SPRING 2010
Reinventing Education for Tough Times and a New Economy LCC’s ability to reinvent itself, to weather a tough economic climate without turning away students, is paying dividends for hundreds of adult workers seeking retraining and for the college in terms of national recognition and extra funding. Several years ago, LCC made an investment in new technology and related training that has paid off in the college’s ability to lead the state in online courses and to serve more students.
Flexible Online Classes
Enrollment in courses taught exclusively, or partially, online increased 68% at LCC over the past year. The option limits the need for more classrooms and provides flexibility for adult students who must attend school while balancing family schedules and sometimes work hours. Student Vern Johnson earned his first associate degree in Data Processing at LCC in 1984. He worked more than 20 years in computer-related jobs before being laid off. Johnson decided to leverage his past experience and take advantage of federal worker retraining funds to complete computer science studies. He prefers the flexibility offered by online and hybrid courses over traditional classroom studies.
A Model for Success An LCC program that helps adult students improve fundamentals in English and math while acquiring marketable job skills has been commended by President Barack Obama as a model for helping students to achieve academic success. After three years of study, 59 percent of the first group of students in the I-BEST (Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training) program had completed a vocational degree or certificate. That compares to a completion rate of less than 10 percent for traditional basic skills students. “Students learn much more quickly when they use their new academic skills in professional-technical training,” explains LCC Dean of Instruction Jon Kerr. I-BEST was so successful that when Washington Basic Skills educators asked how this concept could work for non-vocational programs, LCC’s leadership replied, “We know how!” That idea became I-TRANS, a program for students planning to transfer, which LCC pioneered last fall by linking basic skills English with college-level Humanities courses. In only one quarter, more than half of the students improved their English to college level while also earning five credits in Humanities studies.
The Catalyst
( A b o v e ) Wo r k e r R e t r a i n i n g students Holleigh Yaden and Vern Johnson review a course lesson available online. (Right) RONE students from Republic, Washington, complete nursing theory studies online and clinical lessons in their local hospital.
Innovative Nursing Program
LCC’s innovative online curriculum for nursing enables working LPN’s and placebound healthcare workers in rural communities to earn Registered Nursing credentials without relocating or leaving their current jobs. At the same time, it provides an avenue for rural hospitals to acquire skilled nurses right in their own communities. Last fall, the college’s Rural Outreach Nursing Education program received a 2009 Workforce and Economic Development Best Practice award recognizing it as a model of success for building a skilled workforce and enhancing the economy. Now LCC will be helping nine other Washington community colleges establish similar programs as part of a $5 million federal grant to train workers to fill jobs in the healthcare industry using online and workplace learning opportunities.
Custom Training For Local Jobs
In a small community, a full-sized training program can quickly saturate the job market. LCC’s Individualized Certificate Program is designed to match skilled workers with employment opportunities on a smaller scale. Students can train in nearly a dozen different fields, from Veterinary Assistant to Water Treatment Plant Operator to Fitness Trainer and gain on-the-job experience with a future employer at the same time. The program is so successful that LCC has received a grant from the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council to expand it. LCC will work with employers to design training programs that prepare students for local jobs.
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