DELIVERING A DEMAND LED SYSTEM IN THE U.S.
THE ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGES APPROACH
LEARNING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
NORTHERN IRELAND
DR. BRUCE LESLIE, CHANCELLOR
THE ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Opportunities for Improvement
Texas
San Antonio, Texas
The Alamo Community Colleges
San Antonio
The Alamo
REMEMBER THE ALAMO!
 40 Irish/Scots/English of 185 died at the Alamo
 Davy Crockett and William Barret Travis were
descendents of Ulster Irish
 Sam Houston, President of The Republic ofTexas,
and First Governor of Texas, was of Irish heritage
Mission San Jose
Photo from SACVB
The Riverwalk
WWW.VISITSANANTONIO.COM
THE CLUSTER MODEL:
THE 5 KEY ELEMENTS
1. DESCRIBE THE CLUSTER MODEL
2. ANALYZING THE DEMAND AND SUPPLY
3. PARTNERING
4. ASSESSMENTS AND CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENTS
5. SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLES – THE ACADEMIES
ELEMENT # 1: THE CLUSTER
MODEL
“A cluster is a geographically proximate group
of interconnected companies and associated
institutions in a particular field, linked by
commonalities and complementarities.”
- Michael Porter, Harvard University
Successful Cluster Initiatives
Build Comprehensive
Economic Foundation Approach
HUMAN
RESOURCES
Provide a skilled and
adaptable workforce
TECHNOLOGY
FINANCIAL CAPITAL
Build R&D capacity to
accelerate transition into
higher value-added
manufacturing and
services
Create mechanisms to
increase capital access to
innovative startups and
firms in strategic or high
growth industries
PHYSICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
Invest in world-class
infrastructure that improves
competitiveness of existing
businesses and attracts
outside investments
BUSINESS CLIMATE
QUALITY OF LIFE
Create a regulatory climate
and tax structure that
promotes strategic investment
and encourages
entrepreneurialism
Preserve existing assets
and build new ones to
attract and retain talent,
ideas, and firms
In successful regions Clusters and Foundations
support one another in a “Vital Cycle”
New people and
Ideas drawn to
the region
Quality Economic
Foundations
Food
Human
Resources
Technology
Physical
InfraStructure
Capital drawn
into the region
Business
Climate
Tourism
Competitive
Clusters
Media
Life
Sciences
Financial
Capital
Financial
Services
Machinery
Energy
Information
Technology
Quality Of
Life
New firms
Attracted to
The region
New companies
and industries
formed in the region
THE CLUSTERS MODEL
 Community’s vision of the job’s it wants:
 Qualitative approach to job creation
 Defines and builds upon strengths of
community
San Antonio’s Clusters

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


Aerospace/Military*
IT & Telecom*
Automotive/Advanced Manufacturing*
Finance/Business/Professional Services*
Construction Materials & Equipment*
Health and Bio Science*
Apparel & Textiles
Oil & Gas
Tourism/Food Processing
Transportation
ELEMENT 2: ANALYZING THE
SUPPLY AND DEMAND:
WHY USE CLUSTERS TO MEET
DEMAND?
1. Provides discrete analysis of needs and
opportunities
2. Provides way to organize ACC’s approach to
meeting demand
3. Provides understanding of relevant employers with
which to engage
4. Provides focus and measurable strategies
21st Century Jobs
In 1950
In 1991
In 2000
In 2006






 20% Professional
 15% Unskilled
 65% Skilled
 20% Professional
 5% Unskilled
 75% Skilled
20% Professional
60% Unskilled
20% Skilled
20% Professional
35% Unskilled
45% Skilled
Source - U.S. Department of Commerce - 21st. Century Skills for 21st. Century Jobs
An Industry Cluster-Based Approach to
What do we Teach?

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Survey of Occupations;
Understanding Career Ladders;
Mapping of Skills;
Address Barriers and Gaps in System of Skill
Acquisition.
CONCEPTUALIZING WHERE AND
HOW MANY NEEDED?
 Quantitative analysis of employment and payroll data;
 Qualitative research into the web of relationships in
the cluster;
 Validation with cluster employers;
ANALYZING THE SUPPLY
1. THECB- Closing the Gaps by 2015
2. Census data:
 Education, literacy, participation
3. Unemployment Insurance Data
 Shows 5 - 10 year data
4. School/College enrollment/graduation patterns (Skills Training)
 Identifies lack of need/skill alignment
 Shows student skill preparedness
5. CBO’s (Adult Learners)
6. Employers
ELEMENT #3:
PARTNERING
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Requires “AGGRESSIVELY BEING AT THE TABLE”
DOL (Alamo WorkSource)
Chambers of Commerce
Industry Associations (SAMA)
Local & State Economic Development (County/City)
Cluster Organizations (SABio)
Advisory Committees
P16 Councils
Individuals and Individual Companies
“HIP-TO-HIP” WITH THE EDUCATION
PARTNERS

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Dual Credit
Tech Prep
Early College High School
College Connections
Early Remediation
College Readiness/Curriculum Alignment
The Pathways Project
Employability Skills/Completion Rates
Automatic University Transfer
ELEMENT 4:
ASSESSMENTS AND CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENTS:
DETERMINING COMPETENCIES TO
MEET DEMAND
1. Key: Build Employers into Academic Structure


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
DACUM’s
Cluster/Association Reviews
Advisory Committee Reviews
Program Reviews
2. Build FUNDRAISING into Budget Development
at each college
3. Build in Peer Reviews
 Coordinating Board Review every 3 years
 Program Accreditations
 SACS College Accreditation
DETERMINING THE STANDARDS
 Company Information
 World Class Norms within Company
 Toyota utilizes TPS Global Standards
 Boeing & Lockheed Martin utilize international FAA
standards and procedures
 Rack Space utilizes CISCO, Red Hat, Oracle, and
Microsoft certification standards
 Multi-skill trend
 National Industrial Standards Manufacturing
 AMTEC (Automotive Manufacturing Training and
Education Consortia)
ELEMENT 5:
SUCCESS EXAMPLES:
THE ALAMO ACADEMIES AND SHARED
GOVERNANCE
THREE ACADEMIES
 AEROSPACE
 MANUFACTURING
 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/SECURITY
ACADEMIES: Plus
• Space Camp
• P16 Plus of Greater Bexar County
• San Antonio City Employee Training
ACADEMY PARTNERS
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The City of San Antonio
The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
Industry Associations (SAMA)
Public Schools (Tech Prep & Dual Credit)
Area Universities
 Trinity University
 UTSA
ACADEMY BENEFITS

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
STRUCTURE (CLUSTERS)
CURRICULUM – 2 +2 + 2
INTIMATE BUSINESS AND SCHOOL SUPPORT
FUNDING
PROGRAM EQUIPMENT
STUDENTS: INTERNSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, JOBS
 AND – 30 COLLEGE HOURS/CERTIFICATE
 AND - TRANSFER TO UNIVERSITY
ETHNIC BACKGROUND
Academies
Hispanic
Caucasian
AfricanAmerican
Asian
Aerospace
103
91
5
0
Info Technology and
Security
87
41
6
7
Manufacturing
Technology
25
3
0
0
Total
215
135
11
7
Percentage
58%
37%
3%
2%
ACADEMY ENROLLMENT YTD
Academy
Max Applications*
Juniors Seniors**
AAAA
107
64
48
112
ITSA
234
140
105
245
MTA
80
48
36
84
Total
421
252
189
441
* 40% attrition due to Accuplacer testing ** Assumes 25% attrition Junior to Senior year
Max Enrollment
ACADEMY OUTCOMES
Academies
Grads
Cluster
Jobs
Other
Jobs
Military
College
Moved
Not
Known
AAAA 20022007
199
118
11
4
63
1
2
ITSA 20042007
141
0
7
8
121
2
3
MTA 20052007
28
0
16
0
12
0
0
Total
368
118
34
12
196
3
5
32%
9%
4%
53%
1%
1%
Percentage
ACADEMY GRADUATE
STATISTICS
 368 graduates (98% continued higher education or obtained
jobs with the Aerospace, Manufacturing or IT Industries, or
joined the Military
 Last 2 graduating classes (125) awarded over $345,000 in
Scholarships
 Average starting hourly wage all graduates: $10.25 per hour
 Average starting pay $27,730: Salary: $21,320 ($10.25 x 2080
hrs) plus ~ $6,400 in benefits
DOL INVESTMENT IN ACC
 Texas Workforce Commission:
 $17 million to ACC in Skill Development Industry
Cluster Training in 18 months.
LOCKHEED MARTIN ACADEMY HIRING
 Since 2000, Lockheed Martin has employed
44 Academy graduates, over 13 percent of
their direct labor force.
 By 2012, Aerospace Academy graduates
will represent 25 percent of the Lockheed
Martin labor force.”
SUMMARY
 THE CLUSTER MODEL PROVIDES VISION &
STRUCTURE
 BUSINESS MUST DRIVE THE PIPELINE
 COLLABORATION ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL
 DATA IS DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN
 BEST PIPELINE IS WITH DIRECT PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE COMPANY, SCHOOLS AND CBO’S
PIPELINE CHALLENGES
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THIS IS COLLEGE!
STUDENTS DON’T WANT TO MISS OUT
MANY STUDENTS HAVE TO WORK
THE OPPORTUITIES ARE NOT WELL
UNDERSTOOD
 LOW LEVELS OF DEGREE COMPLETION
REFERENCES
 WWW.ACCD.EDU (Chancellor)
 Alamo WorkSource, The Alamo Regional Industry Cluster Analysis,
July, 2005
 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Closing the Gaps by
2015. Austin: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2007
 ACT, Ready for College and Ready for Work: Same or Different?,
2006
¡GRACIAS A TODOS!