FDTC participates in program to prepare underemployed adults for careers

Florence-Darlington Technical College has partnered with the Center for Occupational Research and Development in a national pilot program designed to identify, enroll, educate and prepare underemployed adults for demanding careers with local industries.

Through the project, “Adult Career Pathways: A Second Chance at Education,” the college will implement the Manufacturing and Logistics Adult Career Pathways.

Dr. Shelley Fortin, the project’s coordinator and vice president of enrollment management and student services, said the college will match the two goals of getting workers for industries and, at the same time, give adults the skills the work place is demanding.

“As (an) institution, we are making a special effort to reach out to adults because the work force is demanding skills that aren’t necessarily present,” Fortin said. “... this is another opportunity for people to come back and lift their standard of living and expertise to be ready for the industry that’s out there waiting.”

The college was chosen for the program because of the makeup of its service area; its reputation in work force and economic development; and the leadership of its president, Dr. Charles Gound, according to a press release issued by the collge.

“Manufacturing and logistics has long been a mainstay of this community, and we are happy to take any steps necessary to ensure a skilled work force is available to promote growth in existing businesses and to facilitate the relocation of new businesses to the area,” Gould said in the release.

The college is one of eight pilot technical/community colleges to implement the program during a three-year period in the following three phases:

Phase 1: Needs assessment and partnering: Requires one to six months, and will involve a National Manufacturing Industry Summit and institutional benchmarking.

Phase 2: Defining local need and partnerships: Takes place during months seven through 12, and should consist of a local/regional community dialogue, a local industry sector forum, and community services partnering.

Phase 3: Implementation of the Adult Career Pathways program: Begins with the second year and should last 24 months. It will consist of Adult Career Pathways plan documentation.

At the end of the project, the following would be created:

• New career pathways and curricula appropriate for adult students preparing for careers in manufacturing and logistics.
• Model partnerships with industry and community services that can be replicated in other communities to achieve a national impact.
• An enlarged pool of highly qualified workers for local business and industry.
• Successful programs specifically designed for underemployed and unemployed adults that can be replicated by community colleges across the country.
• A cadre of program coordinators and instructors who can train and mentor their counterparts at colleges seeking to implement the model program.
• Evaluation tools that will enable programs to assess progress.

The pilot colleges will begin the process by attending a national summit conference in Chicago, Ill., that will focus on industry needs in manufacturing and logistics.
For details, contact Fortin at (843) 661-8110.