoperator and technician levels.

Plastics Engineering Technician. This is a two-year.postsecondary program offered in conjunction with HumberCollege's School of Manufacturing. This diploma programincludes a significant theoretical component intended toprepare the technician for work in any part of the industry.but also includes considerable hands-on experience. Thehands-on skills are intended to make the technician a fullyproductive asset to the employer. Graduate teclinicians areexpected to be able to work in engineering, quality control,research, or production departments: coordinatedevelopment of a new product from conception to regularproduction; and adapt quickly to new technology.

Injection Molder. Injection molder is a 36-. weekcertificate program. The CPTC provides 32 weeks ofeducation and training while the industry provides fourweeks of work placement. ending in certified competenceas a setup mechanic. This is an unusual program in so faras it is presently offered only to persons on unemploymentinsurance or social assistance. The graduate will emerge asa highly qualified operator able to understand andtroubleshoot injection molding machines and theirsubsystems.

Facilities and Funding. The CPTC occupies leasedpremises in an industrial mall. Of the total 22,000 squarefeet, 16,000 square feet are devoted to machine andmaterials testing, and computer labs. The hands-on natureof CPTC offerings would not have been possible withoutthe generosity of many manufacturers that have contributedmachines, molds, and materials. The CPTC now hasequipment valued in excess of $1 million, provided eitheron a no-cost lease basis, or obtained with donated cash.The materials testing lab replicates the setup of a quality-conscious plastics processor. The machine lab houses four

fully functional injection molding machines of varyingsizes, a film extrusion line, a blow molding machine, and apipe extrusion line.

Three-year leases have been provided, and all majordonors have committed either to renewal on the same termsor to replacing the present equipment as the technologychanges. Although the scheduling of 'lasses is a majorpriority, the CPTC still makes the equipment available todonor partners for customer demonstrations or productiontesting.

Capital investment for the facility upgrade was$250,000. The operating budget is $1.25 million per annum,and is projected to rise to $2 million over the first four yearsof the effort. During those four years, the CPTC will receive$1.7 million from the federal and provincial governments,contingent on the commitment of an equal sum fromindustry. The two governments will provide approximately25 percent of the CPTC's operating cost over the first fouryears (the length of the original partnership agreement);the remaining 75 percent of the budget must come fromrevenue. .

3930

Capital investment for the facility upgradewas $250,000. The operating budget is $1.25million per annum, and is projected to riseto $2 million over the first four years of theeffort.

The CPTC's Impact

In just two years. the CPTC has proved a major assetto the industry and to the college. To ensure that the CPTCstays on track with students, all short-term studentscomplete evaluations at the end of their courses. Withstudents enrolled in courses that last longer than ten weeks,students and the coordinator meet every two weeks to ensureimmediate responses.

CPTC staff also make personal contact with themanagers and owners who engage the CPTC's services toensure they are satisfied. There is a high percentage ofrepeat customers; of 50 companies thus far served, 25 havecome back or are using services on a continuing basis.

The CPTC and its success have noticeably boostedawareness of Humber College and its programs in theplastics industry. More than a dozen articles have appearedin the plastics industry press, and direct marketinginformation is sent to the 800 members of the SPI every sixmonths. All the marketing information and articles haveprominently discussed the roles and benefits accrued to theindustry donor partners.

At a practical level, the effect of the CPTC has farexceeded expectations. Industry support has beenenthusiastic. The number of students trained has doubled

over the previous year, and 80 percent of students havebeen current employees of production firms.

Finally, the CPTC looks able to achieve its goal ofbecoming self-financing by the end of the four-yearagreement. The CPTC's steering committee and directorare very leery of complacency. Apprenticeship and youthinternship programs have yet to be established, and someof the difficulties of assessment have not yet beenadequately addressed.

Lessons Learned

As noted at the outset, the CPTC was formed by anunusual partnership. The Centre's director remembers thatthe most difficult stages in establishing the CPTC lay inthe initial negotiations. All parties were serious in theirdesire for the Centre. however, and they were alwaysbrought back to the table by the knowledge that theirinability to come to terms could adversely affect theindustry's prospects.

All participants in the project note the importance ofpersonal contacts and of building on small successes tocreate an atmosphere of trust. The SPI's past presidentremarked that many people were suspicious of labor'smotives in joining the partnership and doubted the SPI'sability to achieve anything in a reasonable time if thegovernment got involved.

While there are still people who hold immovablyadversarial attitudes, the former president notes that mostpeople in labor and government have the same goals, all ofwhich can be achieved by building successful companies.The key to building the CPTC partnership lay in the tacticof bringing people with disparate views together on a one-to-one basis. Small-scale meetings allowed people todiscover that they shared goals. Once the first personalconnections were established, the champions in each of thefour areas of industry, labor, education, and governmentwere able to expand a personal understanding into a broader-based tbundation of trust. "You can't," as a former SPIpresident notes, "build trust between committees. You haveto start with individuals."

According to a national representative for theCommunication, Energy, and Paperworkers of Canada, oneof the initial bridges between factions was an earlier SPItwo-year project which established a training program.Although subsequent missteps eroded some of the goodfeeling created by that project, the collective desire toachieve success in the current project allowed thenegotiators to return to the spirit of the earlier collaborationand build on it.

The general manager of ITW Plastiglide remembersthat some people initially took radical positions. so a criticalearly step lay in finding people who were willing to dowhat was necessary to make the project work. Once thosepeople were together, they concentrated on keeping the

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Chapter 6

process moving, and this demanded that everyone work tounderstand the other side's point of view. "Once you adoptthat stance," the general manager says, "you often sec avalidity that was not immediately apparent."

Both the SPI and the union give substantial credit forsuccess to the Centre's independence from the college. "Weand the industry people feel that we have control of theCPTC," a union leader says, "and that Humber Collegeaccepts that. That control gives us a sense of ownership wewouldn't feel if Humber was in charge. People would workon it, certainly, but we wouldn't have devoted as much timeand energy to the project as we have. I don't think thedonations of material and equipment would have come inif donors thought they were going to the college."

The Centre's director gives credit to the instructorstrategy for the CPTC's rapid acceptance by students andthe industry. By using industry experts (many of whom aremade available by their employers), the CPTC maintainsinvaluable links to the industry's leading companies. Theseexperts speak the language of industry, and are more closelyin step with the industry and its concerns.

Many believe that a business, labor, andeducational partnership is the only wayto get the attention (and the funding) ofgovernment in Canada today.

The director also believes that a key reason the CPTCwas able to come up to speed so quickly was that it couldhire a significant number of new people with recent industryexperience. Recent industry experience brings personalcontacts that weigh heavily in attracting industrypartnerships and in giving managers the confidence thattheir training investment will pay back. These contacts andthe credibility that the CPTC gains by association must bekept fresh (and effective) by regular dissemination withinindustry of the Centre's results.

Perhaps because of the difficulties inherent in formingsuch a complex partnership. all the participants are proudthat the Centre now runs by consensus. Many believe thata business, labor, and educational partnership is the onlyway to get the attention (and the funding) of government inCanada today, and that the CPTC provides an excellentmodel for other industries.

"It's difficult at first," says a past president of' SPI,"because we haven't done it before. But if you look at whatthe Europeans can accomplish with their industry/laborpartnerships. you realize that it's the way to go."

About the author; Darid Wemherston i.s i marketingconsultant vtwrking Pr the Canadian Plastics TrainingCentre in Toronto. Ontario,

Chapter 7

Johnson County Community College and Burlington Northern RailroadDan Radakovich, Susan Lindsay, and Bill Osborn

Johnson County is one of the eight counties that makeup the greater Kansas City metropolitan area. JohnsonCounty Community College, located in Overland Park. isa single-campus district with a spring 1995 enrollment of15,630 credit students and an additional continuingeducation enrollment of over 16.000 students. The collegeis the largest of the 19 community colleges in Kansas.

The president of JCCC has always been an advocatefor economic development as one of the main missions ofa good community college. From Blackhawk College. hisformer campus, he brought experience with communitycollege and industry partnerships. In fact, the success ofthe relationships between Blackhawk and John Deere andother companies led the college to establish the Businessand Industry Institute at the JCCC campus in 1984 and tocharge it with these operating goals:

serve the educational needs of business andindustry in Johnson County;

generate revenues to offset the direct cost of theprogram and to generate a retained revenue streamthat could he used to further assist the college; and

promote economic development in JohnsonCounty by working with various countygovernments and municipal chamber groups.

Given the variety of educational institutions, privatetraining agencies. and national seminar companies locatedin the greater Kansas City area, the college knew that thesuccess of the Business and Industry Institute would haveto he built on a reputation of serving business and industrywith quality programming. The college also knew that ifthe Institute were to be successful. JCCC developers wouldhave to anticipate future training needs.

The college marshaled its resources to assist theinstitute. Its Office of Institutional Research conductedneeds assessment studies on behalf of the institute, and theTelevision Operations and Word Production offices helpedin product development. The college sought the area's besttrainers and consultants, including those from its own staff.Finally, as the college worked with local chambers ofcommerce to attract business, and later, provided servicesto those businesses, it gained a reputation for serving clientswith high-quality programming. By the time BurlingtonNorthern Railroad moved its corporate headquarters toJohnson County, it had become standard practice forJohnson County Community College to approach incomingcompanies with its services.

Background

Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) is one of thenation's largest railroads, and an upcoming merger withSanta Fe Railroad will make it even larger. BN controlsmore than 25,000 miles of track in 25 states and twoCanadian provinces. The railroad employs 32,000 peopleand is an innovative leader in the industry.

In 1985, Burlington Northern Railroad operated a14.000 square-foot training facility in the Argentine districtof Kansas City, near the rail yards. BN's former director ofTechnical Training learned of the services of the JohnsonCounty Community College Business and Industry Instituteand commissioned JCCC's Institutional Research office toassist him in a neuds assessment for several courses he wasdeveloping for electricians and welders. As the relationshipbetween BN and JCCC developed, BN announced plans tobuild a larger training facility. Initially. there was somediscussion about locating the center on the JCCC campus,which was about one mile west of the BN corporateheadquarters. The new facility had to be flexible, costefficient, and considerably larger than BN's Kansas Cityoperation. BN was looking for a good environment forstudents and staff, one conducive to learning, as well as afacility with some attractive financing. The idea of havinga training facility on a college campus appealed to therailroad, and the college and BN began to seriously discussthe feasibility of the BN center being located on the JCCCcampus.

Originally, BN wanted the college to build the facilityand then lease space to them. However, college counseladvised that JCCC would lose its tax-exempt status if thatwere doneand would probably alienate every developerin Johnson County in the process. The college asked BN tobuild the facility and then donate it to the college; for avariety of reasons, the railroad could not do that. Yet, theidea was so appealing that the partners continued to pursueoptions. Finally, they approached the City of Overland Parkabout the possibility of issuing Industrial Revenue Bondsto finance the building, but were not optimistic, as the cityhad been reluctant to do so in the past. Because of the uniquerequest. however, the city felt that no industrial competitiveadvantage would be offered and that a great deal ofeconomic development would ensue for Overland Park andJohnson County and issued $2.9 million in revenue bonds.The pailnership between the City of Overland Park. JohnsonCounty Community College. and Burlington NorthernRailroad called for a 52.000 square-foot facility to he builton the JCCC campus. Burlington Northern was to lease the

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Chapter 7

facility from the city and then sublease approximately one-third of the space to the college. The lease payments werestructured to pay off the bonds in ten years, at which timethe building would be deeded to Johnson CountyCommunity College. BN would be able to renew its leaseon the building for three five-year periods after the collegetook possession.

Burlington Northern Railroad and Johnson CountyCommunity College entered into an educational operatingcontract in 1986 to build, maintain, and instruct studentsfrom both organizations in the Industrial Technical Center(ITC). In recognition of the benefits to both parties. JCCCand BN agreed to share initial and ongoing expensesaccording to each organization's use of the facility and toprovide services to each other at their actual cost. The ITCwas completed and occupied in January 1988. In June 1991.the partners agreed to expand the center, dividingconstruction costs as they had before.

Purpose of the Partnership

While it would appear natural to describe the specialeducational developments that would accrue from therelationship with Burlington Northern as the most importantreason for its location on the JCCC campus, the real purposeof the original partnership for JCCC was primarily toencourage local economic development and to provide anew non-tax revenue stream for the college. BN wantedhigh-quality teaching spacea real "educational"atmosphereto train its staff at the most reasonable costto the corporation. JCCC was aware of the economicdevelopment opportunities for the Johnson County area andfor the college. and it hoped for future educationalpartnerships to develop. Those hopes for true educationalpartnerships. as well as financial goals, have been realized.JCCC and BN. under the auspices of the National AcadeMyof Railroad Sciences, now cooperate to offer the A.S. degreein Railroad Operations with options in RailroadMaintenance of Way. Dispatching. Conducting, andMechanics, and an A.A.S. degree in Railroad Electronics.

Programs and Activities

There are many ways that BN and JC'CC now interact.some most unique and innovative, and some that will havenational impact. Both organizations started with awillingness to cooperate in promoting economicdevelopment.

Organization and Staffing. The director of TechnicalTraining for BN supervises a staff of 4213iirlington Northernemployees on the Johnson County Conn nunity Collegecampus. These individuals are the administrators,instructors, and support staff charged with serving theeducational, travel, and lodging needs of more than 8.00013N employees who come to the campus each year.Officially, these individuals are completely separate from

4 2 34

the JCCC staff and organization, but are viewed as campuscolleagues.

The JCCC Business and Industry Institute worksdirectly with BN on a contractual basis to supply additionalpersonnel for course development and other necessarysupport services and to provide contract training on a not-for-credit basis. JCCC employed a staff of 29 who workdirectly for BN on this basis. These are JCCC employeeswho know that their jobs are contingent on continued BNfunding.

In addition, BN contracts for credit instruction as well.Two cost centers, one in Railroad Operations and one inRailroad Engineering, have been established to handle thatinstruction. Each is directed by a program director whoschedules classes under the supervision of an assistant deanwho reports to the dean of instruction. The program directorswork closely with program managers on the BN staff. Aclose communications link also exists between the BNdirector and the two vice presidents of the college.

The college has employed nine full-time instructors toconduct credit classes for Burlington Northern Railroademployees in welding, maintenance of way, and electronics.These instructors are JCCC employees and report to theJCCC program directors.

Facilities. JCCC and BN, in partnership with the cityof Overland Park, built two projects totaling I 18,655 squarefeet. The National Academy of Railroad Sciences occupiesapproximately 60 percent of the total space. The buildingsand grounds are maintained by JCCC, but the costs arereimbursed by BN in proportion to its use. Moveableequipment is supplied by each partner. The leasearrangements provide BN with low-cost space and anatmosphere conducive to education and allow JCCC toconstruct needed space for its programs.

Burlington Northern employs a hands-on approach totraining, and this is reflected throughout the center. Thestaff has designed and constructed many one-of-a-kind"simulators" that allow the student real-world experiencewhile working under the guidance of highly trainedinstructors.

The Locomotive Engineer Training section providesthe railroad with the safest, most qualified locomotiveengineers in the industry. At the training center, studentsreceive in-depth training in locomotive mechanical,electrical, and air brake systems: train handling techniques:train track dynamics: and operating rules.

The Signal Training section is responsible fordeveloping and delivering specialized technical training forsignal employees. These individuals install. maintain, andrepair the devices that regulate the safe movement of railtraffic and provide protection for the public at highwaycrossings.

The Mechanical Training section is responsible fortraining craftsmen to repair and maintain diesel electric

locomotives and freight cars safely and efficiently.The Communications Training section teaches both

apprentice and journeyman electronic technicians to install,maintain, and repair BN's two-way communication devices,telecommunications, video identification, and data handlingsystems. The students receive instruction in a predeterminedmixture of hands-on, laboratory workshop courses.

The Maintenance of Way Training section isresponsible for training those employees who build.maintain, and repair the very foundation of the railroad,the right of way. Training in this area addresses theinspection, maintenance, repair, and construction of railroadbridges, buildings, and track.

In addition, the center has an administrative sectionthat provides the clerical, scheduling, and budgeting supportvital for the smooth and efficient operation of the entiretraining center. There is also an audiovisual section thatsupports and enhances the instructor's teaching capabilitiesby assisting in the development, production, and deliveryof training material.

For years, the center has led the railroad industry incomputer-based training (CBT). Coupled with extensiveuse of interactive video, CBT is especially appropriate forteaching the complex and highly technical skills requiredof railroad employees. The initial CBT effort was directedtoward railroad operating rules, which had traditionally beenlearned by memorization. Using CBI however, the studentcan concentrate in an individualized manner on theapplication of these rules. By presenting hypotheticalsituations, the student's ability to apply the meaning of therule can he evaluated. Additionally, the CBT approach offersthe prospect of expanding the entire training function tolocations across the railroad.

The knowledge and skills required to serveon train crews cannot be learned entirelyin the classroom. Recognizing this, theNational Academy of Raroad Sciences hasmade a substantial investment inlocomotive simulator technology to providethe hands-on experience essential to the safeoperation of trains.

The engineer training classroom accommodates up to24 students. It contains arious hands-on and demonstrationequipment. The dispatcher classroom accommodates up toI 2 students.

The mechanical/electrical lab accommodates up to 16students. but classes are limited to 12. The machinist lahaccommodates 16 students and is equipped with amechanical hay. a two-ton overhead hoist, two four-cylinder

Chapter 7

diesel engines, and a locomotive air brake rack.The communication classroom/lab provides the

equipment necessary to train communication electronicstechnicians. A special screen room that limits exposures tomicrowave emissions allows hands-on, two-way radiorepair instruction.

The carmen training classroom accommodates 15students. All the equipment has various defects for studentinspection. One freight car truck has 71 different defects.

The signal lab is used for training both apprentice andjourneymen signal maintainers. Signal equipment simulates35 miles of automatic block signal territory. The lab alsocontains highway crossing and interlocking simulators.

The knowledge and skills required to serve on traincrews cannot be learned entirely in the classroom.Recognizing this, the National Academy of RailroadSciences has made a substantial investment in locomotivesimidator technology to provide the hands-on experienceessential to the safe operation of trains.

Simulators offer top-quality training without the cost.damage, and logistical problems of more traditionalapproaches to engineer training. Uniquely, simulators allowengineers to practice skills and enhance their abilities todeal with abnormal and dangerous circumstances safely andwithout interrupting operations.

The academy maintains six stationary and one full-motion simulator. These simulators arc equipped withcomputer-generated image systems, the same technologyused to teach military and airline pilots. Powerful graphicsprocessors present students with realistic trackconfigurations and lifelike scenery. Computer-generatedimages can be altered to show conditions such as nightoperations, poor visibility in bad weather, and othersituations that can not be shown on conventional film orvideotape.

All simulators used at BN's training facility performjust like the equipment they simulate. To accomplish thatwith the electrical cabinets. BN had to add a computer anda programmable controller, which provide all of theinformation the cabinet needs to make it think it is part ofan operating locomotive.

Some may believe a simulator is second best, areplacement when the real til'12 is not available. BN saysjust the opposite is truea simulator is better than the realthing. The GE cabinet will do everything that one in alocomotive will do and more. BN can accommodate up to16 in this classroom: a real train can only accommodateone person. There are more than 100 faults built into thecabinet for training purposes that can be turned off or on.

In addition to the railroad programs, the IndustrialTechnology Center also houses JCCC's CAD. engineering.and electronics progrtuns along with eight general purposeclassrooms, offices, and the campus warehouse. As spacein the Industrial Technical Center expanded, the college

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Chapter 7

also built a welding facility to provide training for BNemployees. Actual track is brought to the center for repairby the welders. Once repaired, it is returned to the railroadfor use on the line. This approach was again in keepingwith the railroad's hands-on philosophy.

Business and Industry Institute. JCCC worked closelywith BN in course development and support. Twenty-nineindividuals have been employed to develop the CBTprograms for the railroad. The JCCC Business and IndustryInstitute prides itself on meeting expressed needs fromindustry in its service area, and BN uses the institute as anadded resource when feasible.

Economic Development. Burlington Northern Railroadexpects to train 8.0(X) of its employees in the Overland Parkfacility in the 1994-95 academic year. Those students willattend 11215 student weeks of training, which correspondsto 52.820 room nights for local hotels and motels. Whentravel and food costs are calculated, the economic impactfor Johnson County is substantial. The Burlington NorthernTechnical Training Center operating budget for 1994 wasover $16 million. Applying a multiplier of $2.50 for eachdirect dollar spent on training, the economic benefit to thearea is estimated to exceed $40 million.

Credit Instruction. The first credit courses offered aspart of the partnership with BN were in welding. JCCCassisted in course development and competency assessment.as part of the original contract with BN. When Burlingtonmoved to the campus. the college began to offer thattraining. Track welding is somewhat unique: therefore. BNsent college staff to the field to learn even more about theprocess. The college then offered credit instruction for BNin electronics, hydraulics, pneumatics, construction, andbridge repair.

The electronics program was developed so that studentscould train while at home. Students come to the JCCCcampus for six weeks over an 18-month period and do therest of the work on computers at home. They communicatedaily with an instructor via modem. Fifteen individuals fromall over the country have just completed the degreerequirements for that program.

Associate Degree in Railroading. As BurlingtonNorthern's business grew, it suddenly had to expand its workforce to keep up with demand. The college had alwayswanted an entry into that job market and approached BN'sdirector about the possibility of working together to offer aprogram. BN was supportive of a joint venture betweenthe college and the railroad to expand the opportunity forrailroad training and retraining and to initiate the world'sfirst associate degree program in railroad occupations.

With BN's support, JCCC and the railroad initiated anational center for railroad training and education. Thiscenter, the National Academy of Railroad Science (NARS),provides the training stipulated in the Rail SafetyImprovement Act of 1988 for engineer certification. In

4 4

addition, NARS offers training in maintenance of way, trainconducting. communications and customer service, signaltraining, dispatcher training, and mechanical training formachinists, electricians, and carmen. Individuals who arenot presently employed in railroading can now gain thenecessary educational credentials and secure employmentwith railroads. Burlington Northern has taken the lead hereand has allowed the college to offer certificate and degreeprograms in dispatcher training, conductor training, andmaintenance of way training.

36

Evolution into a National Partnership

Challenged by competition throughout thetransportation industry, North American railroads havespent the past several decades improving their operationsresponding to customers' needs. employing newtechnologies, and streamlining procedures. Some of thechanges railroads made meant that fewer employees wereneeded. so hiring slowed substantially. In the last 20 years.for example. some major railroads reduced their work forcesby more than 50 percent.

At the same time, many changes that railroads havemade require new skills for the employees that remain.Clerks, for example, once worked largely behind the scenes,handling the paper that tracked a shipment. Today. they havebeen replaced by customer service representatives, whoreach out to their clients and actively identify and implementimprovements in service. New technology reaches intoevery railroad operation and requires new knowledgeamong installers, maintainers, and operators. Legislationand industry standards require new skills for compliance.Changes in hiring practicesfor example. hiringsystemwide rather than regional and seasonal maintenanceof way personnelbespeak a commitment to the full-time,permanent employee and his or her productivity.

Once flat, market share for the rail industry is expectedto increase. Agreements with truck, shipping, and bargelines allow railroads to O'er "seamless" transportation totheir clients. Improved service and reliability make railroadsa viable option for those shipping time-sensitive, fragile.or otherwise "high margin" goods. However, more businessrequires more railroad employees. As a vice president withone major railroad put it. "Right now, we don't have a singleextra employee. We're at the limit of the business we canhandle. If we ship more freight. we need more people to dothe work."

The result is a complex, industrywide need foreducation and training. All employees need solid basicskillsreading, writing. arithmetic. New hires.conservatively estimated at I 50)0 per year. must also learngeneral railroad operations and the technical crafts in whichthey will work. Existing employees must learn newprocedures and technologies to stay current in their crafts.

An Associate's Degree in Railroads. To address theseneeds, representatives from seven Class I North Americanrailroads and two community colleges met in the spring of1993 at Burlington Northern Railroad's Technical TrainingCenter on the campus of Johnson County CommunityCollege to discuss creating an associate's degree in railroadoperations. The group drafted a list of competencies theywould expect from graduates and reviewed a draft curriculumprepared by Johnson County Community College.

As a vice president with one major railroadput it, "Right now, we don't have a singleextra employee. We're at the limit of thebusiness we can handle. If we ship morefreight, we need more people to do the work:'

Over that summer, they discussed the competenciesand curriculum in their organizations and met again in thefall, with three more colleges represented, to agree on finalcompetencies and curriculum guidelines. The curriculumincluded four railroad-specific courses designed to addressspecial competencies: those courses were assigned to fourdevelopment teams. In the spring of 1994. the group metagain to review progress, adding four more colleges, andreviewed a draft of industry certification standards andprocesses. The group met three more times in 1995. withmore educational institutions in attendance at each meeting,to approve certification standards, affiliate with the RailroadPersonnel Association, and develop informational andpromotional materials. Beginning in 1996, the group willmeet annually to review program implementation.

The associate degree in railroading is a two-yearassociate of science or associate of applied science degreethat prepares the graduate for a career in railroad operations(customer service, conductor and yard crews, dispatching.locomotive engineer, maintenance of way, mechanical.signal systems, system electrical, and telecommunications).The program produces a pool of graduates from which allrailroads can hire. Secondarily, it offers railroad employeesopportunities to broaden and update their skills.

Curriculum Components. The curricula leading to thedegree meet traditional requirements for two-yearvocational/technical college programs. Nearly half of therequirements are general education courses, includingcomposition, technical math and physics, social science,and speech. Another quarter are industry-specific coursesin railroad history. operations, safety. quality, andenvironmental awareness, and technical career options andresponsibilities. These were developed by teams of railroadexperts and college educators and are supplied to collegesthat offer the degree. For a general degree in railroadoperations, students use the fourth semester to completebusiness and technical courses such as data processing,supervision, construction, and engineering.

Chapter 7

For degrees with emphases in crafts such asdispatching, conductor service, maintenance of way. orlocomotive or freight car mechanical systems. students cancomplete rigorous technical training, much of which islaboratory-based, at colleges equipped to offer such training.currently, the National Academy of Railroad Sciencesoffers craft-specific options. Other organizations mayimplement them in the future.

Certification Requirements. Institutions that offer thedegree may obtain industry certification for their programs.To apply for certification, an institution must have educationas its principal activity, be legally authorized to operate asan educational institution, be accredited by one of the U.S.regional or Canadian provincial accrediting bodies, offer(or intend to offer) a degree program with a concentrationin railroading which includes the supplied railroad-specificcollege courses and conforms to the curriculumrequirements, demonstrate the need for associate degreegraduates in its service area, and be authorized in writingto apply by the chief executive officer of the institutionand a management-level director of a railroad that is amember of a certifying body. Institutions typically obtainpreliminary certification for two-year periods at no fee. Toobtain and maintain five-year full certification, institutionsmust also have offered the railroading degree program forat least two years immediately before application, remit acertification fee, complete a self-study, and host a site visitby a certification team.

Students' Options for Completing the Degree. Ingeneral, colleges offering the degree require the equivalentof one semester's residency at the degree-grantinginstitution, but allow students to transfer remaining creditsfrom other institutions. Therefore, a student can completegeneral education courses at a college that does not offerthe degree. the railroad-specific courses at a college thatoffers the general degree but no craft-specific options. andcraft-specific education and training at another institution.This flexibility allows students from various locations toearn their degrees in places and at paces that suit them.

Funding. The partnership is funded in a variety ofways. as illustrated below.

Direct Support. Burlington Northern has beeninstrumental in sponsoring an effort to institute the A.S.degree in Railroad Operations both at JCCC and nationally.A project manager has been retained on behalf of theNational Academy to finalize the process. JCCC willsponsor a full-time director and secretary to oversee theprogram.

To encourage the college's effort to create a pool ofA.S. candidates. the National Academy has indicated awillingness to hire a full-time instructor to teach the fourrailroad courses outlined in the degree. The college plansto staff that position N11-time in the fall of 1995.

KC(' - NAI?S Cost Sharing. JCCC has commissionedthe National Academy for Railroad Sciences (NARS ) to

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teach selected courses in railroad conducting and railroaddispatching as part of the JCCC A.S. degree in RailroadOperations. JCCC will pay NARS for these services.

JCCC expects six conductor and four dispatcher classesto be offered in 1994-95. At $500 per student week. JCCCwill reimburse NARS $260,500 during the 1994-95academic year. JCCC. for its part, will receive tuition andfees directly from the students, most of whom attend onscholarship.

Student Scholarships. Burlington Northern offersstudent scholarships for those students who are enrolled inthe dispatcher and conductor options ofJCCC's A.S. degreein Railroad Operations. These scholarships help studentsdefray the cost of tests and exams. tuition and fees, andsome of the costs associated with required off-campustraining. The scholarships amount to $3,000 for eachconductor student and $11,900 for each dispatcher student.

Gifts and Donations In addition to scholarships. BNmakes several annual contributions to JCCC that itvoluntarily remits from time to time. These include supportof Cultural Education Center events, outstanding facultyawards, and the Some Enchanted Evening fundraising event.BN donated support for a recent bond referendum. Thesecontributions have amounted to $21,000 this year alone.

The Future. The success of the degree programdepends on railroad industry support, a pool of interestedstudents, and top-quality education and training to bringthe two together. To date, support throughout the railroadindustry has been resounding. Students are attracted notonly by the romance of railroading traditions but also byan industry moving quickly to the fore, an industry thatcan offer employment with many rewards. The curriculumand certification processes ensure colleges offering thedegree meet the needs of both their clientspotentialemployers and potential employees. In short, everyonebenefitsstudents, colleges, railroadsand, ultimately, thecustomers who ship their goods by rail.

Impact and Reflections of the Partnership

The national attention that the Johnson CountyCommunity College/Burlington Northern Railroadpartnership has been given is phenomenal: not a week hasgone by without some kind of inquiry or visit. The programwas recognized by AACC as one of the nation's best, andin April 1995, Secretary of I ,abor Robert Reich referred tothe partnership as a model cooperative program betweeneducation and industry. America's success in meeting thechallenges of uncertain but far-reaching change will dependon how public and private sectors work together toguarantee a work force that is skilled and productive.

The local economic development impact of more than$40 million is substantial: yet, of all things associated withthe partnership, this is the one arca that people either takefor granted or ignore altogether. Unfortunately many people

4 38

view this partnership negatively and as a taxpayer subsidyto the industry. They forget that the buildings will eventuallybecome the property ofJCCC or. for that matter, that JCCCwill be collecting rent in the near future on these buildings.For its part. BN gets the sense at times of dealing with acollege that always has its hand out.

The development of the National Academy of RailroadSciences offers the promise of far-reaching impact. TheAcademy could become a national center for railroad training,and a major source for employees for the nation's railroads.If the A.A.S. becomes a standard for employment, communitycolleges will benefit as major players in helping to upgradethe criteria for employment in the railroad industry.

Students are attracted not only by theromance of railroading traditions but alsoby an industry moving quickly to the fore.

There are several myths associated with any public/private partnership. One of the biggest myths has to be thatthe corporate partner has unlimited funds and that it will bewilling to support any and all college projects. In truth, thecompany seeks the best return on investment and cost isalways a factor. Another myth suggests that unlimited grantswill be available to support the public/private venture,particularly if jobs arc promised. There are, in reality, tewopportunities for outside support of partnership ventures.A last myth suggests that all people will appreciate effortsto enhance the college by working closely with a corporationor to enhance corporate training by working closely with acollege. Some people at JCCC still fear that the college hasbecome "Choo Choo U.- and suggest that the tail (the BNprogram) is wagging the dog. Many people at BN questionany attempt to change traditional hiring practices. and manyare threatened by tying employment to education.

The future, however, holds great promise for thiscooperative effort. The college and the corporation haveaccumulated considerable experience. People have debunkedthe myths and know that a true partnership has to beproductive tor both entitiesand also be cost effective. Hardwork, not wishful thinking, is the key to successfulpartnerships. Private industry and public education mustwork together to allow increasing numbers of individuals tomove into the economic mainstream of American life throughemployment tied to training. Colleges and corporations canmake that happen better by working together than by workingalone. The partnership between Burlington NorthernRailroad and Johnson County Community College is a modelof how that can be accomplished.

About the authors: Dan RadakoVich is vice president.lOr academic affairs at Johnson County CommunityCollege: Susan Lindsay is an education consultant fin- theNational Academy JOr Railroad Sciences; Bill Oslunw is aptvgram director at Jolmson County Community College.

Chapter 8

Kirkwood Community College and AEGON USANorm Nielsen

Kirkwood Community College, established in 1966,is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The college serves a seven-county area with a total population of 346,315. The collegewas founded as part of a statewide community collegesystem that includes 15 community college districts thatprovide comprehensive educational services, including thefirst two years of college work; vocational-technical trainingat the high school and postsecondary levels: job trainingand retraining; vocational education; high schoolcompletion programs; and continuing educationopportunities.

In 29 years, Kirkwood has become the fifth largestinstitution of higher education in Iowa. with learning centersin each of its seven counties and an enrollment of over10,000 students in its credit programs. The county learningcenters are linked to the main campus via microwave andfiber-optic technology. The telecommunications systemprovides two-way audio and video-interactive instruction.

The college offers more than 100 applied science andtechnology and transfer programs, in addition to anextensive community/continuing education curriculum.Adult basic education and high school completion coursesarc provided to nearly 5,000 area residents each year.

The thirty-mile corridor between Cedar Rapids andIowa City, home of the University of Iowa, is exhibitingremarkable economic growth. Within the area served bythe college are 13,952 businesses and 674 manufacturingfirms. The economy of the region is predominantlyagriculture-based with a strong emphasis on grainprocessing, including such companies as Quaker Oats.Archer-Daniels-Midland, Genencor, Ralston Foods, Cargill.Roush Products, General Mills. and Penford Products.Added to these are heavy industrial and electronics firmssuch as PMX Industries. Rockwell International, RockwellGoss. Amana Refrigeration, Cedar River Paper Company.Cedarapids, Inc., and Procter & Gamble. The remainder ofthe region is supported by a broad base of service industries,including insurance, education, and health care. In February1995, the area's unemployment rate was 3 percent.

A key component contributing to the success of thecollege has been its partnerships with area business andindustry through the efforts of Kirkwood WorkplaceDevelopment Services (KWDS). KWDS is a full-service.regional delivery system for customized/contracted training.retraining, and new or e. panding business developmentservices. The program originated in 1983, formalizing thecoordinati,m and delivery of economic developmentprograms and services on a regional basis.

The State of Iowa and its community colleges havebeen progressive in support of workforce training throughthe development of an innovative funding mechanism. Withthe passaee of the Iowa Industrial New Jobs TrainingProgram in 1983, businesses can finance training for newjobs by diverting funds from state withholding taxes andlocal property taxes. The law allows community collegesto enter into partnerships with expanding industries, as wellas those needing to retrain their existing work force.

To date, Kirkwood has provided more than $42 millionin training assistance for 150 businesses from this program,creating 6,253 new jobs in the area.

In addition to administering the New Jobs TrainingProgram, Kirkwood is a key player in the economicdevelopment of the region, particularly in cooperation withPriority One. This award-winning economic developmentprogram of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commercewas created in 1986. The program gave new energy anddirection to the local economy at a time when it was plaguedby job losses and a sluggish recovery from the recession.Kirkwood Workplace Development Services works closelywith Priority One staff in coordinating incentive packagesfor new or expanding industries. The New Jobs TrainingProgram is always a part of these plans. Kirkwood'spresident serves on the Priority One board of directors.

Building the Partnership. Life Investors InsuranceCompany of America was formed in 1959 and experiencedsuccess and rapid growth from the beginning. When AGOHolding N.V. of the Netherlands. the fifth largest insurancecompany in Holland, purchased Life Investors, even greatergrowth occurred. In 1983, when AGO merged into a largergroup of companies and became AEGON N.V. it joinedthe ranks of the ten largest insurance companies in theEuropean Community. The company markets life and healthinsurance, annuities, and investment products. AEGONUSA currently employs 6,140 people, with 1,195 of thesein Cedar Rapids.

Life Investors and AEGON USA have a strong traditionof community involvement. Locally. AEGON is a keysupporter of United Way and other not-for-profitorganizations. The company has established academicscholarships at several area colleges, including Kirkwood.In addition. AEGON is a key player in Priority One.

The Kirkwood-AEGON partnership began in 1985with contracted training through Kirkwood WorkplaceDevelopment Services. Training programs have beenoffered at AEGON in the areas of human resources,customer service. supervisory skills, computer software,

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construction technology, foreign language, culturalawareness. CPR, first aid, position analysis, organizationaldesign, and assessment. College personnel and AEGONstaff work together to identify and meet training needs asthey arise. The ability of the college to offer on-site trainingadds convenience and a customized approach to the qualityof the programming.

Contracted training is generally offered in four-hourblocks for twelve to twenty sessions, and classes are offeredin the company's facilities whenever possible. Instructorsare trained in adult learning techniques. focusing onfacilitation, practical application, and discussion rather thanlectures and examinations.

AEGON has twice taken advantage of the IowaIndustrial New Jobs Training Program. In 1985. thecompany added over 100 employees as a result of growthof the insurance business and acquisitions of other insurancecompanies. Their job training contract exceeded $1.1million for programs such as midmanagement needsassessment. orientation, appraisals, accounting andbookkeeping, word processing, sales, service, marketing,and managerial training. In 1994. the company hired over200 new employees and again participated in the New JobsTraini ng Program.

In 1992. after seven years of relationship buildingthrough regular communications and successful trainingagreements, Kirkwood established a credit educationprogram at AEGON. This service has been provided foronly one other industry in the Kirkwood area and requireda strong commitment from both AEGON and Kirkwoodstaff.

Since its :aception. over 200 AEGON employees havetaken advantage of the on-site credit program. Employeeparticipation is facilitated through on-site services, whichinclude registration. academic advising, and class offerings.One or two credit classes are scheduled at AEGON eachsemester. The on-site class offerings change each semester.but are generally in the areas of business or insurance.Employees can work toward a degree. as approximately 80percent of those taking Kirkwood courses do: or they cantake only the classes they need to be productive in theirjobs.

All AEGON staff are eligible to participate in creditcourses. The company provides credit tuitionreimbursement. On-site credit course content is consistentwith that of the courses offered on the college campus. withthe same syllabi and texts. Credit courses generally last 16weeks, using lecture, group discussion, and written or oralevaluations.

AEGON staff provided input in the development ofKirkwood's credit insurance education program in 1990 and1991. Together, the two organizations developed a five-year plan for course offerings in the insurance program atthe AEGON facility. Those classes not available on-site are

offered on the college campus or through a guided self-study program, which allows learners to view videotapedcourses at their convenience.

Although the program is coordinated by KWDS, itenjoys the full cooperation of many other collegedepartments, particularly the Business Educationdepartment and the Office of the Registrar. AEGON humanresources staff have been trained to assist employees withcollege transfer requirements and to answer questions aboutKirkwood credit education classes and degree programs.

By the spring semester of 1996, the company willreceive classes via KTS, Kirkwood's microwavetransmission system, which provides two-way interactiveaudio and video instruction. As a result, up to 28 coursescould be offered on-site each semester. Thistelecommunications link will represent the only communitycollege/business link for on-site instruction in the state.

As an international insurance organization, AEGONhas benefited from use of Kirkwood's satellite uplink anddownlink services by regularly sponsoring satelliteconferences to train insurance sales representatives acrossthe United States.

Funding. The partnership between KirkwoodCommunity College and AEGON USA is financially self-sustaining for the most part. College credit courses offeredat the AEGON facility arc billed at the college's establishedrate for credit tuition and fees. The additional costsassociated with on-site registration services are absorbedby Kirkwood Workplace Development Services.

Workforce training is provided by KWDS on acontractual basis. Training program tees are hourly or arenegotiated to meet special needs of both parties. Curriculumdevelopment costs are billed separately. As mentionedearlier. AEGON has twice qualified for Iowa Industrial NewJobs Training Program funds.

48 40

The AEGON USA Corporate Data Center

Over the years. a strong relationship between Kirkwoodand AEGON developed. The strength of the relationshipwas based on the AEGON CEO's commitment to andsupport of education, training. Kirkwood, and communityservice. When Kirkwood launched its first major fund drivein 1990, the insurance company's CEO agreed to co-chairthe $5 million campaign. The result, in addition to asuccessful campaign with over $6 million raised, was afortification of the relationship between Kirkwood andAEGON.

In May 1992, in the midst of the campaign, an informaldiscussion between the CEOs of Kirkwood and AEGONrevealed that AEGON was planning to develop a nationalcorporate data center. The company was actively seeking aaeutral site for the center in an American city without anexisting AEGON presence. Together. Kirkwood and Priority

One convinced AEGON's site selection committee that theKirkwood campus in Cedar Rapids was the ideal locationfor the corporate data center, despite the existing AEGONoperation in the city. By building on the Kirkwood campus.the neutrality issue would be resolved, and the companycould take advantage of their existing work force in thecity to staff the center. In addition, there was an educationalcomponent to the center, whereby training needs of AEGONemployees. Kirkwood credit students, and communitybusiness and industry staff could be met. By June of 1993,the final decision was made and announced at a Kirkwood-AEGON press conference.

The innovative aspects of the joint facilityrequired equally innovative thinking anddecision making from all involved, and anumber of special arrangements.

Construction. Undoubtedly, the construction of theAEGON North America Corporate Data Center on theKirkwood Community College campus has been the mostexciting and mutually rewarding outgrowth of theKirkwood-AEGON partnership. Kirkwood sold 3.9 acresof land to AEGON and provided easement to an additional14 acres for the nominal fee of $1. The easement wasnecessary to permit construction of a 133-space parkinglot to be shared by AEGON employees and KirkwoodWorkplace Development Services' business and industryclients. In addition, an enclosed walkway. provided by thecompany. connects the facility to the college'sadministration building. Ownership of the property willrevert to Kirkwood after 65 years or when AEGONdiscontinues use of the facility for computing, whicheveroccurs first.

The 55,000-foot Corporate Data Center is expandableto 73,000 square feet and houses the mainframe computingcenter for all of AEGON USA. AEGON owns the entirebuilding. and leases 11.273 square feet to the KirkwoodFacilities Foundation for 65 years at the token fee of $ I 00per year. This area, which houses Kirkwood's InformationTechnology Center, was designed and constructed for thecollege. It is located on the lower level and includescomputer classrooms, computer laboratories, andinstructional support services.

In addition, AEGON provides Kirkwood with accessto the mainframe computer for instructional purposes. Thecost for this is $20,(X}0 per year. Upon receipt. AEGONdonates that amount back to the Kirkwood Foundation eachyear.

Kirkwood was given ample opportunities for inputith the owners, architects, and contractors in relation to

building design, appearance. aesthetics. landscaping. andsiting. In every case, AEGON worked to ensure that the

Chapter 8

new building would be consistent with existing campusarchitecture.

The innovative aspects of the joint facility requiredequally innovative thinking and decision making from allinvolved, and a number of special arrangements. Oneexample was the decision to lease Kirkwood's portion ofthe building to the Kirkwood Facilities Foundation ratherthan the college itself. An Iowa Supreme Court decision ina previous case ruled that property taxes must be paid whena community college leases space from a for-profitcorporation. However, this ruling did not apply to a taxexempt charitable organization leasing space from a for-profit corporation. Thus, as a result of the cooperation ofthe City of Cedar Rapids and the Kirkwood FacilitiesFoundation, property taxes for Kirkwood's InformationTechnology Center were waived.

Liability was another issue that required considerablediscussion. Neither partner could accept liability for theactions of the other. AEGON was concerned with theliability associated with Kirkwood students' use of theInformation Technology Center. On the other hand,Kirkwood's insurance carrier could not assume liability forcompany employees on Kirkwood property. Finally.attorneys for both parties collaborated on an agreementwhereby neither party is liable for the other.

Resource and service sharing also required specialconsideration. Kirkwood provides security services, lawncare, and snow removal. AEGON employees have accessto the college's wellness activities, physical educationfacilities, library, and food services. AEGON provides themainframe and building space for nominal costs.

The total cost to AEGON USA for the Kirkwoodportion of the facility is estimated at $1,500,000. The totalcost to Kirkwood for furniture and equipment was$1,000A0. which included costs for special construction;computers, printers, software, and associated installationcosts; a computer server; a bridge and routers; audio andvisual equipment; surge protectors; a communicationcontroller for the AEGON mainframe; interior designconsultation; and legal fees. Kirkwood's expenses were paidby revenues from the college's bookstore and the annualbudget for equipment acquisition.

Personnel. The AEGON/Kirkwood partnership. whichbegan with Kirkwood Workplace Development Services.has grown to affect every department and every student atKirk wood.

Advisory Committees. Internally, when the college andAEGON decided to move forward with a joint facility, theInstructional Technology Council was formed to plan anddesign the credit instruction portion of the facility. Thecouncil consists of the college's vice president forinstruction, the executive director of computer informationsystems, the project director for instructional technology,and faculty.

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At the same time, Kirkwood personnel were asked toidentify potential community partners, obtain their support,and request their participation on the InformationTechnology Business and Industry Advisory Committee.The committee links the facility with the entire businesscommunity and its emerging training needs. The committeeprovides private sector input on instruction and trainingdesign as well as equipment and software packages for thenew facility. As major customers of software and hardwarevendors, advisory committee members have been able toarrange discounts on items needed for the InformationTechnology Center. The committee remains active as asource of outside input and as a link to business and industrythroughout Kirkwood's seven-county region.

Members of the Information Technology Business andIndustry Advisory Committee include CEOs or theirdesignees from American College Testing, AEGON.Kirkwood Community College French Studios. the GrantWood Area Education Agency. IBM, IES Industries.Rockwell International, MCI Telecommunications. MercyMedical Center. St. Luke's Hospital. and the University ofIowa. These representatives from business, industry, healthcare, and education provide key leadership for the projectthat will help it to meet the needs of Iowa business andindustry for the foreseeable future.

Stqff: The manager of Instructional Computing Servicesis responsible for the daily operations of the KirkwoodInformation Technology Center. which includesInstructional Support Services. The manager supervises twofull-time and numerous part-time computer laboratoryassociates and a training coordinator, and reports to theexecutive director of Computer Information Systems. Themanager also works closely with the Kirkwood WorkplaceDevelopment Services division (KWDS).

The executive director of computer informationsystems at Kirkwood has also been very involved with thispartnership. particularly during the construction of thefacility. Representing the president and board of trustees.the executive director worked with attorneys to developagreements and enlarge the understanding of each partner'srole and served as the college's primary point of contactfor architects, engineers, contractors, and AEGON. Theexecutive director also worked with the project's advisorycommittees and KWDS to select hardware and softwarefor Kirkwood's portion of the building and, now that thebuilding is complete. oversees the department and themanager of instructional computing services in dailysupport and operation of the Information TechnologyCenter. The executive director also works with theInformation Technology Business and Industry Advisory('ommittee to develop and extend partnerships withhardware and software vendors.

Kirkwood Workplace Development Services ( KWDS )is the primary college contact fm AEGON. The director of

50

KWDS provides general oversight for the partnership toensure that AEGON's needs are met in a responsive manner.In addition, the director administers the Iowa Industrial NewJobs Training Program and communicates the status andprogress of the partnership to the college's administratorsand board of trustees.

The person responsible for day-to-day training andcredit education coordination for AEGON is one of theKWDS Business and Industry program managers. Theprogram manager's primary responsibilities with AEGONinclude:

providing on-site registration and academicadvising services:

facilitating transcript evaluation and analysis:

serving as an intermediary between students andthe college registrar's office:

coordinating the workforce development programsoffered both on-site and off-site:

assessing possibilities for expanded programofferings:

monitoring customer satisfaction;

representing the college on AEGON's trainingcouncil: and

linking AEGON with other programs and staff atthe Kirkwood campus.

Programming. The college's credit and noncreditstudents are reaping the benefits of the Kirkwood-AEGONpartnership, as are the faculty. While four classrooms inthe center are dedicated to business and industry trainingand continuing education, the remainder of the buildinghouses a computer laboratory open to all students andcomputer classrooms for Kirkwood's credit programs. Thecenter has increased the college's capacity, performance,reliability, and function in the areas of computer educationand training.

Credit Programtning. The facility's open computerlaboratory has 72 work stations, each with advancedpersonal computers for both credit and noncredit studentuse.

42

All computers in the Information Technology Centerare equipped with the most recent version of MicrosoftOffice Professional, as well as several more specializedsoftware programs for spreadsheet and databasemanagement. Operating systems include DOS. UNIX,0S400. VM, VSE, and MVS. Access to the college library'son-line catalog. electronic mail, and the Internet is alsoavailable. Hardware and sofiware upgrades will be madeas needed to provide students with the training required fortoday's workplace.

The Information Technology Center was designed forflexibility in meeting the changing needs of curriculum.pedagogy. and technology. A raised floor and soundproof

partitions allow for short-term or permanent reconfigurationof the facility.

The facility's two credit computer classrooms offer atotal of 45 personal computers. Each accommodates 30students: in the multimedia classroom, two students workcollaboratively at each of the 15 computer stations. Aprojector allows the display of a student's computer screen,the instructor's desk or computer screen, or video.

Another credit classroom is dedicated to training forfaculty and staff. Instructional Support Services staff, whoare also housed in the Information Technology Center, assistfaculty with new curriculum development using thetechnology available in the center.

Noncredit Programming. Four additional classroomsfor business and industry training in the InformationTechnology Center offer a total of 47 computer stations.These contract/continuing education computer classroomsare available at any time for training delivered by KirkwoodWorkplace Development Services, for rent by businessesfor their computer training needs. or for training arranitedby KWDS with a private vendor.

The contract/continuing education classrooms are fullyequipped to meet the needs of even the most advancedindustries in East Central Iowa. Audiovisual equipmentincludes four multisynchronous monitors that display thecontents of an instructor writing pad or student computerscreens, at the discretion of the instructor. The four screenscan all display the same information or can be usedindividually.

In May 1995, when the center opened. the contract/continuing education computer classrooms were fullyscheduled with classes in word processing. spreadsheets,operating systems. and database management, as well asother customized training programs. A current projectincludes the development of a local area networkacministration (LAN) training program. When noncreditcourses are not fully enrolled, college faculty are welcometo participate at no cost.

The Information Technology Center, a dedicatedtraining facility with current computer hardware andsoftware, has made Kirkwood Workplace DevelopmentServices a full-service local, regional. and in some cases.national computer training provider in demand from clientsas distant as the IBM office in Dallas, Texas.

Computer Software. Knowing that it is nearlyimpossible for a publicly supported institution to remaincurrent with frequent software revisions and developments.Computer Information Services personnel expandedexisting partnerships with software vendors to providecurrent programs for the Information Technology Center.In return for donated or discounted software in the computerclassrooms and laboratories, Kirkwood WorkplaceDevelopment Services became a licensed trainer for avariety of applications. This approach helps ensure that it

Chapter 8

is in the software vendors' best interests to see that theInformation Technology Center is equipped with the latestversions of their programs.

One example of the facility's more innovative softwareprograms is Group Systems, an electronic meeting softwarepackage. Group Systems allows participants to type incomments that appear on one or all of the multisynchronousmonitors, visible to everyone in the group. No one knows,however, who is responsible for each comment. Thesoftware results in more open and frank discussion, an equalvoice for all participants. and automatic documentation ofwhat was said.

The manager of instructional computing servicescontinues to seek and acquire new and innovative softwareapplications for the Information Technology Center.Kirkwood Workplace Development Services work with thecollege's Computer Information Services and areabusinesses and industries to identify software needs andthen research, select, and evaluate new applications.

Evaluation. All involved with the design.programming, and use of the AEGON Corporate DataCenter and Information Technology Center on theKirkwood campus consider it an unquestionable successbenefiting students, faculty, staff, and the community. Amore formal evaluation of the facility is planned to examineutilization levels and purposes and the satisfaction of creditand noncredit students. faculty. and staff. These items willbe measured by surveys, turnstile counts, and comparisonsof past and present class schedules.

In the future, changes in teaching methodology andeffectiveness will be reviewed to assess the long-termimpact of the Information Technology Center's multimediaclassrooms, faculty computer training, and instructionalsupport services. In September 1994. Kirkwood voterspassed a six cent per $1,000 assessed valuation propertytax levy. Beginning in fiscal year 1996. the levy will produce$600.000 in new revenue for instructional equipmentannually. The timing could not have been better: facultywere provided with personal computers at nearly the sametime the new services and equipment of the InformationTechnology Center became available to them.

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Impact

The timing of the construction of the AEGON USACorporate Data Center and la( -Illation Technology Centerwas ideal for Kirkwood. With the growing demand forcomputer training and credit classes, it was becomingincreasingly difficult to schedule classrooms. In the past.noncredit training could only be offered in the evening,because computer classrooms were in continual use duringthe day. In the Kirkwood Information Technology Center.a minimum of 30 percent of the facility is reserved fornoncredit classes.

The new facility has improved communications and

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relationships within and among numerous groups. Both theexternal and internal advisory committees were originallyformed to direct the design and function of the InformationTechnology Center. In addition, the formation and continuedexistence of the Business and Industry Advisory Committeeimproved the communication and involvement of thebusiness community in the seven-county region, which inturn has improved the college's understanding of theirtraining needs.

Over the course of the project,considerable publicity has beengenerated, which has lead to moreinnovative projects.

The construction of the AEGON USA Corporate DataCenter on the Kirkwood Community College campus hada profound effect on the relationship between the twoorganizations. The project cemented and extended what hadbeen a fragmented and rather limited relationship betweena few departments in each organization. However, the valueof these links and the influence of those successes on thecreation of the construction project should not beunderestimated. The quality and consistency of priorinteractions over more than a decade were essential inbuilding the trust required for a joint venture such as this.

Over the course of the project, considerable publicityhas been generated, which has lead to more innovativeprojects. Foremost among them were an administrativemainframe sharing agreement among seven communitycolleges, with Kirkwood as the host site. A nutrition researchcenter on the campus is currently under consideration by alocal agribusiness firm. Overall, the greatest benefit of thepartnership between AEGON and Kirkwood has been theability of the college to offer noncredit training and crediteducation in computing technology to meet the demandsof its region.

Lessons Learned

Since the Kirkwood-AEGON joint construction projectwas one of the first of its kind in the nation, there weremany lessons to be learned throughout the process. Themost significant of those follow.

When working with a private sector partner. theproject will proceed at a private sector pace. whichwill likely be faster than that to which a publiclyaccountable institution is accustomed. Toaccommodate this. Kirkwood's hoard of trusteesentrusted the college administration with day-to-day decision making.

Quite simply, it is important to stand firm in

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negotiations. The actions of a publicly supportedinstitution are scrutinized by taxpayers.Educational values should not be compromised.An innovative project requires a trustworthy andresponsive attorney who is willing to makedecisions.Existing partnerships should be leveraged and alloptions explored. Kirkwood Community Collegeis saving $35,000 annually in property taxes as aresult of creative thinking, research, and opendiscussion with the City of Cedar Rapids.Outside input is critical. Early formation of anadvisory committee and a survey of area businessand industry needs and interests drove the directionof the project and garnered valuable support andattentio, g.

The publicity generated by the facility producedopportunities for other partnerships. Some of the issuesconsidered by the leadership of Kirkwood CommunityCollege prior to entering new agreemerts include:

Is the potential partner a reputable, financiallystable company with a positive community imageand reputation?

Does the proposed partnership match the needsand mission of the college?

Is the length of the proposed commitmentappropriate and reasonable?

In addition to choosing partners carefully, one mustalso be a good partner. To ensure a sustainable and amicablepartnership. a college should commit only that which canbe delivered in a quality and timely manner withoutcompromising the needs of the students.

Looking Ahead. The AEGON Corporate Data Centerand Information Technology Center is congruent with theKirkwood Community College mission statement, whichclearly articulates a commitment to serving the communityby identifying community needs, providing accessible.quality education and training, and promoting opportunitiesfor lifelong learning. The project was developed at the sametime that credit and noncredit divisions at the college weregrappling with computer laboratory and classroomscheduling and accessibility needs. Through cooperationand .collaboration, the AEGON facility on the Kirkwoodcampus was identified as a vehicle for overcoming theobstacles to computer education and training. Thegenerosity and vision of a single company have contributedto the opportunities for lifelong learning for not only theirown employees. but traditional and nontraditional creditstudents and business and industry trainees throughoutseven counties in East Central Iowa.

About the author: Norm Nielsen is president ofKirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Chapter 9

Lane Community College and Symantec CorporationLarry J. Warford and Dave Oatman

Lane Community College serves Lane County. a 5.000square-mile area that stretches from the Cascade Mountainsto the Pacific Ocean in west central Oregon. This largelyrural area includes the cities of Eugene and Springfieldand has a population of 283.000. For decades. LaneCounty's economy has been heavily dependent on thetimber industry. Traditionally, timber jobs required littleeducation and paid well. In the past two decades. however.the number of timber jobs has plummeted due in large partto automation, and the community has had great difficultyreplacing those jobs with family-wage employment.

In an attempt to offset timber revenue losses,community and business leaders identified key industriesthey wanted to attract and launched vigorous recruitmentefforts. The target industries were: software, high-technology, and secondary wood products. The collegestepped up its commitment to economic development byestablishing a new Community and Economic Developmentbranch. The new branch had as one of its major goals to-become a major player in the economic revitalization ofLane County." Economic development officials locally andat the state level were made aware of the fact that the collegewanted to be a partner that would help attract new businessand industry and help expand existing ones.

This new priority for the college was welcomed bythose involved in attempting to attract businesses andindustries to provide family wage jobs for the thousands oftimber workers and others who had been laid off duringthe most recent economic downturn. Lane CommunityCollege had an excellent reputation for quality programsthat served dislocated workers and small businesses. This.coupled with a substantive record of providing vocationaltraining for emerging and current workers, made the collegean attractive partner.

Today, Lane Community College. one of the top-rankedcommunity colleges in the nation, offers a comprehensive

rk force training program. The college is organized toprovide training for the emerging. transitional, andincumbent work forces. Departments that traditionallyoffered programs for the emerging work force have becomeinvolved in meeting the needs of the transitional andincumbent work forces. Units in place that specialize inworking with specific aspects of workforce training. e.g.Business and Industry Services, Business DevelopmentCenter, Continuing Education. and Training andDevelopment. often work in teams with discipline

departments as well as within their ranks. This teamworkand the cooperation of the many student and college supportprograms has made the college a key player in thedevelopment of the economy in Lane County, Oregon.

Background, History, and Key Players

Symantec Corporation is a leading software companywith award-winning application and system software forWindows. DOS. Macintosh, and OS/2 computer systems.Founded in 1982. Symantec has grown rapidly throughthe success of its own products and through a series ofseventeen acquisitions that have resulted in a broad line ofbusiness and productivity solutions. The company hasseveral enterprisewide products that have been introducedrecently and others that are under development.

Symantec's acquisitions have strongly influenced thecompany's already innovative organization. The company

organized into several product groups that are devotedto product marketing. engineering, technical support.quality assurance, and documentation. Finance, sales, andmarketing are centralized at the corporate headquarters inCupertino. California.

Symantec has been a public company since 1989, andin fiscal 1994 posted revenues of $267 million. FortuneMagazine ranked Symantec the 37th fastest growing U.S.company in 1992. Symantec products include the popularfamilies of Norton and ACT! software packages.

In 1992. the company wanted to consolidate four ofits five technical support operations in one new location.The company was seeking an available and skilled workforce. plus a first-rate source of start-up and ongoingtraining.

Symantec began its search for a relocation site with alist of 19 cities, eventually narrowing it to two: Eugene/Springfield in Lane County. Oregon, and Colorado Springs,Colorado. Representatives of the California-basedSymantec Corporation began making inquiries about theLane County area, and a partnership began to develop.Ultimately the partnership would include not onlySy mantec and Lane. but also the Eugene/SpringfieldMetropolitan Partnership. a private nonprofit corporationthat leads local economic development efforts, and theOregon Economic Development Department (OEDD).which provides financial incentives and other assistanceto relocating companies.

In fact. the partnership can he traced back to

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Symantec's initial contact with the OEDD. The OEDDcontacted the Metro Partnership as part of its usual protocol,and the Metro Partnership, in turn, contacted LCC.Workforce training was a main point in Symantec'srelocation criteria.

In October 1992, representatives from the Eugene/Springfield Metropolitan Partnership, the OregonEconomic Development Department, and LaneCommunity College visited Symantec in Cupertino.California, to assess Symantec's needs and to outline whatLane County and Lane Community College could offer.This included an assessment of Symantec's training needsand an outline of the customized training the college coulddevelop and provide.

As the deadline for Symantec's relocation decisionneared, Colorado Springs appeared to be the winner;however, Symantec's planning team was instructed to makeone more visit to Lane Countyspecifically to look at LaneCommunity College's training capacity.

That visit turned the tide. Lane County was selected,and Lane Community College went into action. The movewas announced in late April 1993. Within eight weeks. LaneCommunity College began training Symantec's first 40 newemployees using special training custom-developed forSymantec.

The fast response and successful service delivery weremade possible by an internal partnership of several collegedepartments. The Business and Industry Servicesdepartment acted as liaison with Symantec and coordinatedcurriculum development. The Computer InformationTechnology department helped with instruction, theElectronics department built computers. and CampusServices wired and equipped a new computer lab to add tothe six existing labs that would be used in the Symantectraining.

As the deadline for Symantec'srelocation decision neared, ColoradoSprings appeared to be the winner;however, Symantec's planning teamwas instructed to make one more visitto Lane Countyspecifically to look atLane Community College's trainingcapacity.

13y the end of the summer, the college had trained 130new Symantec employees. including 90 in technicalproduct support and 40 in customer service. Technicaltraining included advanced DOS and memorymanagement. local area networks. and Windows design

and use. During the peak of the training, 105 personalcomputers were in use. The trainin2 was provided with$138,000 from the Oregon Economic DevelopmentDepartment, $71,000 from Symantec, and in-kindcontributions of staff time and college resources from LaneCommunity College. Under the terms of the grant,Symantec was required to provide matching funds of atleast 51 percent of the amount requested; the company farexceeded that amount with employee/trainee wages, stafftime, and equipment.


The Symantec/Lane Community College partnershipwas designed with several objectives in mind: to trainSymantec employees quickly and thoroughly so that thecompany could move into the Eugene area smoothly andwith no gap in service; to allow LCC to prove that thistype of project was within the realm of possibility; toprovide start-up training for a new company locating inthe area (thus demonstrating to potential businesses, andto new and existing companies that LCC is a viable sourceof workforce training); and to establish LCC as an integralpart of the package used to attract new companies to thearea.

Organization and Staffing. The Director of Businessand Industry Services for Lane Community College wasin charge of the training project and was involved in thepartnership from the beginning as part of a group ofindividuals who flew to Symantec headquarters early inthe project to coordinate the curriculum and discuss specificdetails of the project.

The Business and Industry Services director workedwith the directors of the participating departments withinLCC to organize college resources. The departmentsinvolved were Computer Information Technology, theElectronics department. and Campus Services. About adozen trainers participated in the project. Some trainerscame from LCC faculty. but the majority were from outsidethe college community. The trainers were responsible forthe first two weeks of education during which the traineeswere instructed in general computer applications of DOS.Windows. and Novell Network software.

For the next six weeks of training, the trainees werehanded over to Symantec trainers who focused on specificSymantec products. Throughout the training, instructors.LCC department directors. and Symantec officials metregularly to evaluate the progress of the training and thesuccess of the teaching methods.

Overall program. The partnership began as a result ofSymantec's move to Eugene and the company's need tohire and train a new work force in a short period of time.Initially, 95 product support technicians and 50 customer

46

service representatives were to be hired and trained. Lanewas advised that Symantec wanted to be able to shut downoperations in California on a Friday afternoon, and thenrestart operations in Oregon the following Monday.Symantec already had in-house training in place for muchof their customer service training. However, they had neverhired and trained a large group of technical product supportstaff at one time. Their previous experience in this arenahad been to hire and train new employees in small groupsof one to three people at a time.

Recognizing these potential constraints. Symantec andLane decided to focus on the training needs of the technicalsupport staff. Lane provided assistance in assessing thestart-up training needs, designing the training curriculum.providing facilities and equipment, and acquiring fundingfrom the Oregon Economic Development Department tofinance part of the training costs. i'.11 of this occurred withina short period: essentially. Lane had only about eight weeksto design the program. build and coordinate facilities. andbe ready for trainees.

Significantly, no commercial trainingproducts were used in the course of thepartnership. The training methods wereall totally customized, createdexclusively for this project.

Fortuitously. Symantec had planned its move to takeplacc over the summer. Because Lane was not in regularsession but on a reduced summer schedule, more staff timewas available to be committed to the project and morefacilities were available for dedication to the training.

Symantec identified a broad training goal that thetechnical product support staff would have a consistent setof core skills in the areas of DOS software. Windowssoftware. and Novell Network operations. Symantecmanagers had observed that many people coming into thework force had acquired their computer software expertisevia a wide variety of learning methods. This includedpersons who had participated in formal schooling programsand others who were self-taught and had picked up skillsfrom different sources over time. It was important toSymantec that the new work force have a consistency ofcore skills prior to going on to Symantec product-specifictraining. Thus, the focus of the training provided by Lanewas in the areas of advanced functions and designs forDOS, Windows, and Novell Networks.

In order to assess more specific training needs anddesired outcomes. l.ane hired a project coordinator withexpertise in computer software curriculum and design. The

Chapter 9

coordinator was sent to Symantec's headquarters inCalifornia and spent several days working with their staffto flush out specific training needs. Subsequent meetingsvia telephone and information exchanges via t'ax wereconducted to continue the needs assessment process. Theintent was to zero in on and identify the core skills thatemployees would need to do their jobs. This assessmentprocess provided the foundation from which the ti ainingcurriculum was developed. As the curriculum was beingdeveloped. Lane and Symantec staff met regularly to furthertine tune and direct the outcome of the initial product.

The resulting customized curriculum was an eighty-contact-hour training program for core skills in advancedapplications of DOS. Windows. and Novell Networks tobe delivered in a two-week period of time, eight hours perday. Monday through Friday. Symantec hired their newwork force in groups of 15-25 persons at a time, with anew group starting training every two weeks. The trainingbegan in mid-July and continued into September. Trainerswere hired from Lane's Computer Information Technologydepartment and from the local community pool (4 privatetraining consultants. Most came from outside the college'sregular staff. The first two weeks of training involvedlecture and hands-on experience with a PC. AfterSymantec's new hires finished their two weeks of coretraining, they participated in six weeks of Symantecproduct-specific training, taught by Symantec staff.

Significantly. no commercial training products wereused in the course of the partnership. The training methodswere all totally customized, created exclusively for thisproject. The highly technical nature and very specificdesired outcome of the project precluded the use of generalpurpose training tools.

Although the training program was designed to fit intoa specific time frame. the college and the company havecontinued to conduct regular and ongoing needsassessments, and an atmosphere of open communicationhas been established. Key players meet roughly every othermonth. In a recent example of the benefits of such ongoingcommunication. Symantec and Lane worked to organizean on-site training program to educate current employeesin the latest software ofThrings, including the MicrosoftOffice collection of software. TI.velve training workshop,;were conducted, with training provided to more than 200workers. The workshops took place from May throughAugust 1995,

Facilities. In order to deliver the training for Symantec.Lane needed to build a new computer training lab with 25individual PC' stations. Only six weeks existed toaccomplish this task. While the Business and IndustryServices department coordinated the training project effort,resources of the whole institution were drawn upon to meetthe challenges of this project and partnership. The new

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computers were built, assembled, configured. and set upby Lane's Electronics department. The college's CampusServices installed all of the electrical wiring. phone lines.and network cabling. Two other specialized computer labswere set up using existing college computers and Symantecequipnlent.

Most of Symantec's technical product support withits customers happens over the telephone. As such, theselabs required thirty telephone lines (fifteen in each lab) tobe specially wired to allow for the on-the-job training partof the curriculum. (Symantec's phone bill while in Lanefacilities for two months was more than S7,500).

Initially, plans called for hiring andtraining approximately 100 staff. Todate, Symantec employs almost 400people in their Eugene office. Fundsfrom the training project supported thetraining for 134 staff initially hired bySymantec. All of these jobs were newlycreated jobs that did not previouslyexist in Eugene or in the state of Oregon.

Two other custom computer labs were set up for theproject. and four more already-existing campus computerlabs were utilized on a daily basis during the two-and-a-half months that most of the training took place. Duringthe peak of training. Lane had nine computer labs with120 personal computers dedicated to the Symantec start-up training project. All this took a tremendous amount ofcooperation and extra effort among many departments ofthe college. Given the short period of time available toorganize and implement the project. staff had to be willingto put in extra effort to pull this project off successfully.There was a significant sense of team and community thatprevailed among the different departments of the college.The staff wanted Lane to be successful in doing this project.and dedicated their time and effort to making the trainingoo well.

Funding. Funding for the project came from threesources, the state of Oregon. Symantec, and LaneCommunity College. State funding was obtained with theassistance of the Oregon Economic DevelopmentDepartment. Grants were written to gain funding fromOregon State Lottery monies through a Targeted TrainingFund. This money was used to pay staff and to purchasetraining materials and equipment, including the new lah.The money came w ith the stipulation that the computersbuilt with lottery money be used for hlsiness and industry

5 6

training. (When the lab on main campus was no longerneeded, it was dismantled and the computers moved to theLane Community College Downtown Eugene campus andthe LCC mobile lab, both of which are primarily dedicatedto workforce training.)

Lottery revenues in Oregon are dedicated to economicdevelopment. To qualify for funding a community collegemust submit a grant on behalf of a company: in this caseLCC and a representative of the Oregon EconomicDevelopment Department drafted the grant application forSymantec. The grant requires that the program address thecriteria set forth by law to determine program eligibility.

One of the criteria stipulates that the program be relatedto the creation of new jobs. When Symantec consolidatedits technical support. customer service, and orderprocessing divisions in Eugene the company moved witha small central staff of about 15 people. The rest of theirstaffing was done with new hires. Initially, plans calledfor hiring and training approximately 100 staff. To date.Symantec employs almost 400 people in their Eugeneoffice. Funds from the training project supported thetraining for 134 staff initially hired by Symantec. All ofthese jobs were newly created jobs that did not previouslyexist in Eugene, or in the state of Oregon.

Another stipulation was that the training program bedesigned in cooperation with the company (Symantec) andthe training process be directly related to the hiring andretention of employees with family-wage level jobs. TheSymantec training program was designed specifically toassist the company in its relocation and would not haveoccurred otherwise. From the beginning. Lane worked incooperation with Symantec to design the program. Alltraining occurred after employees were hired, andpractically all of the trainees have stayed with the company.

In addition, the training partners had to demonstrateeconomic gain for the state as a whole. The more than 400new jobs that have been created as the result of Symantec'smove to Eugene clearly have resulted in an economic gainfor Oregon.

Evaluation. Evaluation of the training was conductedon an ongoing basis so that adjustments and refinementsin the training process could be made as the project wasunderway. Feedback was collected from all employeeparticipants. and regular debriefings were held betweenthe Lane and Symantec trainers. The participants andSymantec staff rated the quality of the training very highlyin terms of meeting their skill-building and start-upoperation needs. In addition. Symantec managerssupervised the training sessions to provide constantevaluation. After completing the training program, thetrainees made the transition to on-the-job employees. Theirsuperior job performance has provided the ultimateevaluation of the program's success.

48

As a result of the training program developed withSymantec. Lane was one of four community colleges inthe United States to receive recognition with the AmericanAssociation of Community Colleges/IBM Business/Industry Partnership Award.

Ultimately, LCC's responsiveness toSymantec was one of the clinchers inSymantec's decision to locate in Eugene.

One of Symantec's senior managers assigned to theproject provided the following summary of the trainingprogram: "In the fall of 1992. Symantec began the searchfor a new location for our customer support division, andinitially investigated a total of 19 cities nationwide. Oneof our main criteria was a community's ability to providesuperior and first-rate training for the work force weanticipated hiring. Lane Community College not only metthis requirement but far exceeded our expectations. Theprofessionalism of the LCC staff, coupled with staffflexibility and responsiveness to Symantec's ever changingneeds, makes it clear that our decision to relocate to Eugene.Oregon was the correct one.-


All parties agree that the partnership was a win-winsituation for everyone involved. The community gainedmore than 400 jobs and stands to gain even more. Thecompany's move created a new payroll, and the employeesare paying state income tax. The company's presence hascreated an economic demand for many other servicesneeded to support a business such as telephone operations.banking. insurance, and others. The company hassubstantially added to the software industry base in Oregon.Symantec's presence and the training it received from Lanewas cited in the discussion to attract another high-technology company to Oregon. Sony Disk ManufacturingInc. Prior to making their decision to locate a facility inthe area, Sony representatives spoke with Symantecmanagement about Oregon and the quality of servicesprovided to them in their start-up operations. The state hadestablished a track record with Symantec to which it wasable to refer in its effort to attract Sony.

Symantec has highly trained technical support andcustomer service staffs, and received specialized trainingfor these employees in record time. The company also hasa system in place for its continuing training needs.SynThntec officials have repeatedly and publicly praisedthe college. They were impressed that a community collegewas able to deliver so much so fast. Once the company

Chapter 9

made its decision to move to Eugene. office space wasleased in downtown Eugene. The downtown Eugene area.like many downtowns across the country, has been in asteady decline for years with businesses moving toshopping malls on the fringes of city limits. The selectionof downtown offices by Symantec added some life todowntown Eugene and renewed hope for the future.

The Metropolitan Partnership had a major success andestablished momentum by attracting Symantec. TheExecutive Director of the Eugene/Springfield MetroPartnership credits LCC for the responsiveness andefficiency of their organization. "Education is always atthe top of our list of benefits of the community toprospective incoming companies. Symantec and LCC wasa logical partnership. We gave them (Symantec officials)information about LCC on their first visit. We tookcompany representatives to the main campusthey likedthat LCC was willing to tailor a program to fit their needs.Ultimately. LCC's responsiveness to Symantec was oneof the clinchers in Symantec's decision to locate in Eugene.The success of the program validates what we've alwaysdiscussed with companies about the educational resourcesavailable in Lane County. and gives us a concrete exampleto point to as we work with businesses in the future.-

The college demonstrated its capacity to provideneeded technical training. College faculty and staff hadvaluable experience and exposure to state-of-the-arttechnology, which will benefit other students at the college.The college also received more tangible benefits, includinga new computer lab and software.

49

Sony Corporation announced plans tobuild a new optical disk manufacturingcenter in Lane County, and initially willemploy 306 workers in family-wagejobs. Sony officials acknowledged theywere influenced by Lane CommunityCollege's successful partnership withSymantec.

The staff's familiarity with high technologya resultof Symantec training and the college's expanded computercapabilitieshas enabled Lane to offer new computerclasses. In the spring of 1995, the college offered its firstever Novell certification training and promptly filled all15 student slots. The training would not have been possiblewithout the development of technology necessary for theSymantec training. The training program positioned thecollege to expand high-tech training and thus generaterevenue. invest in more software, and continue to develop

Chapter 9

its programs. The college has also created a new associatedegree for end-user support as a result of its interactionwith Symantec.

The story does not end with Symantec. On January18, 1994. the Sony Corporation announced plans to builda new optical disk manufacturing center in Lane County.which initially will employ 300 workers in family-wagejobs. Sony officials acknowledged they were influencedby Lane Community College's successful partnership withSymantec. The college will train Sony's new employees.

Local and state officials are ecstatic. Together.Symantec and Sony will create the critical mass needed tosecure a place on the "hitth-tech map" for Lane County. Ata Sony press conference. Oregon Governor BarbaraRoberts said, "I'd like to give you a sense of what kind ofpartnership it took to make today's announcement possible.Sony must have a work force ready to meet its sophisticatedtraining needs. One of the major reasons that Sony selectedthe Springfield site was the high-end training that LaneCommunity College is prepared to ofThr to the workersand to that corporation...The state economic developmentcorporation has worked actively with Lane CommunityCollege in recent weeks to develop the specialized trainingfor Sony."

In May of 1995. Lane Community College placed abond levy measure on the local ballot. Symantec donateda considerable sum in support of the levy as a gesture ofongoing support of the college. The levy passed.

Lessons Learned

As a newcomer to the area. Symantec was establishinga start-up operation: therefore, there was no history ofpartnership between the company and the college prior tothe training program. A working relationship was formedin a short space of time and the college was able to createa customized program designed after establishing the needsof the company. The company's needs were not tailored tofit existing programs. but rather a whole new program wascreated to meet Symantec's specific needs.

"Before Ithe partnershipl when 1 thought of a highereducational environment I didn't think of efficiency. Theflexibility, creativity, and speed on LCC's part I did notexpect. We had strong success," says Symantec's vicepresident of serviCes. "The only thing I woukl change is tocontinue the program, not stop it. We now have ongoingneedsand while we have been in constant contact withLCC, in reality it would have been better to continue thetraining program. We had problems along the way.logistical problems, but that's all. I was amazed howquickly we were able to dig ourselves out of difficult spots.Partnering between LCC and Imal business and economic

5 8

officialswe received a level of cooperation I don't thinkwe would have gotten elsewhere.

"In regard to the local economy, the economic situationis a big part of people's attitudes towards help. People arcwilling to tight together to get out of that hole. Two yearsago, we hired 125 people. Since then we've taken a totalof about 400 out of the market. Now we need to set up atraining program that finds a balance between a one-weekprogram and a two to four-year program."

As for the college, training project coordinators reflectwith pride that the staff of the college can really pulltolfether to succeed with a big project. Coordinators wereimpressed with what the departments could do in such ashort period of timelike Campus Services wiring in 30phone lines and the Electronics department building 25computers.

50

The company's needs were nottailored to fit existing programs, butrather a whole new program wascreated to meet Symantec's specificneeds.

The coordinators found that "in designing trainingprograms you really need to be flexible to meeteverchanging demands. And even though this was ademanding project and a lot of hard work, it was fun. Wehad fun doing it."

The coordinators also noted that the project causedsome natural displacement, and that colleagues accustomed

to more frequent access to people closely involved in theproject had to make some adjustments. Some of their moretraditional peers were wary of this new and differentundertaking of the college. In hindsight, it may have beenworthwhile to have provided more frequent updates tocampus staff, and to have had more communication aimedat fostering understanding of the project.

Finally, project coordinators observed that the mostimportant aspect of the project's success was the fullbacking and understanding of college administration. Itwould have been much more difficult, they say, hadadministration not been so supportive. "There has to hefull institutional commitment for a community college toenter this arena and be successful."

About the authors: Larry .1. 1Vadard is vice preshlent.instructional services at Lane Community College inEugene. Oregon. Dave Oainum. also at Lane ConununnyCollege. is directm; business and industry services.

Chapter 10

Monroe Community College and Eastman Kodak CompanyPeter A. Spina, W. Gary McGuire, and Richard A. Roth

Monroe Community College was founded in 1961 inRochester. NY. as part of a statewide system of two-yearinstitutions designed to provide technical, paraprofessional,and university-parallel education. Since the college's firstclass of 720 students, credit enrollment has increasedsteadily to over 14.000 in 1994. Today, MCC is one of 30conununity colleges within the State University of NewYork and is sixth in the nation in the number of associatedegrees awarded.

Throughout the college's 34 years, the community hasconsistently looked to MCC to fill gaps, accept challenges.and solve problems through education. In its missionstatement. MCC commits itself to economic developmentand partnership building. In keeping with its mission andin response to community expectations. the college developsnew programs to meet the varied needs of a wide range ofarea residents and employers. To do so. the college oftentaps the synergy of innovative partnerships for theadvancement of Monroe County and its 714.000 residents.

Since its founding. MCC has been active in providingworkforce training and development programs for theRochester area. In developing Monroe County'semployment base. MCC's strategies have includedtraditional, credit-hearing career programs, specializedprograms for target populations. and a significant numberof custom-designed courses for business and industrialclients. Educational initiatives such as TemporaryAssistance for Student Careers (TASC), DislocatedWorkers, and Skills Training for Academic Growth andEmployment (STAGE) help social-service recipientsprepare for employment, laid-off workers retrain for newcareers. and citizens without high school diplomas preparefor work or further education. MCC has worked withhundreds of organizations to develop specialized trainingprograms, from 3M Corporation and Bausch and Lomb. toCitibank and Marriott Corporation, to the American RedCross and the local Industrial Management Council.

MCC became a leader in the development of industrialtraining programs in New York during the 1980s when thestate provided financial assistance to community collegesfor each full-time equivalent student (FTE) enrolled incustom-designed noncredit courses contracted for byindustrial clients. When New York State removed statefunding for contract-training programs. MCC's involvementin this area diminished because smaller companies wereunable to bear the full cost of unsubsidized trainingprograms. However, the college remained committed toproviding corporate services.

In 1994. the college reorganized what was a corporate

and community services department into a workforcedevelopment and continuing education division with theexpress purpose of developing and rejuvenating itsconnections to the business and industry community.Written by its staff in December 1994. the mission statementof this new division is:

We are committed to providing quality, custom-ized training and educational opportunities andresources which meet the diverse learning needsof business, industry. government, and the com-munity. Customer satisfaction and the economicdevelopment of our community are our highestpriorities.

At that point in time, the Workforce Development andContinuing Education Division consisted of the departmentsof Corporate Services, providing custom-designed trainingand professional development programs: the AutomotiveServices Institute, providing training to automotivetechnicians and related personnel: the Public Safety TrainingCenter, providing continuing education programs to publicsafety. emergency services personnel, and hazardousmaterials and industrial safety training for business andindustry: and the Community Education Program. providingnoncredit. avocational courses to the Rochester community.

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The MCC/Kodak Relationship

Monroe Community College and Eastman KodakCompany have been linked since the college's inception in1962. During the 1980s and into the 1990s. MCCstrengthened its Corporate Services program, and theKodak/MCC partnership grew. MCC became a significantsource of custom-des'gned training and professionaldevelopment programs for Kodak employees. The activityin this area became so substantial that in 1992, a dedicatedalliance was formed between the college and Kodak. Kodakhas always hired and continues to hire MCC graduates fromthe college's degree program. and the company has engagedthe college in providing an assortment of noncredit coursesin quality methods and processes to its suppliers as well.

Purpose of the Program

The Consortium for Supplier Training (CST) is asignificant aspect of the Kodak/MCC relationship. The CSTgrew out of the efforts of a group of companies. includingMotorola. Digital Equipment. Boeing, Xerox Corporation--and eventually Eastman Kodak Companyto shareresources and develop a nationwide network of communitycollege-based supplier training centers. Through this

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network, consortium members sponsor individualcommunity colleges and orient them to specific company-developed training programs. The colleges then deliver thetraining programs on a national basis to suppliers ofconsortium members. The CST envisions a world-classtraining system that accelerates supplier learning andimproves performance for competitive advantage. The CSTmission statement reads:

As representatives of quality focused, globalcompanies, headquutered in North America, ourmission is to provide knowledge and methodologyto our suppliers which will enhance the quality ofour products and achieve customer satisfaction.

Obviously, one of the CST's major tenets is thatcompanies wishing to build quality products must ensurethat their suppliers do so as well. Therefore, manycompanies have formed close alliances with their suppliersto help them adopt TQM practices. The consortiummembers decided that asking the suppliers they shared toadopt different TQM processes for each company wouldbe unnecessary if the consortium agreed upon certaincommon TQM practices. Therefore, the consortiumconcentrates on establishing standard courses, making iteasier for common suppliers to adopt TQM.

Many of the member companies have hundreds, if notthousands, of suppliers nationwide. Delivering TQMtraining to these suppliers would be logistically andfinancially difficult if not for the existence of this nationwidecommunity college network which the founding consortiummembers readily saw as an effective delivery system.

The CST enlisted community colleges because of theirbusiness, industry, and community orientations, and theiraccessibility and affordability. Community collegestypically provide a "user-friendly" environment toemployees who might not have previous college experience.Through the consortium, companies can readily sharecourses: Kodak suppliers can enroll in training coursesinstalled by Motorola as well as those courses installed byKodak.

The CST now consists of Bayer Corporation, ChryslerCorporation. Eastman Kodak Company, Motorola.SEMATECH. Texaco. Texas Instruments, and XeroxCorporation. Xerox initially enrolled Monroe CommunityCollege in the consortium in 1992. In 1993. Kodak joinedXerox in joint sponsorship of MCC. Now, the twocompanies. Xerox and Kodak, jointly sponsor the collegeas a formally recognized Supplier Training Center ( STCamong a growing network of STCs within the CST.

Activities and Programs of the Partnership

The selection of MCC as a Supplier Training Centerwas dependent upon the recommendation of both Xeroxand Eastman Kodak. Both corporations visited the MC'Ccampuses and validated that MCC met certain specifications

as a Supplier Training Center. These specifications includea focus on industrial outreach and continuing education;administrative support and enthusiasm for the suppliertraining concept; an affordable tuition structure; a qualifiedand certifiable instructor pool with practical industrialexperience; the capability of delivering training programson-site; the ability to allow for open enrollment; an interestin the integration of industry-recommended topics into theregular curricula of the college; the ability to offer day,evening, and weekend courses; a minimum of a two-yearcommitment of membership in the consortium; a locationwhich allows regional accessibility; regional accreditation;the ability to prepare instructors; and affordable consultationservices. Upon review ot' these criteria and MCC's abilityto satisfy them, Xerox and Eastman Kodak jointlynominated MCC as a Supplier Training Center.

Staffing. Two MCC staff members are currentlyinvolved in the CST project: the director of corporateservices and the STC program manager. The directorprovides overall leadership to the effort; the STC programmanager carries out the daily operations of the center. The-.:sponsibilities of the STC program manager include facultyrecruitment and training, and scheduling and marketingCST-sponsored courses to all CST members' suppliers inthe region. Activities include attendance at business shows,conferences, and other business meetings; individualmeetings with supplier representatives and referralsgenerated by the STC Sponsor Manager; direct mailings tosuppliers; and advertising in publications aimed at suppliers.One of Eastman Kodak's professional staff members in itsCorporate Sourcing department serves as the STC sponsormanager. This individual meets regularly with the college'sSTC program manager, sits on the CST AdvisoryCommittee, and helps the STC program manager marketcourses to Eastman Kodak suppliers.

The training of instructors is an essential componentof the Kodak/MCC relationship. Instructors are selectedby the STC Program Manager based on criteria providedby the companies that own the courses. Potential instructorsare required to attend special sessions of the courses whichthey are likely to teach. These train-the-trainer courses areled by course owners, company-based master trainers whoare responsible for deciding whether or not potentialinstructors should be certified to deliver the consortiumcourses. The majority of MCC instructors certified to deliverconsortium courses are faculty members in MCC's otheracademic divisions. However, as demand has enlarged theconsortium training calendar, it has been necessary toemploy adjunct faculty due to the limited availability offull-time faculty to teach consortium courses that are oftenpresented in eight-hour time blocks on a single or multipleday schedule. The use of full-time faculty has required aconsiderable amount of support from the college's academicLiepartments: from time to time faculty members are

6 02

released from their normal teaching duties ro teachconsortium courses.

Certified faculty deliver all of the instruction forsupplier training courses either at the supplier's location orat a facility owned or leased by the college. The criteria forselecting faculty for CST courses include a demonstratedunderstanding of and commitment to total quality concepts;the ability to serve as a role model in the practice of TQMand therefore be a strong representative of the college andthe CST: familiarity and experience with adult learners;good communication skills emphasizing facilitation-basedtraining methods; the ability to relate complex courseconcepts to a broad range of industries and individuals:tolerance and flexibility in the use of industrial terminologyand acronyms: and the possession of at least a bachelor'sdegree or equivalent experience appropriate for the levelof training and the target audience. Finally, instructors musthave had some exposure to high-tech manufacturing andan understanding of the issues and needs in high-techindustries.

Curriculum. All of the consortium courses are providedthrough "licenses- granted to consortium member collegesby the company "course owners- who originally developedand produced the courses. The CST has several coursesavailable on a national basis: these are listed on thefollowing page. In 1994, the last fall year for which statisticsare available. CST-certified instructors from MCC andFinger Lakes Community College trained over 55()individuals. Among those trained in 1994 were 300 Kodakemployees and 175 employees of Kodak suppliers.

The current list of courses being offered through theconsortium emphasizes a customer-focused, business-efficient approach in all activities: incorporation of methodsto reduce variation and defects: identification and analysisof work processes in order to gain insight and implementimprovement efforts: leveraging the creativity of the workforce through problem solving; and assessment of thegroup's ability to create breakthrough improvements ascompared to the competition. While all of the courses aredelivered by a combination of lecture, group worksimulations and exercises, one course, "Business Processand Cycle Time Management:. requires participants to bringan actual process from their workplace along withrepresentatives (forming a team) from each step of theprocess. This course is designed to help suppliers addefficiency to business processes and reduce cycle time.

At the present time, consortium-sponsored training islimited to the broad area of total quality management.featuring training in subjects ranging from introductory totalquality management to statistical process control. In thefuture, the consortium plans to install up to 50 additionalcourse offerings at Supplier Training Centers throughoutNorth America. While instruction is currently providedmainly in lecture format, classroom practice exercises addvariety. Some courses feature the use of videos and/or role

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playing. Future plans call for coursework delivery usingvideoconferencing and/or interactive compact discs.

The relationship between Kodak and MCC in thedevelopment of the local Supplier Training Center inRochester has been excellent and has manifested itself inthe form of joint marketing presentations to such groups asthe National Association of Purchasing Managers, theAmerican Society for Quality Control. and the AmericanPurchasing and Inventory Control Society. Kodak and MCCpersonnel have presented and discussed details about thedevelopment and value of the CST at national and regionalconferences.

Facilities. Since the CST's inception, training programshave been delivered at a variety of locations. These facilitieshave included Kodak training sites, leased conferencefacilities. and the college's two campuses, which offerconference facilities with corporate training classrooms.Most often these courses are conducted in half-day or full-day blocks and sometimes for one or more weeks, makingthe use of campus facilities difficult unless those facilitiesare reserved and held open for corporate programming. Inthe long term. MCC would like to build a separate technicaleducation and training facility and conference center.

Funding. The entire CST project is now financiallyself-sustaining, funded by fees charged to suppliers whoenroll their employees in the courses. In the early days ofthe consortium. CST "course owner- companies shared thecost of installing CST coursework at MCC. However, sincethe level of activity has increased to a point where enoughcourse fee revenue is available to fully support the program.MCC is expected to cover all of the costs associated withthe instructor certification.

Evaluation. The CST courses are evaluated at "levelone,- meaning all participants are required to evaluate eachfaculty member and the course in which they enrolled.Motorola analyzes these evaluations on a contractual basisfor all consortium members nationwide and provides regularcomparative reports enabling evaluative data to becompared and benchmarked against other Supplier TrainingCenters. The evaluation covers many aspects ofinstructional delivery, materials, and facilities.

A section of the evaluation addresses the relationshipof the course to participants' work. the delivery format ofthe course, the extent to which participants feel they metcourse objectives, the quality of instruction, the quality ofthe learning environment and filcility, and the quality ofthe printed materials provided in the course. As mentionedearlier, it is the CST's intention to move from level 1evaluation to levels II and III. After they return to work.participants will be asked for feedback on the degree towhich the course has actually affected their work and theirability to implement TQM-related practices on the job.

A CST evaluation team, sponsored by the CSTAdvisory Board, examines the program outcomes of eachSupplier Training Center. In addition to reviewing and

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acting upon level I evaluationresults, the team looks at thenumber of course offeringsproduced by each SupplierTraining Center, and thenumber of suppliers whoactually participate in thesupplier training courses. Theconsortium advisory board'sgoal is to continually increasethe number of suppliersenrolled in the consortiumcourses. Each individual sitesponsor (i.e.. Kodak andXerox) works to ensure thatthe community collegemarkets its supplier trainingcourses to all suppliers in theregion served by the college.These marketing efforts areconstantly under review forcontinuous improvement.

Impact

Kodak and MCC'spartnership has affected thecorporation, the college. andthe community in severalways. Through the con-sortium. Kodak is able toprovide its suppliers withaccess to affordable and world-class training in TQM. Thus,suppliers see Kodak as committed to providingopportunities for improving their performance and theirprofitability. CST membership expands the college's marketto suppliers of CST member companies. As a SupplierTraining Center, MCC has an opportunity to demonstrateits ability to break existing paradigms and perform in newroles, such as an assessor of training needs and TQMapplications/consultant coach.

Kodak's relationship with MCC through the CST isimportant. Through the consortium, the college has accessto aftbrdable, world-class training courses that have beendeveloped and proven effective with consortium membercompanies. The college can influence planning forcurriculum and supplier training course location policy.Additionally, the college gains exposure and recognitionthrough the consortium and its relationship with consortiummember firms. Networking and resourcing opportunitieshave accrued to MCC through the CST membership.Through the consortium, the college has been able toinfluence Kodak's local plans and the development of theirresources to train the local work force.

Beyond the CST relationship, however, the college

Consortium for Supplier Training (CST)

Current Course Curriculum

Eastman Kodak Company"Using the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria

to Improve Your Company's Competitiveness"

Motorola"Introduction to Techniques for

Phased Process Quality Improvement""Utilizing the Six Steps to Six Sigma""Manufacturing Cycle Management"

"Design for Manufacturability"

SEMATECH"Introduction to Total Quality"

"Partnering""Problem Solving"

Texaco

"ISO 9000"

Texas Instruments"Business Process Management"

continues to provide credit courses and noncredit courseson a contractual basis to Kodak employees. Kodak hasinvested considerable resources in the college through directcontributions to the Monroe Community CollegeFoundation, which supports scholarship funds, equipmentpurchases. and other needs of the college. Kodak'scontributions have touched the lives of many MCC students,faculty. alumni. and other members of the MCC family. Inaddition to this financial support, the company shares its"intellectual capital" with the college through EastmanKodak employees whose commitment and wise counselguide the college's board of trustees, the MCC Foundationboard, and other advisory groups, including curriculumadvisory committees. Kodak employees have served withdistinction as MCC faculty and guest lecturers, providingMCC students with the most current knowledge andguidance in a wide range of disciplines. Over the years.thousands of Kodak employees have participated inhundreds of MCC' credit and noncredit courses. Therelationship with Kodak, particularly the training programsthat the college offers directly to the company and to itssuppliers, has significantly impacted MCC's faculty andits students. Full-time MCC faculty teach a large portion

of the educational programs provided through the Kodak/MCC relationship and bring back to the classroom thebenefits of their exposure to industrial applications of thedisciplines they are teaching. Industrial training, such asthat provided through the CST, is one of the more significantprofessional development opportunities that communitycollege faculty have available to them.

Lessons Learned

The relationship between Eastman Kodak Companyand MCC illustrates the benefits that can accrue to a largecorporation. smaller companies (i.e.. Kodak suppliers), andcommunity colleges. Corporations are a significant marketfor education and training services beyond traditional creditcourses. However, when deciding to take its resources tothe communityand in particular to the corporate sectora community college needs to look carefully at how such adecision will impact its structure and procedures. amongother areas of potential concern. Success for colleges inventures with business depends heavily on their willingnessto behave as businesses do. Often, this is a very difficultthing for collegesparticularly college facultyto do.Developing relationships with businesses requires collegesto overcome essential differences in the operating styles ofacademia and big business. According to Frank Milliganand James McGuidwin. in "Serving Big Business.-(Pm Thers in Economic Development: Community CollegeStrategiespr Collalmration 1993), colleges are accustomedto slower decision making, and faculty are accustomed tomaking course content and curriculum decisions based onrequirements of their disciplines rather than those of"customers.- When businesses buy or contract for trainingprograms. they become a customer with an expectation thatcourse content will be delivered according to theirspecifications and not that of an academic discipline.

Because the Corporate Services office houses theSupplier Training Center and coordinates and develops allother training efforts provided by the college for Kodakemployees, it is important that the office have the authorityand ability to alter more traditional college processes.procedures. and regulations to support customer requests.Customers expect quick responses from staff who react witha "sense of urgency.- Thus, a single point of contact in acollege, such as a corporate services office, lessens thepotential negative impact that could be caused by culturaldifferences between the college and the corporation. In orderfor colleges to overcome the cultural differences betweenthem and their corporate partners. the chief executive officerof the college must be totally committed to establishingthese kinds of relationships. This helps drive home to facultyand other college administrators the importance of theactivity, the need for cooperation, and the need for flexibilitywithin college procedures when they interface withcorporate clients.

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Success for colleges in ventures with businessdepends heavily on their willingness tobehave as businesses do. Often, this is a verydifficult thing for collegesparticularlycollege facultyto do.

When developing a relationship with a corporate client,it is important that all parts of the college community beinformed of the developing relationship. It is also advisablethat the corporate offices responsible for communityoutreach training and other facets of the planned relationshipare informed to the highest levels possible. This facilitatescommunication between the organizations and helps todevelop support for the relationship by all parties and byall communities and groups within each organization.Developing relationships with corporate clients is a long-term process that can be very rewarding for bothorganizations. For Eastman Kodak. the relationship withMCC has meant the existence of a reliable source of trainingand education for its employees, their dependents. and thesuppliers of the corporation. For MCC, Kodak's relationshipwith the community college (including the CST sponsorshipand other cooperative ventures) has been recognized at thecorporation's highest levels and has resulted in significantcontributions of funds, in-kind services, and equipment tothe college. That recognition and support have enabled thecollege to serve a broader constituency than it wouldotherwise have been able to do.

The future ot' the MCC/Kodak relationship is bright.The college will certainly continue to train Kodak suppliersthrough CST courses. Additionally, more and more Kodakdepartments are contracting for CST courses. Kodakrecently adopted a goal of 40 hours of training annually forall employees as a means of maintaining quality leadership.The impact of this recently adopted goal has not yet beenfelt, but the college is looking forward to helping thecorporation achieve its goal.

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About the authors: Peter A. Spina is president ofMmtroe Connnunity in Rocltestet; New York: W.Gary McGuire is assistant vice president for WorkpreeDevelopment and Continuing Education at MonroeCommunity College: Richard .4. Roth is manager supplierquality, Corporate Soutring at Eastman Kodak Companyin Rochestel; New York.

The authors wish to recognize the contributions to thischapter of Brenda Babitz. president. Monroe CommunityCollege Foundation: Jeanette I3rindle, divisimt of workfOrcedevelopment and continuing education: Mark Britton:Cynthia Cooper. director Qf public relations/communications: Brigitte Groth. Monroe CommunityCollege: Timothy DeLucia: and Robert Volpe. director ofloal govertunent allairs, Eastman Kodak Company.

Chapter 11

Moraine Valley Community College and Autodesk, Inc.Richard C. Hinckley and J. C. Malitzke

Moraine Valley Community College, established in1967, is situated on 306 acres in the southwest suburbs ofChicago. The campus annually enrolls over 25,000 studentsand utilizes 640,000 square feet of operational facilities,including its Center for Contemporary Technology (CCT),and a recently dedicated Fine and Performing Arts Center.Moraine Valley is the seventh largest community collegein Illinois and serves a population base of 350,000 livingin 26 municipalities.

In 1982, several years prior to the opening of the CCMthe board of trustees and president began a strategicinitiative to address the economic conditions of the region.Forming a new college unit, the Employment TrainingCenter, the college quickly initiated a survey of industrialneeds. The survey resulted in a design for business andindustrial services with a variety of short-term trainingprograms at its center. The college also formed theEconomic Development Corporation for the SouthwestSuburbs to bring together key individuals from its 26municipalities to develop a comprehensive economicdevelopment strategy. The success of these endeavors, anda recognition that existing computer and industrial programswere not adequate to serve community needs, stimulatedthe college to plan for support and funding for an advancedtechnology center. The plan set the college on a path toseek industrial partnerships as a method to support localindustry.

In 1988, the college opened the Center forContemporary Technology, a 125,000 square-foot facilitybuilt specifically to address the economic developmentneeds of the immediate community. At the time, faced withthe loss of regional manufacturing jobs. the college soughtthe advice of its local business leaders to design a facilitythat would assist them to be competitive in a radicallychanging global market. After several days of focus groupsand planning activities, a general building design emergedthat would allow the college to emulate a manufacturingenterprise. The college was advised to showcase computer-integrated-manufacturing (CIM) and to provide the rangeof services necessary to meet the needs of both labor andmanagement.

The design of the CCT embodied the advice given.and through other partnerships, the college built the rangeof services necessary to strengthen local manufacturing.The building became its own CIM enterprise, with theability to demonstrate all elements of CI M and provideassistance and training in each element. Assisted by chartermembership it. IBM's Computer Integrated Manufacturing

in Higher Education Alliance (C1MHE), and benefiting fromIBM's generous donations of funds and equipment, the CCTbecame a powerful resource and tool for local industry.

The value of this effort was captured in an articleentitled Community College Advanced Technology Centers:Meeting Atnerica's Need for Integrated. ComprehensiveEconomic Development: "America's community collegesare being recognized for the vital role they play in upgradingand revitalizing America's iadustrial base. Many of theseuniquely American higher education institutions have, infact, begun to launch novel, farsighted initiatives to thisend. By entering partnerships with business and industry,community colleges are able to offset the high cost ofremaining current with training techniques. job market skillrequirements. and state-of-the-art hardware. One keyelement supporting these partnerships is the constructionof Advanced Technology Centers on community collegecampuses" (Hinckley, Venditti.& Rasch, 1989).

A Partnership is Forged

In planning its move into computer-assisted-designinstruction in 1984, Moraine Valley Community Collegefaculty and staff faced a quandary. Moraine Valley's regionalindustrial base of large corporations was heavily investedin mainframe computers. At the same time, many small tomedium companies were investigating migration frommanual drafting to computer-assisted-drafting using miniand personal computers. The marketplace, meanwhile, wasbecoming flooded with a plethora of expensive designsoftware, written for all sorts of platforms. The choice ofplatforms on which to base the college's program wouldhe significant and long-lasting.

One company, Autodesk. Inc., was aggressivelydeveloping a nationwide network of training providers forthe emerging personal computer design market. This effortwas timely, for Moraine staff were increasingly sure thatinstruction in automated design must make greater the useof personal computers.

By 1985, the Design Drafting department wasconsidering its options for the delivery of college creditCAD courses using the personal computer. The departmentchairperson took a one-year sabbatical to study CAD atFerris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. At the sametime, a fellow faculty member began designing a curriculumfor CAD based on a personal computer platform.

!Despite the reliance on mainframe computers amongthe region's large corporations, the industrial base in the

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immediate Moraine Valley service area consisted of smallto medium-sized manufacturers. An informal assessmentof their design tools revealed that many still relied heavilyupon manual drafting and that the use of minicomputer ormainframe computers for design was virtually nonexistent.As a result, the initial curriculum was designed around thepersonal computer. With advice from the Design DraftingAdvisory Council, the initial curriculum was written andprocessed through appropriate channels, including thecollege's board of trustees and the Illinois CommunityCollege Board. Specifications for the first CAD laboratorieswere written, and with the use of state and federal DAVTE(Division of Adult. Vocational, and Technical Education)equipment grant funds, the first of many generations ofCAD laboratories was established. At the time, the focuswas on the the credit curriculum with no priority given toshort-term industry training or retraininc.

Coinciding with events at Moraine Valley in 1985,Autodesk Corporation was building a network of trainingcenters and developing the first guidelines for what thecompany would call its Authorized AutoCAD TrainingCenters (ATCs).

Among the software that had been selected for use inthe Moraine Valley CAD laboratories was Autodesk's leadproduct. AutoCAD. Being familiar with the Autodeskmarket share in the desktop design software market, thefaculty members approached the senior vice president andthe Business and Industrial Technology dean with a plan toapply to Autodesk for Authorized Training Center status.

The Approach. Autodesk, founded in 1982, is theworldwide leading developer of design and draftingsoftware for desktop computers and workstations. Thecompany has created a variety of software applications thatprovide sophisticated design. engineering. sc;entific. andanimation capabilities. The first opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with representatives of Autodesk came in 1985in Chicago. Autodesk had a display area at the Architects.Engineers. and Contractors (AEC) national conference atMcCormick Place. Contacts were made with Autodesk'sAuthorized Training Center manager. and a meeting wasarranged for Moraine Valley to make a verbal applicationas an Authorized ATC. With the new Center forContemporary Technology and the investment already madein CAD instruction, getting Autodesk to the college campuswould be key to convincing the company that MoraineValley would and could be a good partner.

Due to scheduling difficulties, the visit never tookplace. However. Autodesk asked the college to make aformal application to Autodesk for ATC status. Included inthe application were pictures of laboratories, marketingstrategies, resumes or prospective instructors, and abusiness plan. Autodesk reviewed the ATC application andbusiness plan over the next six months. Many phoneconversations took place over various issues and concerns.

In a letter dated November 21. 1986, an ATC managerstated: "I am pleased to enclose the signed contract whichestablishes Moraine Valley Community College as anAuthorized Training Center. We at Autodesk are proud tobe affiliated with your school and look forward to a longand rewarding relationship over the coming years.-

Purpose of the Partnership

The partnership between Moraine Valley and Autodeskis structured to provide the highest quality instruction indesign and animation software, to both credit and noncreditindustry professionals. For Moraine Valley, the partnershipis designed to:

keep the college on the leading edge of technologyin a cost-effective manner, in design drafting andanimation:

58

transfer technology to industry professionals:

endow credit and noncredit programs withcontinuous improvement of hardware, software.and technology knowledge and vision: and

establish a firm capability in the design portion ofthe college's CIM strategy.

For Autodesk, the partnership is designed to:

leverage training facilities and resources:

transfer technology to new and existing users: and

provide extended marketing.


Organization. All college business and industrialprograms, credit and noncredit, are organized in oneinstructional area, the Business and Industrial TechnologySubdivision. Faculty. staff, and facilities are organized towork in one unit. The Design Drafting/CAD department isresponsible for oversight of both credit and noncreditprogramming. and laboratories serve both curriculums. Inthis model, the Authorized ATC resides within thc DesignDrafting/CAD department and is managed by full-timefaculty and staff with concerns for both credit and noncreditprogramming. Relationships with Autodesk are by andthrough the same chain-of-command as all instructionalservices.

To successfully operate an Adthorized ATC.management and staffing are critical elements. EachAutodesk partner is free to organize its own internal supportstructures, and Moraine Valley has created a model in whichthe full-time faculty provide overall ATC management forinstructional delivery supervising personnel, hardware.software, and curriculum. A profinsional manager with thecollege's Business and Industrial Technology Institute

b-

(BIT!) assists with advertising, instructional support,logistics, enrollment, budget, and student affairs. Reception.clerical, and related support for the partnership are sharedamong other programs operating in BIM

Faculty Requirements. Autodesk does not providesupport personnel for the partnership, but does providetraining for managers and instructors. Every ATC instructoris required to take update classes or application classesannually that are specific to his or her training discipline.Autodesk provides the classes at various ATCs across thenation, and all ATCs are required to send their instructorsto these classes as provided in the ATC contract. Autodeskhas selected permanent training sites at strategic ATClocations that provide training for both AFC instructors andAutodesk product resellers.

The agreement with Autodesk is quite specific in itsrequirements for faculty. Along with its support of theAuthorized ATC network with instructor developmenttraining. Autodesk requires certain minimum standards forfaculty. including experience with the software packagesin industrial settings. Autodesk rigorously evaluates thefaculty through direct student assessment. After every class.evaluations are completed and sent to Autodesk for theirreview. Following normal practices at the college. both full-time and adjunct faculty teach in the ATC.

Commitment to Excellence. Autodesk requires acommitment to excellenceboth on their part and on thepart of each ATC. On the wall of each Authorized ATC is amission statement (see below).

Overall Program. The Authorized A utodesk Training

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Center is designd to transfer technology to businesses andindustries that are involved in the areas of drafting. design.engineering, and animation, including mechanical.architectural, civil, GIS, and multimedia vertical markets.Industry-quality, short, intensive courses are offered duringday, night. and weekend hours providing a range of optionsfor companies' employees. Course formats vary betweensingle eight-hour days to 40-hour, five-day schedules, andare generally conducted at Moraine Valley's Center forContemporary Technology CAD labs.

Registration is assisted through a special corporateregistration form. A corporation completes the form withproper employee information and faxes it to the appropriatemanager in the Business and Industrial Technology Institutewho completes the registration of each person. Faxregistration accounts for over 60 percent of enrollments.The remainder of enrollments can be traced to aprofessionally designed Autodesk Training brochure andthe college's community course mailer. Billing takes placealter the class has been completed. Quanitity discounts maybe available if there are sufficient registrations from onecompany.

Moraine Valley provides services to three targetedaudiences. The first audience includes the industries thatuse CAI) in their specific service area. Manufacturers,architectural firms, professional design studios, and variousservice industries make up this group. Collectively, theseindustries account for 70 percent of the training market.

The second audience is the Autodesk reseller network.Moraine Valley's training center has provided hands-on

AUTOCAD TRAINING CENTEROUR MISSION

The AutoCAD Training Center ( ATC ) Program constitutes a worldwide network of accredited educationalinstitutions officially recognized as centers of Autodesk product training. It is their purpose to provide educa-tion of the highest quality for practicing and prospective professional users.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING: An ATC is selected by Autodesk after meeting stringent requirements estab-lished to assure excellence in Autodesk product training. They are committed solely to professional training,and therefore, are not iesellei s of hardware or software.

AS OUR COMMITMENT T() YOU WE PLEDGE: Qualified instructors. Individualized, hands-on training.A workstation for every student. Standardized courses of the highest quality. Quality industry-standard equip-ment. A professional training environment.

YOUR SATISFACTION: Our goal is your satisfaction. A standard student evaluation of this ATC is conductedat the conclusion of each class. Your feedback is valuable and is reviewed by Autodesk. If you have a concern,please discuss it with your instructor, the manager or this ATC. or call Autodesk AFC program manager atI -800-445-54 I 5.

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intensive courses in AutoCAD release updates andmultimedia updates for over five years. Working inconjunction with the Autodesk Training department. amonthly schedule of classes is set up at Moraine Valley,and the classes are marketed to all resellers in the UnitedStates. Moraine Valley registers interested resellers, faxestheir names to Autodesk, holds the classes, and bills thereseller. After a course has been completed, a list of eachattending reseller is forwarded to Autodesk forcertification.

The third audience is the credit degree and certificatestudent. The Mechanical Design and Drafting departmenthas gained valuable expertise, curriculum materials.hardware, and software because of its relationship withMoraine Valley's ATC. Many instructors teach in both theATC and degree programs using some of the samecurriculum materials.

One special feature of the partnership is the newAdvantage Plus Program for ATCs. Autodesk initiated theprogram in 1994 to establish a fee structure and specifictiers for ATCs. Each year, an ATC must reapply to Autodeskto remain an Authorized ATC. If accepted. an annual fee isassessed. Each ATC must submit a business plan, marketing

plan, lab schematics, and instructor resumés. Based uponthe geographic region. marketing trends, and courseofferings, an ATC is classified as Foundation. Advanced.or Premiere Tier facility. Each tier receives all the softwareneeded for its labs based upon the above criteria.

The Moraine Valley Premiere ATC has very largeyearly enrollments and offers over 150 course sections eachyear. It specializes in beginning two-dimensional throughadvanced three-dimensional mechanical CAD and has twolevels of multimedia training. It offers release updatetraining and has CAD management and CAD programmingcourses as well as third-party mechanical CAD/CAM andarchitectural/civil offerings.

Products and Services. Autodesk produces design-automation and visualization computer software includingsuch packages as AutoCAD. AutoCAD Designer. Auto Surf.Auto Vision. 3D Studio, and Animator Pro. Thew computertools allow users to make original graphic design andanimation representations. With a 70 percent market sharein the design/drafting field. Autodesk's flagship product.AutoCAD, is used worldwide in all fields of design,including automotive, aerospace. residential architecture.commercial architecture, and civil engineering. Softwarepackages such as AutoCAD Designer and Auto Surf aretargeted at mechanical design companies using 3D solidsand 3D surfaces respectively. 3D Studio. an animationsoftware. is used for video game creation, architecturalrenderings and walk-throughs, mechanical componentassemblies. visualization, and even forensic studies.

The technical content of the courses is designed to meet

the needs of specific vertical markets. An example wouldbe a discrete part manufacturing company seeking trainingin 2D and 3D part design and manufacture. Moraine Valley'srole would be to set up a training sequence for the company,with a range of basic and highly advanced courses designedto meet the company's specific needs. Course syllabi andcourse materials are also provided. A generic coursesequence chart is included in the periodic program brochureproduced at the college. The sequence chart, shown in thefigure on page 61 graphically leads a prospective clientthrough the levels of available curricula.

As an example, employees from McDonaldsCorporation have received training at Moraine Valley inthe use of AutoCAD, 3D Studio, and third-party softwarefor restaurant design and for 3D animations.Commonwealth Edison. the local electrical power utility,has trained a large number of its employees at MoraineValley on Autodesk products for use in designing powerstations, roads, wiring diagrams, and nuclear powerfacilities.

Facilities. When the agreement with Autodesk was firstwritten, the college hy I two CAD laboratories in operation.One was a PC-based laboratory: the other was aworkstation-based laboratory. Today there are five primaryCAD laboratories and two laboratories that are used on anas-needed basis. Expansion of the original two laboratorieswas made possible because of the partnership withAutodesk. With each annual renewal of the agreement withAutodesk. minimum computer hardware configurations forvarious software packages are provided to guide equipmentand other purchases. Beyond Autodesk's basicrequirements. it was important to provide laboratoryfurniture that will allow a client to work comfortably forseveral hours at a time. Attention should be given to roomconfigurations. surroundings. and amenities. Clients spendseveral days in a laboratory. and comfort and atmosphereare key concerns.

When Moraine Valley initiated the partnership. it waswith the understanding that the college would operate theATC as a business with due consideration given to qualitycontrol and client expectations. Throughout the years. manyATCs across the country have failed to keep pace withadvancements in technology and facilities. Carefulconsideration must be given to hardware, software.furn.ture. projection systems, video links, as well as humancom 'ort features like vending machines and access tophs:Ies and washrooms. Moraine Valley's training facilitieswere designed with these needs in mind, as well as thebenefits of a variety of lighting schemes, large monitors,close-in parking. and assistance with local hotels andtransportation.

All CAD labs are situated on-campus. While occasionalcustomized training contracts have been negotiated in which

606 7

the client's own facilitiesare utilized, on-sitetraining and workshopsdo not offer the samequality control.

Funding. Inthe simplest terms,Autodesk provides soft-ware to the partnershipand the college providesfacilities and instruction.Revenues from sched-uled and customizedtraining sessions producesufficient funds to pay alldirect and indirect costswith excess revenuesavailable for investmentin equipment upgrades.Indirect costs includeadministrative overhead,marketing and promo-tion, goods and servicesnecessary to reproduceand bind training man-uals, and refreshments.

Throughout the lifeof the partnership,Moraine Valley has beenable to use a portion ofATC revenues to reinvestin new computers andsoftware each year. Theinvestment has beennecessary to maintain theability to utilize thefullest features ofAutodesk's various soft-ware packages and hasprovided a side benefitin which the replacedequipment is used torefresh other computerlaboratories. In a processthat the college calls "cascading the technology.- olderhardware is moved to other college departments andcurriculums when new computer laboratory hardware ispurchased. Over the years, several computer laboratoriesin the Information Management Systems department, theBusiness and Industrial Technology Institute, and thecollege's Learning and Computing Center have benefitedfrom cascading.

Faculty who teach in the ATC. whether MI-time or

Chapter 11

Moraine Valley Community CollegeOverall Professional Training Sequence

AuloCAD LI

Introduction toAutoCAD LT I

Introduction toAutoCAD LT II

Computer Assisted Design

AutoCAO OverviewExecutive Seminar

Protessional LevelAutoCAD

DOS-Windows-AIX

WindowsOverview

ReleaseUpdates

Professional Level IIAutoCAD

3-0 SirtacesS lids

3-D SolidModeling

3-0 SurfaceModeling

AutoCADDesigner AutoSurl

DatabaseInterlace

ADE

Computer Aided Manufacturing

CAMAXManufacturingTechnningies

SamrICAM 2-0

Applic3tions

SoftdeskArchitectural

SoftdeskCogo

Survey

SoftdeskDIM

Earthworks

Management

ManagingAutoCADSysterns

CustomizingProgrammin

CustomizingAutoCAD

AutoLisp

Multimedia/ComputerGraphics

Multimedia OverviewExecutive Seminar

Autodesk

Animator Pro 3-D StudioLevel I

3-0 StudioLevel II

adjunct. are normally compensated based on existing facultypay scales.

Evaluation. As with most programs and servicesoff'ered by community colleges, a key indicator of successis whether or not the comn, ail)/ responds to the offeringwith their attendance. While MC attendance is strong, tests,outcome assessment models, and satisfaction surveys arealso used to determine the usefulness and value of theprogram. Through these methods, it has been shown that

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the partnership between Moraine Valley and Autodesk hasbeen successful in pros iding leading-edge software trainingto students and clients, as well as support for Autodeskresellers.

When a school like Moraine Valleydevotes the proper resources to establisha first-class business operation,Autodesk has a partner that assists withmarketing its software, training its end-users, and projecting a professionalbusiness climate.

As a method of evaluating its ATCs. Autodesk requiresthat all students who receive training at an ATC complete aprogram evaluation questionnaire. The questionnaire asksfor it formation on the type of training received, and clientsrespood to statements and open-ended questions designedto dem mine if course objectives were achieved, job-relatedtraining expectations were met, materials were appropriate.the environment was conducive to learning, the instructorwas knowledgeable and experienced, the equipment workedproperly, and if parking was convenient. These and otherquestions form a profile for the ATC that allows the centerto be ranked in categories of instruction, equipment/facilities, curriculum, attendance, special achievement, andan overall category. Autodesk uses the results to determinethe ongoing status of an ATC in its partnership network.

Taking the partnership seriously. Moraine Valley haswon more awards than any other ATC in the United Statessince 1987: the college won the prestigious overall categoryaward in 1989 and 1992. In another category, MoraineValley produced the highest enrollment numbers for an ATCin the United States in 1992 and 1993.

Impact

Autodesk, for the past ten years. has used its ATCnetwork to assist end-users ill securing access to qualitytraining programs throughout the United States. Along withhaving a competitive product that has won 70 percent ofthe market, the ATC network is a strong marketing tool forAutodesk. Using its partner colleges and proprietary CADschools, Autodesk has built a formidable mechanism tobring high-quality instruction to all who purchase itsproducts.

In the process, Moraine Valley has gained leading-edgetechnology and knowledge. and thc ability to deliver bothto the community. During the past nine years, large numbersof students in both credit and noncredit courses havereceived instruction in the latest Autodesk software line,and an understanding of how to utilize the technology in

their businesses as well as their homes. The partnershiphas allowed staff to continue to upgrade their skills and tomaintain their facilities and equipment at a state-of-the-artlevel. The reputation gained by the college in CAD traininghas been leveraged into many successful grant proposals,donations, and additional partnership arrangements thathave paid enormous dividends.

The advantage to Autodesk is quite obvious. When aschool like Moraine Valley devotes the proper resources toestablish a first-class business operation. Autodesk has apartner that assists with marketing its software, training itsend-users, and projecting a professional business climate.

Lessons Learned

Clearly, partnerships between education and industrycan serve both well. The importance of planning inaccomplishing a successful partnership is paramount, anda general blueprint for success should include:

the commitment of the administration. faculty. andstaff to serve the economic development needs ofthe local community:

a tolerance for controlled risk-taking with theunderstanding that all partnerships may not bringthe intended resultsand some may fail:

an emphasis on classroom-level decision makingso that faculty expertise is used to lead and guide.The faculty are closest to the client and thetechnology and bring a critical perspective:

an attitude on the part of the college that enablesit to think like successful businesses and engagein good business practicesand to see studentsas clients who should be provided with the highestquality and most effective education and training:

a total package of services including customizedtraining, credit classes, noncredit classes. needsassessments, small business development services.contract procurement services. economicdevelopment services, and meeting space.

By keeping a close eye on these key issues, MoraineValley has been tremendously successful in its partnershipwith Autodeskand in the process has established a modelfor other community colleges across the nation.

About the authors: Richard C. Hinckley is dean ofinstruction, business, and industrial technology at MoraineValley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois: J. C.Malitzke is associate prafCssor and department chair;Mechanical Design/CAD department, and manager of theAutodesk Advam.cd Pchnology Center at Moraine ValleyCommunity College.

62 6 1.J

Chapter 12

South Seattle Community College and the Boeing CompanyThomas Phillips, Garry Peck, and Jill Wakefield

With leadership from education, business, labor, andgovernment, the Washington State ManufacturingTechnology Standards, Competencies, and CurriculumDevelopment Project was initiated in 1992. Since that time,Washington State's Manufacturing Technology AdvisoryGroup (MTAG ), under the leadership of The BoeingCompany and South Seattle Community College, has beentransforming manufacturing education into a modeleducation-for-employment consortium.

South Seattle Community College is a member of theSeattle Community College District, which also includesNorth Seattle and Seattle Central Community Colleges, andthe Seattle Vocational Institute. South Seattle is recognizedfor its strong technical programs, in which 65 percent of its7,000 students are enrolled. Because of a job placementrate which has exceeded 90 percent for the past ten years,South Seattle has become known as "Paycheck College."Contract training for business and industry is a major focusfor the college. Every college program, from aviationmaintenance and computer technology to food sciences andliberal arts, provides training to area employers, ensuringthat a well-trained and educated work force is available forexisting and future jobs. The success of contract trainingefforts can be found in strengthened relations with business.increased donations of equipment and funds, moreinvolvement by business representatives in curriculumdevelopment, and more than one million dollars each yearin contract revenue.

The Seattle Community College District, the secondlargest institution of higher education in Washington State(exceeded only by the University of Washington) serves28,000 students each year. Since the district was established

in 1967 by the Washington State Community College Act.more than three-quarters of a millicp people have earnedcertificates or degrees, or have taken classes for professionaldevelopment or for personal enrichment.

Workforce training and retraining are especiallyimportant within the Seattle Community Colleges, wherestudents study in more than 125 technical, professional, andoccupational programs, ranging from aviation maintenanceto culinary arts, from hazardous waste management to watchand clock technology. Technical advisory committees.consisting of morc than 750 business and industry experts.work with the faculty of each program to ensure thatstudents receive cutting-edge training and that graduatesare well prepared to enter the work force.

The Seattle Community Colleges have been involvedin training partnerships with industry for more than 25 years,

through vocational/technical programs, adult basiceducation, transfer courses, and contract training. The roleexpanded in the 1990s, as the colleges reached out to serveincreasing numbers of high school dropouts, workers inneed of retraining, and businesses requesting training.

Working with business, labor, and public agencies, theSeattle Community Colleges are addressing issues such asraising worker standards, increasing productivity,stimulating a more flexible work force, bringing workersof color into the work force, and enhancing educationalstandards.

The Washington State Manufacturing TechnologyAdvisory Group (MTAG)

In December 1992. representatives of industry, labor.education, and state government formed an ad hoccommittee to explore the development of a manufacturingeducation program for Washington State's existing andfuture work form The first meeting was attended byrepresentatives o' two businesses, three communitycolleges, and one Aate agency. The participants discussedthe feasibility of industry and education working togetherto de clop a high-performance manufacturing technologywork force in the state of Washington.

The Washington State Manufacturing TechnologyAdvisory Group (MTAG), as the group came to be known,was initiated as the result of several concurrent events.Technological changes were fueling internationalcompetition faced by the state's business community. Atthe same time, these companies were facing the challengeof increasing productivity while cutting costs. Strugglingto keep pace with technology, business leaders realized thatthe future work force did not possess the necessary skillsor training. In addition. basic skills of new employees.particularly those coming directly from high school, wereless than what was required to meet these challenges.

The Boeing Company, a key player in the MTAGprogram, had reinvented itself to meet these challenges,and was concerned that new employees did not possess theskills and attributes to succeed in the new environment.The chairman and CEO of Boeing noted, "There are noquick fixes for the problems that affect our schools. Thechallenge is simply too big for any one sector of society totackle alone. Educators cannot do it by themselves: neithercan parents and students: nor business: nor even thecombined resources of our local, state, and federalgovernments. The solution is partnerships that bring

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Chapter 12

together individual citizens and groups from the public andprivate sectors."

Since 1992, MTAG membership has grown to include52 individual members representing 17 businesses. 13educational institutions, three labor organizations, threestate government agencies, and one community serviceorganization. MTAG was chartered to identify andcommunicate worker standards and "core" competencies,and to develop a manufacturing technology degree programthat teaches students the broad, basic skills required tofunction effectively in today's increasingly complex andcompetitive manufacturing organizations. Specifically, itsobjectives are:

to change existing manufacturing education andtraining programs to be "industry needs" drivenand to provide a more technically-oriented andflexible work force;

to prepare high school graduates for entry-leveljobs in manufacturing or for entry into community/technical college advanced manufacturingspecialty programs, such as electronics,machining, composites, tooling, andmanufacturing resource planning;

to prepare community college manufacturingtechnology graduates with the option of enteringthe work force as skilled manufacturingtechnicians or continuing their education at a four-year college;

to provide adult retraining programs in variousfields of manufacturing; and

to provide industry/labor sponsored.manufacturing work-based learning programs thatlink with students' academic and vocationaltraining.

The Manufacturing Technology degree program towhich MTAG has dedicated its efforts is based on thefollowing premises:

The number of technical manufacturing jobs willcontinue to increase, although the total number ofmanufacturing jobs in Washington will remainconstant or decrease slightly.

The workplace is becoming more complex due toshorter product cycles, rapid changes intechnology, demand for quality and service, andincreasing global competition.

Old jobs in manufacturing are evolving andmerging with new jobs, resulting in the rewritingof job descriptions and tasks.

Good skills, coupled with high-wage jobs, areessential for a healthy economy in WashingtonState and the nation.

A high-performance workplace is dependent on ahigh-performance work force.

Like old job descriptions, educational curriculaand pedagogy must also be restructured.

Job skills (competencies and standards) must bedefined by industry and labor.

Industry and labor must become actively involvedin the education of the existing and future workforce.

Working from these parameters, MTAG has establishedthe foundation for a statewide manufacturing technologycompetency-based education programto be in place by1996that begins in high school and leads to an associateor advanced degree. The program relies on industry andlabor to provide work-based learning opportunities for bothstudents and faculty.

MTAG Partners

MTAG. as a coalition of business, labor, government,education. and community service organizations. is partiallyfunded through a grant from the National ScienceFoundation. The grant is administered by the dean oftechnology for South Seattle Community College. A full-time oilc.tor and part-time secretary report to the dean.MTAG is composed of an Executive Council and twostanding committees. Participating organizations include:

Industry. The American Electronics Association, theAmerican Plywood Association, the Association ofWashington Business, the Boeing Company, the EldecCompany, the Electronic Manufacturing Association, theFluke Corporation. Heath Mena Aerospace Company.Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intermec Corporation. KaiserAluminum & Chemical Corporation, Pioneer Industries.Simpson Tacoma Kraft Paper Company, SeaCast Inc..Tredegar Industries, and the Weyerhaeuser Company.

Labor. The Aerospace Machinist Union (District 751AIM & AW), the United Steel Workers of America, and theWashington State Labor Council.

Education and the Public Sector. The AppliedTechnology Training Center, Central WashingtonUniversity, Clover Park Technical College, CommunityColleges of Spokane, Seattle Pacific University, SouthSeattle Community College, Western WashingtonUniversity, six Tech Prep Consortia (representing 12community colleges. five technical colleges, two skillscenters and 147 high schools), the Central Area MotivationalProgram. the Office of the Superintendent of Public

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Chapter 12

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY EDUCATIONAL PATH

Workplace Skill Levels Examples of Skills Where Skills are Learned

Fundamental workplace skills Basic skills (reading, writing, math)Thinking skillsPersonal qualities

High school

Manufacturing TechnologyBasic skillsTechnical core

MeasurementPrint interpretationLayout and inspectionOccupational safety and healthBusiness economicsProduct and process controlQuality in manufacturingMaterial scienceLaborGroup dynamics

High school(junior and senior year)

Community college(first year)

Summer intern programs

Manufacturing TechnologySpecialties

ElectronicsMachiningProduction planningCNC programmingManufacturing computing

Community/technical collegeand summer intern programs

Advanced manufacturingtechnologies

Industrial managementManufacturing engineeringIndustrial engineeringComputer scienceManufacturing R&D

Four-year collegeor university

Instruction, the State Board for Community & TechnicalColleges, and the Workforce Training & EducationCoordinating Board.

Developing a SuccessfulManufacturing Education Program

The success of a manufacturing education program.according to MTAG . is contingent on the development ofa curriculum that is based on competencies and performanceobjectives defined by industry and labor. The focus istwofold: on students preparing to enter the work force andon adults in need of retraining and skills udpating.

Through a Manufacturing Technology educationalladder (illustrated in the chart above), each program buildson previously acquired skills. Fundamental workplace

skills, such as writing, mathematics, thinking skills, andcommunication skills, are to be completed prior tocompleting high school. Manufacturing "core"competencies are acquired in high school and community/technical colleges through Tech Prep 2 + 2 programs thatprepare individuals for more advanced manufacturingspecialties. Manufacturing specialty or industry-uniqueskills such as electronics, machining, production planning,and manufacturing computing are taught at community andtechnical colleges.

Articulation agreements among high schools,community/technical colleges. and four-year institutionsallow a seamless educational path from high school to theworkplace or advanced education. Work-based learningprograms offered by both defense and commercialmanufacturing firms link on-site work experience with the

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Chapter 12

student's academic and technical training. Ongoing programevaluation is built in to all levels of instruction to ensurecontinuous improvement of the program.

The Development of MTAG

MTAG is pursuing four distinct phases of developmentthat were laid out during early planning covering the years1992 to 1998. Phase I was to determine manufacturing corerequirements and develop pilot internship programs ( 1992-19941. In Phase 11, the current phase of the project, themanufacturing core program is under development and theinternship program is continuing (1994-1996). In Phase III,the core program will be implemented and programsexpanded to include advanced manufacturing technologyskills (1996-1998). Phase IV is envisioned as continuousquality improvement of the program as it moves into a self-sustaining basis.

Phase I. This phase, completed in 1994, kicked offwith a survey of industry and labor to determine the basicskills (competencies) for entry-level manufacturing jobs.The survey, originally developed by the Boeing Company.was sent to 177 Washington State manufacturing firms and28 state labor coordinators; responses were received from55 firms and 16 coordinators. The 297 competenciesultimately identified from the survey became the basis ofthe Manufacturing Technology Core curriculum.

Phase I also established a pilot work-based internshipprogram. The Boeing Company initiated the summerstudent internship in 1993. and designed it to combine thestudent's last two years of high school with two years ofcommunity or technical college education and three summertraining internships. all leading to an associate degree inmanufacturing technology. During the first summer.students are introduced to career opportunities inmanufacturing and basic factory skills, and providedinformation on specialty fields within manufacturing. Thefollowing summers become progressively more advanced.Internships are coordinated with high schools and collegesto complement the students' academic courses. In 1993.25 students participated in the intern program. That numbergrew to 75 the following summer, with participationexpected to reach 300 by 1997. The program also includesa six-week summer program for high school and collegeeducators. The educator internship provides the instructorswith manufacturing work experience that can be applied inthe classroom. The Boeing program is serving as a modelfor other manufacturing firms that wish to implement work-based learning.

Key funding for this phase of the program was providedby Boeing. who covered the cost of the program director.the survey, and other administrative support. The balancewas provided by MTAG members.

The chairman and CEO of Boeing noted,"There are no quick fixes for the problems thataffect our schools. The challenge is simply toobig for any one sector of society to tackle alone.Educators cannot do it by themselves; neithercan parents and students; nor business; noreven the combined resources of our local, state,and federal governments. The solution ispartnershEps that bring together individualcitizens and groups from the public and privatesectors."

Phase II. This phase began when leaders from localhigh schools and community colleges met te discuss theinterest in offering a Manufacturing Technology curriculumat their institutions. An all-day "competency writing-workshop was offered for teachers and instructors whoexpressed interest in writing the competency modules. Over90 faculty members attended. representing 34 high schoolsand 10 community and technical colleges. The workshopfocused on competencies and performance objectives andinstructed writers on the use of a software template to recordtheir lesson plans. Following the workshop. 85 facultymembers were hired to write competency modules for the297 performance objectives. Specifically, instructors wereasked to record how they, as teachers, set the stage forstudents to gain competencies; the practice activities theyprovided for students; and the evaluation methods they usedto assess the attainment of the competency. Instructors werealso asked to serve as resources for other teachers. In effect.MTAG is building a statewide network of instructors arounda common set of curriculum objectives. The colle,icion ofcompetency modules is being used by participating highschools and colleges to design and develop manufacturingtechnology programs at their institutions.

The second phase of the project was funded by a grantfrom the National Science Foundation ($429.680), a grantfrom the Washington State Board for Community andTechnical Colleges ($35,000). and Boeing matching funds.

Phase III. In the third phase. the focus will continueto be on strengthening the capacities and capabilities ofparticipating high schools and community colleges,increasing the involvement of industry and labor, andevaluating the effectiveness of the curriculum and theMTAG program. The completion of the first two phaseswill establish the foundation of a seamless manufacturingtechnology program that begins in high school with the coreacademic and vocational training and continues into thecommunity college advanced specialty curricula. Studentswho have completed the core requirements will have theopportunity to exit the program at any time with basic

6673

employable skills, or to c.ontinue their training toward theassociate degree as a technician.

The primary objective of this phase will be to solidifythe Manufacturing Technology program in the state ofWashington to the point that it is self-sustaining by 1999,and recognized as a viable manufacturing technologyeducation and training program for students and adultworkers.

Planned activities for the third phase include: annualgrants of $100.000 from the Boeing Company to selectedhigh schools and colleges that participate in theManufacturing Technology program, an educator/industryexchange program, publication of preferred ManufacturingTechnology core lesson plans, and a survey of 400manufacturers to determine advanced technology specialtyskill requirements for Washington State businesses. Oneconcept under consideration is the development of astandard articulation agreement for all participating highschools, community and technical colleges, and four-yearcolleges and universities, providing a portable educationalprogram throughout the state of Washington.

The Impact of MTAG

The MTAG partnership between business, labor,government, education, and community serviceorganizations is a prime example of how muchorganizations can accomplish when they work togethertoward a common goal. MTAG partners have assumedownership of this project, ensuring that when studentssuccessfully complete a degree in ManufacturingTechnology, they will be prepared to enter the work force.

When MTAG is fully implemented, it will serve as anexceptional example of industry-guided education andtraining for students and adult workers, and will result in avital pipeline of trained individuals ready to meet the generaland specific needs of industry. Other benefits include:

Closer communication between education and theprivate sector. Instructional programs arebecoming more reflective of the kinds ofknowledge, skills, and attitudes that employersexpect. Employers more readily hire graduates ofprograms they have had a hand in shaping.

Wide involvement of all players. High schoolteachers. two-year and four-year collegeiistructors. union representatives. st t. te education

staff, and private trade school representatives are.illing down together to design MTAG programs.

Discovery of common goals between academicand vocational faculty. The walls between the twoare slowly coming down.

Development of new courses and content. True

Chapter 12

competency-based approaches are beingdeveloped. If students are sent to a communitycollege with a portfolio of skills alreadydemonstrated to have been mastered, those coursesneed not be retaken.

Although the first students will earn theirmanufacturing associate degrees in 1996. the full value andsuccess of this program will not be known until 1998, whenthe graduates have spent two years working in the field.

Lessons Learned

Project managers have discovered that it takes asignificant amount of time to implement a program of thismagnitude, and to fully involve educational, business, labor,and governmental partners. Each group has learned muchabout the culture and "ways of doing business" of the others.

It was discovered that many teachers and instructorsfind it difficult to write competency modules. For manyteachers, it is a new way of preparing classroom instruction.Because the Manufacturing Technology program requirescompetency-based instruction, competency writingworkshops will be offered during the summer months. Theworkshops will focus on developing module writing skillsusing the MTAG competencies and the MTAG competencymodule software.

In addition to faculty development, in-service trainingis needed in subject matter areas where teachers aredeficient. MTAG will survey teachers at participatingschools and colleges to determine which areas require in-service training.

Another lesson learned was that many of the facultydo not have industry work experience, and conversely.industry and labor representatives have little or noexperience in the classroom. An "Educator-IndustryExchange- program is under development, scheduled forimplementation in Phase III. The program will provideopportunities for teachers to work in manufacturing firmsand industry personnel to teach in schools and colleges.

MTAG's goal of a seamless program supported by acompetency-based, articulated curriculum is well on its wayto becoming reality, one that can be duplicated throughoutthe nation. The program is enabling students toprogressively acquire technical skills by providingopportunities to exit at specific skill levels or to continuetheir education through an associate or bachelor's degree.

Almut the authors: Thomas Phillips is associate deanPr technology at South Seattle Community College inSeattle. Washingum; Garry Peck is director of theWashnigion State Manufacturing Technology AdvisoryGroup (WAG); Jill Wakefield is vice president Prinstruction at South Seattle Connnunity College.

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7 4

Chapter 13

Sinclair Community College and the Reynolds+Reynolds CompanyDan A. Braze lton

Sinclair Community College hardly resembles theoriginal institution founded in 1887 as the YMCA Collegeof Dayton. Today, Sinclair is an institution with anenrollment of over 20,000. which makes it the largest single-campus community college in the state of Ohio and one ofthe largest in the United States.

Over this time, the mission of the institution hasundergone several evolutions, and the college now playsan integral and ever-broadening role in fulfilling the hopes,dreams, and aspirations of the people and businesses inMontgomery County, Ohio. Located in downtowr. Dayton,Ohio, Sinclair offers associate degrees and continuingeducation in a broad range of disciplines. Dramatic changehas marked its growth, particularly in recent years, and thisis no more evident than in the institution's relationship withthe community.

Workforce Development Programs

The Corporate and Community Services division ofSinclair has been a leading provider of management andcontinuous improvement training since 1988. Success isbased on a customized approach to helping companiesbecome quality, team-based organizations.

The college established the David H. Ponitz SinclairCenter, a $24 million facility, to provide educationalopportunities for the community. The 200,000 square-footcenter has allowed the college to expand linkages with thebusiness, industrial, governmental, and nonprofitcommunities to facilitate quality, responsive educationalprograms. The college now offers both customized trainingand public workshops to over 700 organizations each year.

Providing training to more than 4,000 industrypersonnel annually. Sinclair offers credit and noncreditcourses in areas such as synchronous manufacturing,statistical process control, computer integratedmanufacturing, computer-aided design and manufacturing,and robotics, as well as business and personal development.

A Special Partnership: Reynolds+Reynolds Company

Reynolds+Reynolds Co. is a leading provider ofinformation management products and related value-addedservices for the automotive, health-care, and generalbusiness markets. The Fortune 5(10 company has over 5,000employees in plants in the United States and Canada.

Prior to 1994, Sinclair delivered several successfulmanagerial workshops to the company. These efforts led to

the development of Management 2000, a wide-rangingprogram to facilitate the transition from a top-down,hierarchical corporate culture to an empowered, team-basedwork force at the company's Dayton and Celina. Ohio,manufacturing facilities. (The two locations represent bothunion and nonunion work force structures.)

After the success of Management 2000,Reynolds+Reynolds inquired whether Sinclair could helpwith their needs in the area of information technologytraining and, as a result. Sinclair personnel took part indiscussions and planning sessions for what developed intothe Technical Skills Education Program. The program'sobjective is to promote new generation computer expertiseto support distributed computing requirements, providingenhanced and extended computer skills for bothprofessional and managerial staff. Training is now underwayto transfer the company from a mainframe computer-basedinformation system to a distributed client/server system.The company is converting from indexed data files torelational databases, and from procedural software to objectsoftware. The program has had a successful start and is inits third cycle of training.

Since 1994, Sinclair has been a strategic partner indeveloping and delivering a national management trainingprogram for the company. In seeking a training resource.Reynolds+Reynolds wanted a pat tner who was on the cuttingedge of curriculum and who had credentials in both theacadcmic and business communities. Sinclair was chosenas the partner based on its unique combination of qualities:

a nationally known Corporate and CommunityServices division:

the flexibility to tailor all curriculum to Reynolds'strategic initiatives:

numerous resource:; offered at competitive costs:

faculty geared to the business environment; and

facilities conducive to adult learning.

To effect a smooth corporate cultural transition.Reynolds required stable, capable resources that coulddeliver locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.A consistent, high level of programming was needed tofacilitate Reynolds+Reynolds' rapid change in corporateculture, skills, and abilities. These changes involved movingfrom an environment of control to one ot' self management:switching from directing change to facilitating change; andmoving from monitoring results to influencing continuousimprovement.

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Chapter 13

Purpose of Partnership. The purpose of theReynolds+Reynolds/Sinclair Community CollegePartnership is to fulfill the company's core value ofrecognizing people as the essence of the company. and todemonstrate the tirm's commitment to providing currentand potential leaders with the practical tools and resourcesto grow within the organization.

The company has defined a learning organization asone that places emphasis on: aligning learning withcompany requirements for future succeSs: ensuringcompetencies are articulated and well known: clearly statinga development philosophy: and focusing on processes,group development, and collaboration.

Sinclair fosters the attainment of Reynolds+Reynolds'strategic objectives through:

educating employees on the common language,approaches, and competencies needed to supportVision 2000 in achieving a $1 billion salesobjective, and Reynolds' capability-buildinginitiatives (see "Vision 2000" highlighted in box):

providing ongoing learning opportunities to assistemployees in achieving high-performanceexpectations:

serving as a vehicle to share, experiment with, andinstitutionalize Reynolds' best practices: and

educating suppliers, customers, and educationalinstitutions on how they support and will benefitfrom improvement in the company's capabilities.

Organization and Staffing. Reynolds+Reynolds'Human Resources department was charged with developinga series of training seminars to help their management teamsshift from traditional autocratic leadership to a moreparticipative style.

Sinclair has five administrative support staff involvedwith the Reynolds+Reynolds' project, including one personassigned to the partnership as a portion of her regularassignment. Reynolds+Reynolds has a similaradministrative arrangement: various other managers areoccasionally assigned to help with specific topics accordingto their expertise.

The Corporate and Community Services division, partof the college's instructional component, is responsible fortraining. registration. administrative services, support, andrelated functions. The division has the primaryresponsibility to develop and maintain the partnership andcoordinates the efforts of faculty members and communityresource people involved in the training. Instructors areselected from the general pool of Sinclair faculty whoparticipate in scheduled open seminars and contract training.A substantial concentration of full-time and part-timeSinclair instructors make up the pool of trainers: they are

70

Vision 2000One billion dollars in sales anddoubling our shareholders' value bythe end of the decade.

"We have to be entrepreneurs,innovate in our thinking, and grownew businesses. That's going to meanputting teams together to brainstormand drive new opportunities and makethem happen."

Dave HolmesChairman and Chief Executive Officer

Reynolds+Reynolds

complemented by training consultants who have expertisein special topics that have been requested byReynolds+Reynolds. Sinclair primarily utilizes faculty todeliver industry training as opposed to the general trend ofrelying principally on community-based resources.

Interactive Seminar Programs

The Reynolds+Reynolds summer programs began witha focus on management development. Over time, as thecorporation's culture shifted, so did the focus of theseminars, which evolved into a new series. Leadership 2000.

Management 2000. This companywide series oftraining workshops is designed to enhance learningmanagerial skills and to encourage supervisor-subordinatecooperative relations.

The Management 2000 series was centered on fourtracks: Management Skills. Effective CommunicationsSkills. Core Total Quality, and Business MeasurementConcepts. Instruction was typically delivered in standardseminar style. with an emphasis on interaction between theinstructor and participants. A combination of multimediapackages from Vital Learning and custom curriculadeveloped by the college was utilized.

Sinclair assisted Reynolds+Reynolds in replicatingcomponents of management 2000 across North America,from Oklahoma to Toronto to Maryland. through the use ofa network of community colleges. For some of theseseminars. Sinclair instructors flew to remote sites, but formost of them, the college found it cost effective to sharetheir experiences and materials with colleagues at othercommunity colleges. For example. Sinclair linkedReynolds+Reynolds with Humber College of Applied Artsand Technology in Toronto to provide instruction on theseminar material. These cooperative efforts have helped

Reynolds+Reynolds establish new relationships and haveallowed company personnel in a variety of locations toreceive quality services from local community collegeresources.

Reynolds+Reynolds has now formed a new divisionnamed Reynolds University; the Sinclair trainingpartnership was the basis for its design. ReynoldsUniversity was established to build strategic competitiveadvantage and organizational capacity by enhancingcapability-building initiatives; developing commonlanguages, approaches, and competencies; encouragingsharing of best practices; and creating a culture ofcontinuous learning.

At the same time Reynolds University was formed.the Leadership 2000 initiative was begun, an effort that hasadded more progressive content in tune with Reynolds'mission and fostered high involvement, empowerment, andworld-class leadership skills.

Leadership 2000. In the upcoming Leadership 2000series for Reynolds+Reynolds. Sinclair is evaluating theuse of Thoughtware, an interactive computer program toassist participants in self-assessing their leadership styleprior to the seminar. This approach would give seminarparticipants information about how they compare with othermanagers in such areas as delegation skills, listening skills.and general management style. The objective is to motivatemanagers, to more fully "buy in" to the benefits ofleadership training.

Nearly all of the project has been accomplished at thePonitz Sinclair Center. Funding for these programs has beenbased on a full dollar chargeback to Reynolds+Reynolds.No state subsidy or other external support is being receivedby Sinclair or the companya strong indication ofcorporate commitment.

Evaluation. Final evaluation of the program is basedon the degree that outcomes match the Reynolds' initiatives.Each instructor is interviewed by Reynolds+Reynoldsbefore and after each offering, and standardReynolds+Reynolds and Sinclair evaluation forms are usedand reviewed by both company and Sinclair officials.

Client participants are evaluated with standardevaluation forms for each seminar component. Severallevels of evaluation are utilized, including self-assessment.Appraisal by the participant's supervisor has beenselectively applied. In addition, a formal mid-course focusgroup is held. Reynolds+Reynolds has also organized focusgroups of past seminar participants from diversemanagement levels that have provided significant feedbackon how the program and instruction can be improved.


Because of the success of this partnership. Sinclair hasadopted parts ot' the model program for other organizations

Chapter 13

Core ValuesFocus on Customers and Service

Strive for New and Better Ways

Maintain High Standards ofIntegrity

Profit Is the Lifeblood ofOur Business

People Are the Essence ofOur Company

Reynolds+Reynolds

and partnerships.One impact has been a higher level of visibility for the

college in the community. The president of the college andthe CEO of Reynolds+Reynolds have a shared communitydevelopment commitment and this has led to beneficialspin-offs.

Sinclair has showcased its relationship withReynolds+Reynolds at the annual League for Innovationworkforce development conferences in New Orleans andSan Diego. As a result, Sinclair's relationship with academiccolleagues across the nation has grown and changed as moreof them have become attuned to Sinclair's involvement inits partnership with Reynolds+Reynolds.

Colleagues frequently inquire as to how the collegeattracts talented faculty and provides incentives for facultyto work on the project. Questions are also typically askedabout whether outside funding or other outside resourcesare being utilized. One recurring question is whyReynolds+Reynolds, a Fortune 500 company and one ofthe nation's largest business forms manufacturers, wouldchoose to work with Sinclair and not with other consultants.The answer is that Sinclair has a quality reputation as astable organization with the depth of staffing, creativity,capacity. and commitment to repeatedly deliver excellentservices over time. Sinclair has impressedReynolds+Reynolds with its ability to deliver qualityproducts and its attention to the company's uniquerequirements.

The partnership has successfully assistedReynolds+Reynolds in making the transition toward anempowered work force as evidenced by the transition fromthe Management 2000 project to Leadership 2000. Thecontinued relationship attests to the benefits derived by bothpartners.

Reynolds+Reynolds has been able to confidentlypursue their ongoing development effort with Sinclair and

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to avoid having to search the country for an organizationwith the necessary resources to provide program materialin the desired manner. In the process, Reynolds+Reynoldshas gained a valuable resource and partner.

One recurring question is whyReynolds+Reynolds, a Fortune 500company and one of the nation's largestbusiness-forms manufacturers, wouldchoose to work with Sinclair and not withother consultants. The answer is thatSinclair has a quality reputation as astable organization with the depth ofstaffing, creativity, capacity, andcommitment to repeatedly deliverexcellent services over time.

After the first cycle of seminars at the Dayton officesof Reynolds+Reynolds, management recognized the valuein presenting these components to the remainder ofcompany facilities elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada. Adecision was made to utilize local community colleges nearthe facilities rather than transporting Sinclair faculty toremote sites. Sinclair facilitated this process through itscontacts with the League for Innovation and other schools.In the process. Sinclair and Reynolds+Reynolds personnelworked together to ensure that standards of consistency andquality of delivery were met. The solid base ofunderstanding of contract training that exists within theLeague helped ensure the success of this venture.

The college's Ponitz Sinclair Center has been a coreasset enhancing this partnership, for every time a personnot familiar with the college campus utilizes thisoutstanding facility, he or she leaves with a favorableimpression. The employee's professional development isenhanced, thus strengthening the company, while at thesame time thc college gains another advocate for increasingcredit-based enrollment.

Lessons Learned

The partnership reinforced lessons Sinclair had learnedin the past, but has also brought new understanding.

In building this partnership. Sinclair became aware thateach division at Reynolds+Reynolds has a unique cultureand set of requirements that must be individually addressed,a process that requires substantial time and effort on behalfof Sinclair. Similarly, Naching a class for a corporate client

is different than instructing a typical credit course; thedynamics are more challenging, and unique expertise isrequired. Faculty who participate know they have to besharp, proficient, and flexible. Seminars must be orientedto ac ommodate a range of perspectives and people fromvarying levels of management and widely scattered partsof the country.

The importance of allowing faculty to grow anddevelop, to keep abreast with "real world" situations moreefficiently, and to gain a broader range of experiences,perspectives, and applications has been reinforced.

Sinclair has learned that corporations often do not knowexactly what it is they are asking for; sometimes Sinclair'srole as informal consultant provides as much value as beinga presenter of seminars.

Sinclair has had to overcome skepticismfromcompanies about working with a community college eventhough the quality and history of Sinclair are well regarded.There have been some doubts candidly expressed aboutwhether a community college could deliver a program withthe desired quality, creativity, and flexibility. The questionwas posed whether an educational institution could beflexible enough to administer and adjust to evolvingcorporate needs. Some questioned whether Sinclair wouldbe difficult to deal with hidebound or bureaucratic ratherthan truly customer service-oriented. The quality ofSinclair's faculty and offerings has converted any doubters.

Sinclair learned it must continually communicateopportunities; it must not be assumed thatReynolds+Reynolds (or other corporate clients) willinnately understand the capabilities of the college. As thedialogue between the two partners evolved. Sinclair wascareful to communicate the capacities and services that itcould provide. Community colleges frequently possesscapabilities that are unknown to clients.

Also very important to the development of a successfulpartnership are the conceptF. of accommodation andflexibility. As the dynamics of the partnership have evolved,so has the understanding that both partners value these traitsthey find in the other.

Both Reynolds+Reynolds and the college have reapedmany benefits from their association. In addition, thepartnership has taught Reynolds+Reynolds that communitycolleges across the country share Sinclair's commitmentto service and quality. Sinclair is proud to be involved inthis partnership and to have served as the gateway forReynolds+Reynolds to expand its relationships with othercommunity colleges.

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About the author: Dan A. Brazehon is dean, Corporateand Communby Sices at Sinclair Community Collegein Dayton, Ohio.

Chapter 14

St. Louis Community College and McDonnell Douglas CorporationRebecca Admire

The roots of St. Louis Community College can betraced to a 1956 study by the President's Commission onHigher Education which revealed that colleges anduniversities were becoming increasingly inaccessible tostudents throughout the United States. St. Louis was noexception: it had only one small public college and was100 miles from the nearest state colleges. In 1961. at therequest of concerned local citizens. the Missouri GeneralAssembly passed legislation to permit the creation of astatewide system of junior college districts.

In 1962, voters established the Junior College Districtof St. Louis/St. Louis County. The district's originalfinancinga combination of local property taxes, statefunding, and student feesremains in place today. To betterreflect its wide range of offerings, the college changed itsname to St. Louis Community College (SLCC) in 1976.

In its brief history. SLCC has accumulated manydistinctions that have drawn national and internationalattention. It was the first junior college district establishedin Missouri under the 1961 legislation, and the first in theUnited States to construct three separate campusessimultaneously. The SLCC bond issue approvingconstruction was the largest in junior college history at thattime.

Today, with a service area that spans 718 square miles,SLCC is Missouri's largest and, among the nation's mostnoted community college systems. SLCC is second inenrollment only to the University of Missouri system.During 1994-95. SLCC will serve more than 130.000students through college transfer, career, developmental.continuing education, and business/industrial trainingprograms. College facilities include three campusesForest Park, Florissant Valley, and Meramec. Additionalfacilities include the West County Education Center.William. J. Harrison Northside Education Center. SouthCounty Education Center, and the Joseph P. CosandCommunity College Center.

St. Louis Community College is a public, coeducationalinstitution governed by a locally elected, six-member boardof trustees. The college's mission as an institution of teachingand learning is to provide its constituents and communitywith "comprehensive postsecondary programs and servicesthat are academically. geographically. and financiallyaccessible. To this end, the college assumes responsibilityand leadership in responding to the multiple educational andtraining needs of its diverse community. . . ."

Workforce Development. In fulfilling its mission topartner with business, industry, labor, government, and otherinstitutions in the economic development of the

metropolitan area, St. Louis Community College has createda broad range of successful programs and services.

Centerfor Business, Industry and Labor. Most notablewas the creation of the Center for Business, Industry andLabor (CBIL) in 1984. which provides performanceimprovement services for hundreds of businesses in the St.Louis area. CBIL focuses on four major areas: training.quality consulting. work design. and productivity. Using acustomized training approach. CBIL's staff offers keyservices such as needs analysis, instructional design.employee assessment, preparation of visual instructionalaids, and effective delivery.

CBIL's staff of 180 employees includes trainers,specialists in business process improvement and TotalQuality Management, instructional designers, technicalwriters, and videographersand trains more than 45.000employees from area businesses each year.

CBIL offers the diversity and flexibility required byits clients, whose prosperity depends on quick responses tochanges in the business environment. This level of customerservice is evidenced by CBIL's client list of more than 300major and mid-sized businesses and industries in the metroarea, including Anheuser Busch, Chrysler Corporation,Citicorp Mortgage, Hussman Corporation, Ford MotorCompany. Trans World Airlines, and Petrolite Corporation.

CBIL initially was established in 1984 to meet thehiring and training needs of a new General Motors plantoutside St. Louis. Missouri's governor appointed a taskforce to guide the state's educational institutions in Mangthese needs. As a result of the study. two business centersone in Kansas City and one in St. Louiswere establishedthrough the community colleges. Although the St. LouisCenter for Business, Industry and Labor was conceived asa referral system, its scope soon broadened. An industryadvisory board, which included representatives fromMcDonnell Douglas Corporation, helped formulate abusiness plan for CBIL. Thus began a long-standingpartnership between McDonnell Douglas and CBIL.

Forging the Partnership

Background and History. The far-reaching partnershipbetween St. Louis Community College and McDonnellDouglas Corporation (MDC) began in 1984 when thecompany was part of the founding "council" thatrecommended the creation of the Center for Business.Industry and Labor (CBIL). a unit created and staffed bythe college.

McDonnell Douglas Corporation, an internationally

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recognized military aircraft manufacturer and Missouri'slargest private employer, was one of CB1L's first clients.With almost 30,000 employees in St. Louis and multipledepartments and disciplines, MDC's relationship with CBILis wide ranging.

CB1L's expertise was especially crucial to MDCbecause of the scope of changes at the company in the fiveyears beginning in the late 1980s. During that time. MDC'swork force dropped from 40.000 to 28,000; the companyneeded to sinificantly expand its transportation aircraftbusiness to address a more demanding and competitivemilitary procurement process.

From the start, this corporate/college partnership hashad strong encouragement and support from thc leadershipof McDonnell Douglas and the chancellor of St. LouisCommunity College. Over the years, the CB1L staff haveworked with key Human Resources and Training personnelat MDC. At any given time. there are 10 or more CBILemployees working on site at MDC.

At M DC. CBIL has earned a reputation for being ableto deliver effective performance improvement interventionsutilizing appropriate technology, and MDC has come to relyon CBIL for guidance in developing and implementingperformance improvement systems. MDC knows that CBILcan assur. high quality and maximum value for theirtraining c. s.

Purpc of the Partnership. CBIL's objective in itsalliance with McDonnell Douglas Corporation is to build asatisfying relationship with the company that continues tomeet the firm's changing needs; serve its many stakeholders,including current employees, displaced workers, suppliersand manufacturers; share leading-edge information in theperformance improvement area; and use the strengths ofboth organizations for the betterment of both.

Over its 10-year history, the alliance has beenreconfigured several times in response to changing industrypressures. In the early 1990s, the company had to deal withmassive downsizing. Currently. the company is undergoinga comprehensive reengineerimi. Each of these event., greatlyimpacted the thrust and activities of the alliance.

Downsizing: Serving Business Adjustments

Worker Reentry Program. When McDonnell DouglasCorporation was forced to lay off thousands of workersdue to cutbacks in national defense budgets in the early1990s. St. Louis Community College (SLCC) was able tomeet the pressing needs of the company with acomprehensive Worker Reentry Program (WRP) for MDC'sdisplaced employees.

Staffing/Organization. Seventeen SLCC employeesservice the Worker Reentry Program on site at MDC. Theprogram manager supervises the operation, assisted byoutplacement specialists, job developers. clerical assistants,a workshop specialist, and a labor liaison. SLCC specialists

interact on a regular basis with human resources staff atMDC in servicing displaced workers through the WRP.

Pmgrwn Backgmund/Description. When companydownsizing was being considered, MDC approached SLCCto create an outplacement and training center for thedisplaced workers. At that time, the company had had asuccessful partnership for several years with the Center forBusiness. Industry and Labor in the area of training andskills assessment, so a high level of trust in SLCC alreadyexisted.

Although SLCC had a viable Worker Reentry Programin existence, the staff and resources were not adequate forthe tremendous needs of MDC. Defense conversionassistance grants from the Department of Labor allowedthe WRP to make the adjustments necessary to help thoseaffected at MDC by defense-related cuts.

At the "Job Search Workshop," clientslearn the basic skills necessary toconduct an effective job search,including resumé preparation,interviewing skills, find how to accessjob leads.

74

The WRP at McDonnell Douglas offers a myriad ofresources and services to displaced workers, including jobsearch workshops; outplacement counseling; clericalsupport: and access to computers. fax machines, and longdistance telephone service. The program also participatesin a statewide effort known as "Rapid Responses.- whichis a half-day briefing for employees whO have just beennotified of a layoff. The meeting focuses on issues ofimmediate interest to workers, including employee benefitsand unemployment insurance. The forum pro..ides anopportunity for the WRP representatt:c to scheduleparticipants for an orientation session on the services of itsprogram.

After the WRP orientation, each client meetsindividually with an outplacement specialist. who assessesthe client's educational proficiencies and short-term andlong-term goals. then schedules the individual for variousactivities that will assist him or her in overcoming anybarriers to reemployment. At the "Job Search Workshop.-clients learn the basic skills necessary to conduct aneffective job search, including résumé preparation.interviewing skills, and how to access job leads. Severalon-site representatives from the Missouri Division ofEmployment Security are also available to help clients withjob leads.

In some instances, clients may need retraining oradditional education to increase their chances ofemployment. The WRP helps such clients explore other

80

career options and then assists them in formulating a trainingplan, works with schools to coordinate financing, and evenregisters them for classes. Funds from Department of Laborgrants also may be used to provide on-the-job trainingrequested by a new employer.

Funding and Facilities. When MDC's fighter planecontract was canceled in 1991 and thousands of employeeslost their jobs, the state of Missouri received a $3.5 milliongrant to serve displaced workers. When this grant wascompleted in 1993, another multimillion dollar grant fromthe Department of Labor was received based on anapplication from the Missouri Division ofJob Developmentand Training, St. Louis County Department of HumanServices. SLCC, MDC. and unions with membership atMDC. MDC provides a building it leases for the sole useof the WRP, which houses the 17 SLCC staff members andall training rooms and equipment.

Evaluation. Of the thousands of management and unionMDC employees who have gone through the WRP,approximately 85 percent have found new employment.with seven months the average length of time necessary tosecure a position. In 1993-94 alone, the WRP provideddirect outplacement services to more than 1,100 MDCworkers and placed 184 of the displaced employees inclassroom training programs, generating 1,417 credit hoursfor SLCC.

Corporate/Community Impact. The Worker ReentryProgram offers an outstanding support system foremployees dealing with the emotional and financial stniggleof losing a job. The program has a positive ripple effectthroughout the community returning displaced employeesto the work force, lessening the financial strain on theworker's family, and boosting the confidence of thereemployed. The program has gained recognition for SLCCat conferences conducted by the Clinton administration andthe Department of Labor.

Looking Ahead: Reengineering the Partnership

New Jobs Training. Currently the MDCSLCCpartnership has shifted its focus to developing programsaimed at rebuilding the corporation. An integral part of thiseffort is the New Jobs Training Program. which representsthe first and largest public offering of the MissouriCommunity College New Jobs Training Program( MCCNJTP). The MCCNJTP was created to provideeducation and training to employees hired for newly-createdjobs in Missouri. The program allows the college to sellcertificates to generate funds for training; the certificatesare repaid through income tax withholding. When theMissouri legislature created the training program in 1991,MDC became interested through its contact with SLCC.During the six-month period ending in December of 1991.officials of the two organizations developed a trainingprogram specific to the needs of MDC. They applied for

Chapter 14

and received funding through the MCCNJTP. On April 21,1992, SLCC entered into a ten-year agreement with MDCand the Missouri Department of Economic Developmentto provide this training.

The purpose of the project is to train personnel for newjobs in civilian and military transport aircraft programs atMDC. The New Jobs Program includes the design.development, and implementation of classroom and on-the-job training materials and delivery. To date, approximately8,500 employees have been trained, and 3,000 new jobshave been created; the program has had a significant impacton a corporation striving to adapt. As the program nearscompletion of its three-year training cycle, MDC'semployee base has been successfully solidified, and bothparties are satisfied with the results. A direct benefit of theprogram has been the creation of new jobs and retention ofemployees in Missouri. The work that MDC subcontractsfrom Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California, was madepossible in part by the NeW Jobs Training partnershipbetween MDC and SLCC's Center for Business. Industryand Labor.

Staffing. CBIL's director and staff worked closely withMDC to guide the proposal's acceptance at the state level.Project coordinators for SLCC are CBIL'S director andassistant director. Project coordinators for MDC are themanager of contracts and pricing, the manager of educationand organizational development, and the group managerof technical training.

In keeping with the team philosophy, bothorganizations provided instructors for new job trainingclasses. Instructors from Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach,California. also were required for much of the technicaltraining. More than fifty instructors have been involved overthe course of three years. The highly technical nature ofthe course content requires close cooperation betweenMDC's engineers and CBIL's instructional designers. Byapplying a systematic design to the material, both partiesworked to create a quality training program.

Overall Program. Program activities focus on trainingM DC personnel in the assembly and certification of workpackages in connection with the construction of the U.S.Air Force C-17 transport aircraft and component work forthe MD-11 and MD-80 commercial aircraft. The programrepresents a rebuilding of the business, as existingemployees are trained for a new industry. CBIL's inputincludes:

planning and development of a transport aircraftorientation manual;

geometric dimensioning skills training in theclassroom;

nose ',rocketry planning for on-the-job training;

total quality management skills development;

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assembly procedure manuals for C-17 flaps andslats; andcourse descriptions, outlines, structure OJT charts.and instructional methodologies and content forvarious areas of technical training.

CBIL instructional designers. working with MDCsubject matter experts. designed and developed thesetraining programs. McDonnell Douglas conducts a majorityof the training on-site utilizing both classroom and on-the-job instruction. Instructional delivery methods range fromstructured on-the-job training and practical application, toindividualized video or workbook training and lecture withwritten evaluation. Interactive video instruction (IVI) isused to provide self-paced, cost-effective training. Amultimedia format of video, audio, embedded questions,and customized feedback is combined with touch-screenand videodisc technologies.

Funding. The agreement between MDC and SLCCprovided for the issuance of $5.74 million in New JobsTraining certificates to be repaid over a ten-year period.Certificate proceeds are used to pay training, administrative,and issuance costs relating to new jobs created. All proceedsreceived or disbursed by this project are processed by alocal bank, which acts as trustee for the funds. Disbursementauthorization and reporting duties are entrusted to SLCCas the project administrator.

The certificates are repaid with tax credits from thestate withholding (income) taxes on the new jobs created.MDC reports withholding taxes monthly to the state ofMissouri; the state's Department of Revenue forwards newjobs credit to the trustee. Payments are processed by thecertificate underwriter, and audits are conducted annually.Projected debt retirement is scheduled for the end of fiscalyear 1996. five years ahead of the original projection.

Strategic Business Alliance. A collaborative StrategicBusiness Alliance among three key groupsMcDonnellDouglas Corporation. St. Louis Community College'sCenter for Business. Industry and Labor (CBIL). and theAeroTech Service Groupis a dynamic example of apartnership where the whole is greater than the sum of itsparts.

This key alliance is working together to implement andtrain employees to use a sophisticated electroniccommunication systemCITIS (Contractor IntegratedTechnical Information Service)linking the Departmentof Defense. MDC. subcontractors, and suppliers that willenhance the customer/supplier relationship, provide newbusiness opportunities for small suppliers, and create thepotential for new jobs in the community. CITIS is part of aDepartment of Defense requirement for electronic datainterchange.

Staffing/Organization. Because of the importance ofthe CITIS project. which was initiated by the Departmentof Defense, MDC created a special group to focus on its

implementation. The director and assistant director of CBILand the president of AeroTech work closely with the MDCgroup as key players in the alliance project team. Two full-time CBIL employees work on-site at AeroTech. with otherstaff contributing time as needed.

To date, approximately 8,500 employeeshave been trained and 3,000 new jobshave been created; the program has hada significant impact on a corporationstriving to adapt.

Pr am Description/Background. AeroTech, a small.high-tech business and preferred supplier to MDC, had beenworking with MDC in a strategic business alliance onCITIS, an electronic information gateway that provides asingle point of access to MDC's computer systems. CIT1Soffers easy, inexpensive online communication of contractdata between the customer (military branches), MDCemployees, and subcontractors and suppliers. AeroTechpartnered with MDC in testing the CITIS prototype. creatingprocedures for it, and making the program more user-friendly.

When MDC realized the need for a highly effectiveCITIS training methodology, CBIL, in conjunction withAeroTech, provided the resources and personnel to developthe necessary training. CBIL and AeroTech are in theprocess of developing online, interactive computer-basedtraining which runs on Windows. Macintosh. and UNIXcomputers. CITIS userswhich includes MDC employees.suppliers, and Department of Defense personnelreceivea training diskette before going online with the CITISprogram.

Traditional "stand-up" training also is being developedfor situations when it is necessary to train large groups ofusers at one time. For example. CITIS training will beconducted for 50-100 MDC employees assigned to a newaircraft project that will use cats extensively.

Technology/Innovation. The Strategic BusinessAlliance is taking advantage of high-speed telephonecommunications, Internet technologies, and firewallsecurity as it works to implement the CITIS program.Authoring software such as Macromedia Director is usedin the development of computer-based training of CITIS.

Special Cooperation. AeroTech was the first companyto be given access to MDC's CITIS software application.As a result of the unique relationship between AeroTechand MDC. and because of CBIL's record ofaccomplishments with MDC. AeroTech and MDC includedCBIL into the partnership. making it an especiallysuccessful three-way alliance.

Each group brings its own unique talents andexperiences to the alliance: CBIL as an expert in the

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8''

development and support of computer-based training andinstructional design, and as a consultant in processimprovement; AeroTech as a subject matter expert ontechnology, partner in the development of technology, andconsultant in telecommunications, hardware and software,and process improvement; and MDC as a subject matterexpert on the business process and a partner in thedevelopment of technology.

In serving the corporate client, it hasbeen crucial to know the client well andto truly integrate the client's needs andobjectives into the heart and mind ofeach individual at the communitycollege who serves those needs.

Funding and Facilities. This project was funded witha combination of state money from the Missouri CustomizedTraining Program and direct payments from MDC. Nospecific facilities were needed for this alliance. Work isdone on site at MDC and AeroTech.

Corporate/Community Impact. CIT1S has become avaluable tool to support the manufacturing process,dramatically reducing the cycle time needed for suppliersand manufacturers, and greatly improving the quality ofthe process. The success of the training is encouraging theuse of CITIS, which not only improves MDC's chances ofobtaining future government contracts but also reduces the"cycle time" needed for the bidding process and designchange implementation. The acceptance of the CITISsystem also is improving business opportunities for MDC'ssuppliers and creating a substantial number of newmedium-technology jobs.

The primary beneficiaries of C1TIS are MDC's manysmall suppliers (2,000 in Missouri alone) who now will beable to competitively bid for jobs by having immediate.electronic access to process specifications, specialmanufacturing instructions, and digital design data.

The CITIS effort is serving as a model for the entireMcDonnell Douglas Corporation as it moves to a"paperless," all-electronic environment. CITIS also is beingreviewed by other technology-based firms and economicdevelopment organizations as a model for new businessthrough technology infrastructure.

Lessons Learned from the Partnership

Like all good partnerships. the long-term alliancebetween St. Louis Community College and McDonnellDouglas Corporation (MDC) has as its underpinning mutualrespect. trust, dependability, and flexibility. In a wide rangeof projects and programsincluding those that have been

Chapter 14

very successful and those not nearly soboth parties havemaintained a sense of purpose, perseverance, and focus onthe mission of the partnership. The success of this pairinghas brought tzemendous value to MDC employees,displaced employees, small suppliers, large manufacturers,and the greater St. Louis and Missouri communities.

High levels of trust and respect have kept therelationship solid even through periods of dramatic changeat McDonnell Douglas. When expansion at MDC requireda more structured hiring and assessment system, SLCCdeveloped a program that would become a model for manyother companies. When lost defense contracts forcedextensive downsizing. MDC asked SLCC to develop aprogram to assist displaced employees at a critical juncturein their lives. MDC's commitment to be a "learningcommunity" has meant invaluable training opportunitiesfor its employees and has allowed SLCC to showcase itsstrengths through CBIL.

Objectives/Results. It is critically important that theobjectives and focus of each projcct or program are drivenby the business needs of the corporation. A customer-drivenfocus, keeping the client's needs as the primary goal of thealliance, will bear long-term fruit, including tremendousrewards to the community college. Once the corporationrealizes the expertise and resources available through thecommunity college, especially a college that has thecompany's success as its chief goal, a mutually-beneficialpartnership can evolve.

The community college should seek alliances that arcbeneficial not only to the college and corporation, but tothe greater community as well. Focusing on programs thathighlight the core competencies and accomplishments ofthe college also makes good business sense.

Project goals should be simple, realistic, and easilymeasurable. Results should be reviewed and measured ona frequent basis. Appropriate and timely programimprovements can then be made. In addition,communicating progress to all concerned on a regular basisgarners continued support and engenders trust.

Communications. Although it may seem trite toemphasize communications as key to any relationship, theSLCC/MDC partnership has survived more than ten yearsbecause regular sharing of information. goals. aspirations.limitations, and opportunities has been a priority. In servingthe corporate client, it has been crucial to know the clientwell and to truly integrate the client's needs and objectivesinto the heart and mind of each individual at the communitycollege who serves those needs. The importance of listeningcarefully and remaining flexible enough to alter planswhenever needed cannot be overstated.

About the author: Rebecca Adwire is director of theCenter fOr Business. Industry and Labor at St. LouisCommunity College in St. Louis, Missouri.

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