Technical Education in NV?

Presented to Manufacturing Tech Advisory Committee

The Problem:
“Two unmet state needs: Source: WNCC President Dr. C.A. Lucy (attachment 1)
1) Not enough high school graduates continue on to college immediately upon graduation.
One obvious solution to this problem is to encourage larger numbers of academically talented college-bound high school graduates to pursue technical occupational programs
2) Local employers consistently describe difficulty in recruiting and keeping highly skilled employees
…provide pragmatic instruction at convenient locations and times via schedules and formats which meet the needs of non-traditional learners”.

A proposed Solution:
“The college proposes to develop a new associate’s degree in manufacturing technology…” Source: High Technology Curriculum Initiatives Application Narrative (attachment 2)
The AAS in Manufacturing Technology with emphasis in Industrial Controls (as proposed in the grant application submitted7/29/03) draws heavily on an existing Industrial Core and Emphasis of previously developed course offerings and state of the art new manufacturing labs.
“The integration of high technology equipment, software and materials into TMCC programs allows the College to develop a modular teaching approach to workforce development”.

TMCC receives technology award of $400K Source: Reno Gazette JournalAuthor: Ryan Randazzo 1/12/04 (attachment 3)
Sen. John Ensign, “We just have to get those workers trained so businesses have people to hire when they come here,”
About $260,000 of the award will go toward creating the manufacturing degree, Green said.
“We take every program we start seriously,” TMCC President Philip Ringle said to Ensign during the announcement. “I will pledge on behalf of the school that we will actually do these things.”

TMCC to create manufacturing labs Source: Northern Nevada Business Weekly (attachment 4) ”Truckee Meadows Community College will use the largest part of a new $397,400 Congressional award to develop state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.
About $250,000 of the grant announced by Sen. John Ensign last week will be used for new manufacturing labs, including a computer numerical control machining facility and an industrial controls lab.
“The labs will be the centerpieces of a new degree program in manufacturing technology”, said Rich Green, assistant dean at TMCC's technical institute.

The committee needs to define technology. For example, computers in laboratories are not technology, but a tool for the technician. However, computers in auto centers are technological Source: Redfield campus technology and manufacturing committee minutes January 27, 1998
RE: Homer S. Gudelsky Institute for Technical Education Montgomery College...
From: "Jeffers, Eric" Eric.Jeffers@montgomerycollege.edu
Date: 2004/05/03 Mon PM 03:16:14 GMT
To: "cl" dickinsonc@charter.net
Subject: RE: Manufacturing & fabrication technology. info

Hello Charles,
The courses you are interested in were part of an apprenticeship-related instruction program that is no longer being offered. The only manufacturing courses are computer repair type courses and welding.
From this reply to my e-mail…It appears we have still not “defined” “technology”.

1) I feel the first order of business is to define what “technology” we need to “transfer” to the students ( what types of skills does industry have need of)? Are we going to create “computer application” courses, or a Hands-on integrated Manufacturing/Industrial “industry driven” program?

Programs offered in “Technology” (by various institutions) (Attachment 5)
These range across the board, but I have concentrated my research mainly on “Industrial” type Maintenance & Electrical Programs.
I am very impressed by programs offered by “Technical Colleges” , especially those offered in Texas and Alabama. Although other states have some outstanding programs, the Texas & Alabama offerings really stood out. I have made no effort to either edit or rank them except to separate them into three sections (geographically). You will note certain “core” items in each course that tend to define the programs. I especially like the modular approach used by West Texas Technical College EMP program.

After defining which courses are needed, they, and the labs to go with them must be created. Another decision must be made at this time.

2) Quality instructors will need to be found to create courses and labs. or:
3) Professionally created or “canned” curriculum must be purchased.
My preference would be to hire the instructors be to develop (or at least provide input into) the course & program. My personal experience with “canned” curriculum is that it is inflexible and extremely expensive.
The search needs to begin as soon as possible…
As it appears the hiring of Vocational Instructors in Northern Nevada is problematic at best, especially those in Industrial / Electrical / Manufacturing trades. I believe this is due to lower than average pay and uncertain job status and security. No matter how “good” the program is, to be a quality program, it will need instructors with industrial experience and teaching experience and familiarity with “academic” policy & procedure. Also: If curriculum is not professionally developed, the instructor will also need expertise in curriculum development.

Quoting the National Association of Industrial Technology 2003 Annual National Salary Survey Data and Demographics sheet (source: http://www.nait.org/demographics/Demo.html) (attachment 6 )

Average salary for non-administrative Industrial Technology: Professor, $69.043 Associate Professor, $58,658 Assistant Professor $52,120 Instructor/Lecturer, $44,087

Over 75% were either tenured, or on tenure track

Only 20% were at Instructor/Lecturer status or below

UCCSN System average salary (for vocational/industrial) = *******
TMCC average salary (for vocational/industrial) = ********

**Note: I have not been able to obtain “average salary” range of TMCC or UCCSN system Technical/Vocational instructors. However, wage is dependent mainly on “University Degree” not industry certification or experience. Tenure is not possible (at TMCC) without a Bachelors degree or above. Instructors on Tenure Track who are not granted tenure are subject to non-renewal of contract.

Therefore…Full time faculty will need to have at least a Bachelors degree, Masters or above preferred. Note: To approach industry pay scales, a PhD will be required.

Part time faculty pay is based on the following system classification:

Part-time faculty: CCSN salary: $735 per instructional hour
UCCSN salary:
A Masters degree (or above) is preferred

Note that pay is based on “instructional hour”. Class preparation time, lab setup, and course development is not paid (or must be paid by some other means).

posted by cl @ 3:54 PM