NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification
System
Implementation Plan
Submitted to Emily Stover DeRocco, President
The Manufacturing Institute
June 22, 2009
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I.
Introduction
The Alamo Colleges will build upon the proven success of it’s industry driven Manufacturing
Technology Academy (MTA) to incorporate the NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System into
the Alamo Colleges Manufacturing Technology cluster of instructional programs in Industrial
Automation, CNC, Robotics, CIM, Electro Mechanical, Welding, and Machining Programs.
These programs are currently delivered only on a credit basis at the certificate, dual credit, and
Associate of Applied Science degree level.
In the past few years, the Academies have been praised by local stakeholders such as Mayor
Hardberger, Judge Wolfe, and the City Council, the Alamo WorkSource Board, Commissioner
Diane Rath of the Texas Workforce Commission, and even US Department of Labor, Secretary
Elaine L. Chao. Moreover, the Academies are beginning to attract significant state and national
recognition. The Academies were featured in a national NSF funded symposium on exemplary
auto industry workforce and training programs. Many communities including Ft. Worth, Miami,
Oklahoma City, and St. Louis have sent delegations to visit the Academies in San Antonio. The
academies have also received excellent local media coverage and are often mentioned as a long
term solution for addressing critical skilled workforce shortages in Economic and Workforce
Development articles.
The “Manufacturing Technology Academies, (MTA) in San Antonio and New Braunfels” were
developed under the guidance of our local manufacturer’s and are, mostly, aligned to the MSSC,
WorkKeys, and NIMS taxonomy. However, credit programs do not utilize NAM-Endorsed Skill
Certification modules. As such, this project is designed to align and incorporate MSSC, ACTWorkKeys, AWS, NIMS, and SME modules/certifications into the MTA curriculum and then
into the Alamo Colleges Manufacturing Technology Programs.
Best Practice
The Alamo Colleges MTA has attained unprecedented success in preparing at-risk high school
students, the majority being minorities from low income families, to graduate from high school
with a college occupational diploma in Manufacturing Technology. With retention and
graduation rates of over 90%, nearly all Academies graduates continue their education and nearly
all have been hired by local industry. An amazing 95.8% of Academy graduates are either in
college or employed within six month of graduation. The MTA was featured by the National
League of Cities in a 2007 report (see attachment #4). The keys to the successful program has
been direct industry involvement, an industry driven curriculum, industry funded internships, and
industry mentoring programs.
Target Populations
The target populations for this project are high school youth, unemployed or underemployed
adults, displaced workers and/or incumbent workers who are at risk of displacement because
they have not attained the industry competencies or certifications required by the manufacturing
employers.
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II.
Need for Financial Assistance
During the past decade the there has been a 23% decrease in relative state funding for Texas
Community Colleges. According to the Texas Comptroller, “state appropriations for community
colleges are not keeping pace with the increased student contact hours, placing a large burden on
local resourcesi. The last decades has seen a 30% percent increase in total contact hours, from
about 186 million to 242 million, and a 27.7 percent increase in state appropriation from 1.3
billion to nearly 1.7 billion for instruction and operations. In real terms however, appropriations
declined by 23 % contact hours over this time”. In Table 1, Comparison of Texas Community
College Revenues shows that appropriations, as a percent of total, decreased from 53% in 1975
to 31% in 2010.
For the Alamo Colleges the relative decline in state appropriations/funding were further eroded
by the Governor veto of state funding for new colleges. To support enrollment growth of
approximately 7% annual, the Alamo region tax payers approved a one-time $450 million bond
to expand facilities and build a fifth community college. Historically the state of Texas
provided an allocation of $1.5 million per new college to support the start up phase of new
community colleges. However the appropriated by the last legislature was only $500,000 for a
two year period. The loss of these funds has forced the Board of Trustees to shift about $2.5
million to the Alamo Colleges operational budget to support enrollment growth. As of June,
2009 the Alamo Community Colleges are facing a $7 million shortfall that is anticipated to result
in 70 to 100 positions being discontinued for Academic Year 2009-10.
Table 1
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III.
Approach
MSSC and WorkKeys integration - The Alamo Colleges will begin a pilot program to
incorporate MSSC and ACT-WorkKeys Career Readiness modules into the Alamo Colleges MTA curriculum. The MTA pilot has the most diverse population of at-risk high school students
in the region and has the largest enrollment of any of the Alamo Colleges Manufacturing
Technology programs. Embedded in the MTA curriculum is a production worker entry level core
of courses that is has been utilized to retrain dislocated workers and limited English proficient
persons for manufacturing jobs in Comal County and City of San Antonio, under the Department
of Labor – CBJT program. During the pilot phase the Alamo Colleges will work with the San
Antonio Manufactures Association, Workforce Solutions – Alamo Manufacturing Cluster
Committee, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to revise and redesign existing
MTA credit courses utilizing the MSSC and ACT WorkKeys certification modules. The first
ninety days will be to plan and conduct an alignment and gap analysis between MSSC and
WorkKeys. The MSSC and WorkKeys curriculum integration phase begins January 2010.
NIMS, AWS, SME Industry Specific integration - The Alamo Colleges will convene an
industry team of SME (Subject Matter Experts) representing the wide array of San Antonio
Manufactures Association industries to review the NIMS, AWS, SME certification modules.
Conversely, the (SME) industry team will work with Alamo College faculty and advisory
committee members to review the College programs, courses, and syllabi. The goal of this phase
will be to identify how, when, and to what extent (integration plan), the Alamo Colleges will
incorporate the NIMS, AWS, SME certification modules into the industry specific Alamo
Colleges Manufacturing Technologies program curriculum. The implementation of phase begins
Fall 2010. In Spring 2010, the Alamo Colleges will work with SAMA, Business Advisory
Committees, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and Subject Matter Experts (SME) to
plan and conduct an alignment and gap analysis between NIMS, AWS, and SME. This phase
will take approximately six months due to the complexity of working with multiple programs
and the extensive analysis needed to align “industry specific” modules into the curriculum.
Implementation phase begins in January 2010.
Statewide Adoption - The Alamo Colleges and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
(THECB) will establish or convene a statewide forum for community colleges to discuss the
NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System. The forum will include manufacturing employers,
college deans, faculty, and WECM liaisons. The THECB and Alamo Colleges will facilitate the
meeting.
IV.
Community College Workplan will detail the following tasks to execute:
Task 1: Using real-time data on occupational, employment, and industry outlooks provided by
EMSI (Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc.), complete a validation of the job availability and
growth patterns within the regional economy served by the community college (available to the
zip code level);
A. Define your Manufacturing Region: The Alamo Work Source Development Board's
region is a twelve (12) county region that spans 11,350 square miles and includes Atascosa,
Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, and Wilson
counties. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2003 estimate, the region has a population of
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1,919,875 persons with a majority of the population being of Hispanic origin. The regional labor
market area is centered in San Antonio, the seventh largest city in the nation, ranked second in
Hispanic population, with 58.7% Hispanic, 6.5% African American, 31.8% Anglo-Americans,
and 3% other non-white residents (U.S. Census 2000).

San Antonio is the largest city in South Texas, which is the hub of North American Free
Trade Agreement, and the center for education and economic development for the
region. According to the 2000 Census data, the poverty rate in San Antonio is 21.4%
compared to 14.9% for Texas and a national rate of 11.3%. San Antonio has the second
highest poverty rate in the nation, superseded only by the city of Detroit at over 30%.

A large unskilled workforce has limited the region’s opportunities to attract high tech
industry; thirty one percent (31%) of San Antonio’s economy is in low-paying “service”
industries, and this trend is reflected throughout South Texas. Low educational levels
contribute to this problem.

Census studies from 1999 show that 71.2% of all Hispanics have never attended college
and only 13.3% reported attending “some” college. Although more than a third of Texas’
population is Hispanic, only 18.2% of bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2001 in Texas went
to Hispanics. The 2000 U.S. Census data indicated that only 22.7% of Bexar County
residents 25 years and older reported being a college graduate, compared with 25.6%
nationally; 11.3% of Bexar County residents over 24 reported having less than a 9 th grade
education.
B. Alamo Region Manufacturing Labor Market Trends: In the Alamo region, the need for
skilled manufacturing workers is expected to intensify. In addition to local wisdom, the Alamo
Colleges Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) Division utilizes several sources to
validate job availability and growth in our region. Most notable are the use of EMSI,
Occupational Demand forecasts from the Texas Workforce Commission (see below), and
manufacturing industry studies by Trinity University Economics Professors and their teams. We
compare these demands to our graduate populations to ascertain where district resources are
needed on a yearly basis. Below are the key LMI findings:

San Antonio demand for skilled manufacturing workers remains high. As of June 1,2009
the Texas Workforce Commission-WSA identifies the following careers as critical
demand occupations for the Alamo region: Team Assemblers – SOC 41-2092;
Production Workers – SOC 51-9198; Maintenance and repair – SOC 49-9042; Inspectors
51-2022; Welders/Cutters SOC 51-9051 (Attachment #1 - Source: EMSI Complete
Employment - Fall 2008 & TWC-WSA).

In the next three years Caterpillar and Medtronic will add an additional 2,800
manufacturing and related jobs to the region (Attachment #2 & #3).

In spite of global slow-down in automotive manufacturing sector, Toyota and 21 Toyota
partner suppliers have created 4,500 jobs and $220 million in investments for the local
economy during the past 24 months.
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
Based on the experience of other cities with the auto manufacturing sector’s build-up of
jobs, the projected employment of the manufacturing sector is conservatively expected to
grow from 5-7% of the Alamo area workforce to 10-15% of the workforce by 2013.
Manufacturing metal and plastic workers will grow by 17.1% or 1040 workers in the
Alamo Area by 2010. The SOC code 51.9199 for production workers is anticipated to
grow in the Alamo Area by 17.5% or 7590 workers. The number of computer controlled
machine tool operators are forecast to grow by 22.4% statewide (1740 workers) and
17.6% in the Alamo area1.

A recent study commissioned by the City of San Antonio and performed by Metropolitan
Strategy Corp Tech 2000, identified the manufacturing sector as one of five critical need
occupational clusters necessary for the region to meets its economic development
potential.
Task 2: Convene appropriate program cluster faculty and staff to provide details on the
NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System;
The Alamo Colleges, WS-A Advanced Manufacturing Cluster Committee, and
San Antonio
Manufactures Association convene the “Alamo Region Workforce Manufacturing Summit” that will
create a sense of urgency and an action plan to incorporate NAM-Skill Certification Systems into the
community college delivery system. The Summit will help to launch the NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing
Skills Certification System sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the
Manufacturing Institute. Topics to be discussed include: Description of the “wheel approach” to level of
competencies; alignment of Alamo Colleges to skill certification pathways; national ACT, MSSC,
NIMS, AWS, SME and NAM partners; Strategies to integrate the NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification
within current curriculum/assets or new programs of study. After the Summit, several on-going activities
will be conducted to implement Summit Action Plans:
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
Alamo Community College Board of Trustees approves Summit recommendations to
incorporate NAM- Certification Systems into the college curriculum.

The Vice Chancellor of Economic and Workforce development will appoint an
Alamo College – Manufacturing Technical Program Transformation (MTPT)
committee composed of faculty, staff, from Industrial Automation, CNC, Robotics,
CIM, Electro Mechanical, Welding, and Machining Programs and SAMA
representatives to discuss the Summit recommendations and develop short term and
long term plan for incorporating NAM Endorsed Certification System into the
College Curriculum.

MSSC and WorkKeys Adoption - The MSSC and WorkKeys program is closely
aligned with the MTA Manufacturing Technology (Team Assembler/Production
Worker) Certificate Program. SAMA and Alamo Colleges have agreed to pilot
integration of MSSC and WorkKeys modules/certifications.
Team
Assemblers/Production Workers are Target Occupations in the Alamo region.

NIMS and SME Adoption – The NIMS and Alamo Colleges programs in Industrial
Automation and Machining are generally aligned with NIMS competencies. The
Socrates.
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Industrial Automation also has a career pathway to industrial engineering that may be
ASE aligned. SAMA and department representatives have agreed to target NIMS
certification. The engineering pathway will also be reviewed for possible SME
alignment. The Industrial Maintenance, Machining and CNC machinists are demand
occupations in the Alamo region.

AWS Adoption - The Alamo Colleges programs in Welding Technology is generally
aligned with the AWS certification system. The Department Chair and instructor is
already AWS certified.

The Alamo College-Technical Program Committee will provide quarterly reports to
the Board of Trustees, Chancellor, Executive Committee and the President’s Council
on a quarterly basis.

The Vice Chancellor of EWD will present NAM Endorsed Certification System to
Texas State Board of Higher Education.

The Vice Chancellor or appropriate designee will present a briefing on the NAM
Endorsed Certification System to Texas Governor’s Office, Manufacturer’s
Associations and Chambers of Commerce within the Alamo region.
Timeline:
 Summit – August 2009
 Board of Trustees endorses Summit recommendations to incorporate NAM –Certification
Systems into Curriculum – September 2009.
 Appoint Alamo College Manufacturing Technical Program Transformation (MTPT)
Committee – September 2009
 Alamo College Presentations To Board Of Trustees, Chancellors Executive Committee –
November 2009
 MSSC-WorkKeys & MTA Adoption– January 2010.
 NIMS - Machining Technologies, CNC, Manufacturing Technology cluster of instructional
programs in Industrial Automation, Electro Mechanical, CNC - August 2010
 AWS & Welding Technology - January 2011.
 SME - Electro Mechanical Engineering Pathway – January 2011.
 SME, NIMS possible Mechatronics AAS program – August 2011.
 Program Revisions – January 2010
 Quarterly Reports – On-Going
 THECB Meetings – August 2009
 Committee Activities On-Going
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Task 3: With MI, begin industry outreach and engagement;

“Alamo Region Workforce Manufacturing Summit”
will be utilized to codify
industry engagement and to create college and industry (SME) work teams designed to
incorporate NAM-Certification Systems into the curriculum.

The kick off was initiated by Ms. Emily DeRocco NAM President of the MI on Wed.
May 13, 2009 7:30 a.m. at a San Antonio, Texas at a Breakfast meeting that included the
San Antonio Manufacturer’s Association (SAMA), Workforce Solutions Alamo, the
Alamo Colleges Vice Chancellor for Economic and Workforce Development, Alamo
Colleges Director of Business Outreach, Alamo Colleges Industry Cluster Coordinator to
announce plans for project.

The Alamo Colleges have engaged our regional NAM Dream It-Do It committee and
presented NAM Endorsed Skills Certifications Press Release. Industry partners were
present and supported the effort.

The San Antonio Manufacturer’s Association (SAMA) Education Committee has already
begun the review and discussion of the NAM-Endorsed Skills certification to discuss the
industry needs for these certifications. SAMA is Alamo College’s partner behind the
Manufacturing Technology Academy’s success for high school students throughout the
Alamo Region.

SAMA and Workforce Solutions Alamo – Advanced Manufacturing Team appoint
education committees or task force to support the NAM – Alamo Colleges Certification
Systems initiative.
Timeline:
 May, 2009, first local press release.
 Summit - August 2009
 NAM Dream it Do it endorsement and engagement – June 2009
 SAMA endorses Summit recommendations – September 2009
 SAMA appoints education committee to work on project with Alamo Colleges –
September 2009
 Workforce Solutions – Alamo endorses Summit recommendations – November 2009
(needed for state revisions).
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Task 4: Conduct a comprehensive audit of the college’s current manufacturing programs
of study/training content against the NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System;

Target Alamo College Manufacturing Technology Programs include Industrial
Automation, CNC, Robotics, CIM, Electro Mechanical, Welding, and Machining
Programs.

The Vice Chancellor of EWD will convene work with the Manufacturing Technical
Program Transformation (MTPT) Committee and SAMA to contract with a consultant
Subject Matter Expert (SME) to audit and evaluate NAM Endorsed Certification System
standards and community college advanced curriculums to determine NAM Certification
modules that align most closely with their current academic programs.

The Alamo Colleges Industry Cluster Coordinator and Industrial Technical Instructor
are in the process of previewing MSSC Module descriptors provided by NAM-MI. They
are also previewing the existing MSSC curriculum and assessments to provide an
accurate comparison of learning objectives and outcomes. This team will help facilitate
the curriculum review for the MTA pilot phase.

MSSC-WorkKeys Gap Analysis Study based on audit findings and SME or MTPT
Committee recommendations will be conducted during the MTA curriculum review
period to incorporate the ACT Career Readiness Certifications and the MSSC CPT into
the curriculum. The gap analysis will include identification of faculty, equipment, and
programs costs that will be required for integration of NAM-Industry Certification
systems, as appropriate.

NIMS, SME, & AWS Gap Analysis Study based on audit findings and SME or MTPT
Committee recommendations will be conducted during the Spring 2010 period to
incorporate the NIMS, SME, and AWS modules into the curriculum. The gap analysis
will include identification of faculty, equipment, and programs costs that will be required
for integration of NAM-Industry Certification systems, as appropriate.
Timeline:
 MTA – MSSC and WorkKeys alignment audit – November & December 2009
 Manufacturing Technical Program Transformation (MTPT) Committee internal analysis
– May and on-going
 MTA – MSSC and WorkKeys Gap Analysis – December 2010
 NIMS,SME,AWS Gap Analysis – May 2010
Task 5: Map the Skills Certification System competency, standards, curriculum and
performance expectations against any currently used curriculum, programs of study,
courseware;
 The Alamo Colleges Industry Cluster Coordinator and Industrial Technical Instructor
are in the process of previewing MSSC Module descriptors provided by NAM-MI.
They are also previewing the existing MSSC curriculum and assessments to provide
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an accurate comparison of learning objectives and outcomes. This team will help
facilitate the curriculum review for the MTA-MSSC pilot.
 Map process will include alignment of NAM-Certification systems and WECM
learning outcomes. Faculty will also compare their existing competency maps to the
relevant certification competencies.
 The Manufacturing Technical Program Transformation (MTPT) Committee and
SAMA to contract with a consultant Subject Matter Expert (SME) to identify, validate,
and align Skill Certification standards, curriculum, courseware and performance
expectations currently used by the Alamo Manufacturing Technologies programs.
These activities are necessary for course or program revisions; and to identify
curriculum gaps.
 The MSSC and WorkKeys Gap Analysis and NIMS, SME & AWS Gap Analysis will
include a DACUM validation process that provides the data necessary to incorporate
appropriate NAM-Certification modules into the curriculum. The gap analysis and
competency skill mapping phases are needed to assist with the program revisions to be
implemented at the Deans-Department Chair level. The Vice Chancellor of EWD and
Industry Coordinator will be responsible for monitoring implementation of course
and/or program revisions as appropriate.
Timeline:



The Alamo Colleges Industry Cluster Coordinator and Industrial Technical Instructor
reviews – August 2010.
The Manufacturing Technical Program Transformation (MTPT) Committee Mapping
Phase –December2009 & May 2010.
The gap analysis and competency skill mapping are on-going functions of program
revision.
Task 6: Determine need for new program of study or integration with current
curriculum/assets being used by the college;

By engaging employers at every phase of the project the adequacy of existing
programs is conducted at every phase and with every activity proposed. Beginning
with the MTA- MSSC and WorkKeys pilot; continuing with the NIMS, ASW, and
ASE gap analysis.

The “Alamo Region Workforce Manufacturing Summit” will also provide an
opportunity to review labor market occupational growth and possible program and
curriculum gaps.

A major dimension of the DACUM process and Gap Analysis for Industrial
Automation, CNC, Robotics, CIM, Electro Mechanical, Welding, and Machining
Programs includes identification of current skill sets needed by the various
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manufacturing industries. Where appropriate new courses or program areas will be
identified.

The AMTEC and Toyota Texas have already requested the need of Mechatronics
Technicians. This new career field in aligned to Industrial Automation and will be
included in the review for possible new program in 2011. There is a strong
probability that several of the NAM-Certification Systems could be utilized for
Mechatronics.

Task 5 completions by Deans, Department Chairs of Industrial Automation, CNC,
Robotics, CIM, Electro Mechanical, Welding, and Machining Programs will result in
the recommendations for this task. Necessary curriculum revisions will not affect the
opportunity for ongoing student pilot certifications.

Pilot recommended student certification exams against programs for which there is
already substantial curriculum content (MSSC Certification, AWS or individual
NIMS certifications for example).
Timeline: September 2009-May 2010.





Engaging employers with the MTA- MSSC and WorkKeys pilot – August 2009
Engaging employers with the NIMS, AWS, and SME gap analysis – May 2010
The “Alamo Region Workforce Manufacturing Summit” labor market occupational
growth discussion – August 2009
Identification of current skill sets needed by the various manufacturing industries –
December 2009 and May 2010
New program areas will be identified for Fall 2011 development. August 2010.
Task 7: Complete necessary curriculum standard application and/or program application
for submission to state board or state system;
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board establishes state curriculum standards for each
program area and for each designated course under the Texas Workforce Education Course
Manual. Individual colleges initiate new program applications. Courses included on state
curriculum standards must conform to the WECM. However, local colleges can submit program
revisions for existing programs through a local process. The Alamo Colleges require that
revisions be approved by the Curriculum Review Committee to become effective for the fall
semester (August) of the following year. To accommodate changes for the NAM-Endorsed
Skills Certifications the Alamo Colleges will require the Curriculum committee to review course
revisions in accordance with the project timelines. In Texas, the creation of a new program
typically requires an 18 to 24 month period.
While the earliest a new course could be revised in an existing program of study will be for Fall
2010, the integration of NAM – Endorsed Skill Certification modules can begin in January 2010.

The curriculum may be adapted to MI standards through submission to the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board (THECB) under a program revision (fast track), local need
(fast track interim) or program change. If changes require substantial course
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




development it will require new program submission that is typically an 18 month
process.
First program or revisions planned for MTA-MSSC Pilot in Spring 2011.
Second program revisions for MTA- WorkKeys Workforce Readiness for Spring 2010.
First NIMS revision for Manufacturing Technology Programs for Fall 2011.
First AWS revision for Welding Technologies for Fall 2011.
First SME revisions for Industrial Automation, Engineering Tech for Fall 2011.
Timeline: THECB Schedule Revisions






Ongoing for Revisions
First program or revisions planned for November 2009 to allow for MTA-MSSC Pilot in
Spring.
Second program revisions for MTA- WorkKeys Workforce Readiness planned for March
2010
First NIMS revision for Manufacturing Technology Programs – June 2010
First AWS revision for Welding Technologies – November 2010
First ASE revisions for Industrial Automation, Engineering Tech – March 2011
Task 8: Develop realistic timeline for completion of each step in approval and deployment
process;
TASK
TIMELINE
1. Develop NAM Proposal and Critical Timelines
Completed
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
August 2009
May 2009 through December 2009
May 2009 through September 2010
June 2009 through September 2009
May 2009 through August 2010
March through December 2009
August 2010 and on-going
Ongoing to August 2011
Ongoing to August 2011
May 2009 and on-going
May 2009 through December 2009
Ongoing to January 2010
Ongoing to May 2009
May 2009 through December 2009
June 2009 through December 2009
Convene Summit
Validate ESMI – Local LMI Trends
Convene Summit and Internal Teams
Begin industry outreach and engagement
Audit programs vs. NAM-Endorsed Skills
Map certifications vs. programs
Determine need for new program of study
Complete curriculum approvals
Modify timeline and Events
Identify barriers/challenges
Identify roll-out steps
Assess faculty capabilities
Assess capacity-building needs
Initiate certification process
Determine benchmarks, metrics and program
tracking measures
17. Evaluation, Status Reports, and Project
Revisions
May 2009 and on-going
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


Program revisions can be submitted on as needed basis, typically at the beginning of Fall,
Spring, and Summer sessions. New Programs must be submitted by March or October of
the academic year proceeding Fall term.
New Program approval request possible Mechatronics for Fall 2011 Cycle 2.
New Program approval necessary to implement NAM –Skill Certifications in 10 and 11
approval cycles for Cycle 1 identified during LMI reviews, skill gap analysis and
curriculum mapping process.
Timeline: THECB Schedule for New Programs
 Ongoing for Revisions
 Cycle 1 - March 2010
 October 2011
 Cycle 2 – March 2011
 October 2011
Task 9: Identify barriers/challenges to approval process and/or actual roll-out;
 Barriers may include conflict with Business Advisory Committees.
 Alignment with THECB standardized course manual (WECM).
 Alignment of curriculum sequence, and/or academic requirements.
 Budgetary restrictions
Timeline:
 Business Advisory Committees – November 2009.
 Alignment with THECB standardized course manual – January 2009
 Curriculum – March 2009 and October 2010
 Budgetary restrictions – May 2010 and May 2011
Task 10: Identify necessary steps for roll-out, including but not limited to marketing
program of study/credential to both employer base and prospective student population;








Outreach and recruitment to be aligned with Alamo Academies for outreach to high
schools. Student brochure, Posters, Presentations at schools, Website, promos, videos.
Dream it Do it interface for publicity and advertising campaigns.
Employer Summit in August to align with NAM-Alamo College partnership
Endorsements by Advanced Manufacturing Cluster at their meeting
Participation and support by SAMA and Dream it Do it organizations
Engagement and support of community stakeholders, workforce boards, and local
education agencies
Participation by Community Based Organizations (Hispanic, African American, ESL,
Veterans, Women)
Connect to Alamo Colleges budget cycle to ensure adequate allocation of resources
required for implementation
Timeline: Ongoing:
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






Outreach to high schools March-August 2009;2010
Employer Summit August 2009
Endorsements by Advanced Manufacturing Cluster – November 2009
SAMA and Dream it Do It engagement – August 2009
Engagement of community stakeholder - November 2009 – May 2010
Community Based Organizations engagement – May – August 2010.
Alamo Colleges budget cycle– May 2010, May 2011
Task 11: Assess faculty capabilities

Faculty evaluation by department/program - Faculty credentials and subject matter
expertise for Industrial Automation, CNC, Robotics, CIM, Electro Mechanical, Welding,
and Machining Programs is assessed and aligned to NAM-Certification Systems.

A minimum of one faculty in each of the five targeted program areas (Machining,
Industrial Automation, Welding, CNC, Assemblers/Production Workers will obtain
industry certifications.
Timeline: Ongoing and:
 August 2009 to August 2011.
Co
Task 12: Assess capacity-building needs
The Alamo Colleges is already an approved MSSC Testing site at industry request but
integration of certification standards has not been incorporated into the credit curriculum. Thus,
a capacity review by selected deans, department chairs and our various business advisory
committees will provide validation for advanced certification needs. When approved, the Alamo
Colleges will designate AWS Accredited facilities and four NIMS faculty will be accredited
facility for the target programs in Industrial Automation, Machining Technology which will
incur the following initial costs just for the accreditation process. Funds will need to be secured
to cover out-of-pocket costs listed below in addition to faculty release time.
Task 13: Develop partnership arrangements with industry skills certification and/or
credentialing bodies to ensure processes are in place for assessment, testing and
credentialing and cost of credential deployment is addressed;
The Alamo Colleges already has a license to be an approved MSSC Assessment Center. This
license will be moved to a more centralized location at our Advanced Technology Center for this
project. The Alamo Colleges will work with ACT, AWS and NIMS to plan for and implement
the NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System. The Alamo Colleges Welding Department
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Chair is ASW certified Inspector and Educator. In addition, the Alamo Colleges will develop
relationships and procedure for attaining facility certification as appropriate.
Timeline: Ongoing and:
 August 2009 to August 2011.
Task 14: Determine appropriate benchmarks, metrics (e.g., completion and employment),
and programmatic tracking including demographic profiles of participants;
The Alamo Colleges Department of Economic and Workforce Development works with the
Institutional Research Office to evaluate Perkins Measures; THECB site reviews and District
KRI programs review annually. The Alamo Colleges utilizes a review process that includes 15
measures; (1) Class Size, (2) Graduation Rates, (3) Placement Rates, (4) Completion Rates, (4)
Retention Rates, (5) Advisory Committees, (6) FT-FTIC Fall-to-Spring Retention, (7) PT FTIC
Fall-to-Spring Retention, (8) FT-FTIC Spring to Fall Retention, (9) PT FTIC Spring to Fall
Retention, (10) Exemplary Program Review, (11) Transfer to Universities, (12) Gender
distribution, (13) Adequacy of Labs & Facilities, (14) Student Satisfaction – In process (15)
Employer Satisfaction – in process.
Timeline: Ongoing and:
 Annual Report to Board of Trustees in November for previous year outcomes.
 Annual Perkins Report to THECB in May for previous year outcomes.
Task 15: Ascertain any “uncovered” costs of implementation.
The cost to administer this program, faculty release time for training and testing for
certifications, and the cost of student certifications are significant. Funds will need to be secured
to cover these costs for the NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System to move forward .We
would like to begin a pilot certifications program beginning with CRC and MSSC CPT in our
Manufacturing Academies of High School students, progressing towards the certification of AAS
degree recipients. In addition, NIMS and AWS Certification Systems will be aligned to the
Alamo Colleges Welding Technologies and Machine Operations Technologies programs
respectfully. SME alignment will be included in the Engineering and Industrial Automation
programs.
V.
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) State Level
Collaboration
THECB staff will be invited to participate in the Alamo College Summit and roll out activities.
In addition, the Alamo Colleges will collaborate with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board to convene a state level meeting of college, presidents, manufacturing technology subject
matter experts, and key state level stakeholders to present the NAM-Endorsed Skill
Certification Programs. The THECB staff will also facilitate Workforce Education Course
Manual (WECM) meetings that will allow state wide faculty representatives to update the
WECM course inventory. It is expected that the THECB will also be collaborating with the
Texas Education Agency (TEA) to facilitate discussions on College-High School course
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alignment and Industry Certification Systems, as appropriate. It is also anticipated that the
THECB program revision and program approval timelines will be utilized to implement Skill
Certification Modules into Manufacturing Technology Programs, as requested.
Activities
 Participate in Alamo College – NAM-Endorsed Skill Certification Summit
 Convene Statewide Summit a statewide NAM-Endorsed Skill Certification Summit
 Convene WECM workshops
 Review and approve program revision
 Review and approve new program applications
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.
ATTACHMENTS
Texas Workforce Solutions Alamo Demand Occupation Table
#1
Medtronic Announcement
#2
Caterpillar comes to Texas
#3
Local Workforce Development Programs, 2007
#4
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Attachment # 1
TWC-Workforce Solutions Alamo Demand Occupations
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Attachment #2
Medtronic Announces San Antonio as Home of New Diabetes Facility
Move Will Add 1,400 High-Skilled Jobs to Local Community
MINNEAPOLIS – May 11, 2009 – Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced today
that the company has chosen San Antonio, Texas, as the home of its new Diabetes
Therapy Management and Education Center. Medtronic is expected to hire nearly 1,400
professionals during a five-year period to staff the new 150,000-square-foot facility.
The announcement took place today at the Overlook at the Rim office building, the
proposed site for the new center. Medtronic expects to begin recruiting immediately with
the facility opening for operations in late summer……“We are fortunate to welcome a
leading healthcare company to San Antonio,” said San Antonio Economic Development
Foundation Chairman Randy Cain. “Medtronic is bringing a significant number of wellpaying, technical positions to the city at a time when people are looking for employment
opportunities across the nation. This is one of the largest economic development projects
in the United States this year, with nearly 1,400 jobs anticipated.”
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Attachment # 3
Caterpillar comes to Texas
Jan 21, 2009 SEGUIN – Gov. Rick Perry today urged the Texas Legislature to continue
appropriating funds to the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) this session, citing investments
in companies such as Caterpillar that have created thousands of jobs for Texans and
attracted millions of dollars in capital investment. The governor spoke at the
groundbreaking for Caterpillar’s manufacturing facility in Seguin.
“In these uncertain economic times, companies across the country are looking to Texas as
the place to grow their business thanks to a reasonable regulatory environment, educated
workforce, and economic incentives that bolster Texas’ capital and competition in a
global marketplace,” Gov. Perry said. “This investment is proof positive that programs
like the Texas Enterprise Fund are worthwhile uses of Texas taxpayer dollars, and I urge
the Legislature to continue funding this essential component of our state’s competitive
economic package.”
Caterpillar Inc. is a leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel
and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and medium and high speed diesel
engines. Last month, Caterpillar announced that it was moving one of its primary global
assembly, test and paint facilities to Seguin, creating more than 1,400 jobs. The state
invested $10 million through the TEF as a deal-closing incentive for the move, which
will generate $169.7 million in capital investment. The project is the second largest in
terms of job creation and investment this biennium.
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/press-release/11819/
i
Texas Works 2008 Report
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Attachment #4
Local Workforce Development Programs
National League of Cities, 2007
A City Practice Brief October 2007
America’s local elected leaders understand that the economic vitality of their cities and towns
depends on the availability of skilled and qualified workers. In addition to the benefits to local
economic development, enhancing workers’ skills can improve one’s quality of life, help
alleviate poverty, and provide a wealth of benefits to society as citizens realize their stake in the
success of their local and regional economy. This City Practice Brief presents examples of cities’
local workforce development efforts. For more information, please see NLC publications
Strengthening Your Local Workforce (Municipal Action Guide), Lessons and Insights from
NLC’s Workforce Development for Poverty Reduction (Report), and Transitional Jobs: A
Workforce Strategy for Cities (Report) - all are available on the NLC website, www.nlc.org.
For more examples, visit the City Practice database also on the NLC website.
Alamo Area Aerospace Academy
City: San Antonio, Texas Population: 1,296,682
For more information, contact: Robert Peche, Director, Economic Development Department
(210) 207-8080
San Antonio, in a community partnership with local school districts, aerospace, manufacturing,
and information technology industry employers, the Alamo Community College District
(ACCD), Alamo Worksource, and the Port Authority of San Antonio established the three
Alamo Area Academies focused on key targeted industries in the community; Aerospace,
Information Technology & Security, and Manufacturing Technology. The Academies, with
training sites located throughout the city, provide local high school students with two-years of
training and internship programs introducing them to career opportunities while providing a
seamless transition from high school to college to the workplace. Upon graduation, students are
prepared for jobs where they can complete their technical training, or apply college credits
towards a college degree. Some of the industry partners providing valuable internships,
training, and employment to our high school students include: Lockheed Martin (15% of their
workforce are Aerospace Academy alumni), Boeing, Standard Aero, HEB, Rackspace, OnBoard
software, Chromalloy, Toyota, UTSA, Pratt & Whitney, KLN Steel, and Texas Composites.
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