Developing Career Pathways in the
Biosciences
Russ Read, Project Director, Forsyth Technical
Community College
Judith Alamprese, Evaluation Director, Abt Associates
2014 NCWE Conference
Pittsburgh, PA
October 30, 2014
Today’s Presentation
 Overview of the Community College Consortium for
Bioscience Credentials (c3bc) TAACCCT Round 2 Grant
 Key Activities:
 Core Skills Development and Harmonization
 Learning Hub Activity
 Evaluation Design
 Emerging patterns from implementation study
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c3bc Overview
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US DOL TAACCCT Round 2 Grant
Forsyth Technical Community College + 11 partner colleges
Evaluator: Abt Associates
Grant Period: October 1, 2012-September 30, 2016
Grant Value: $14, 998, 474
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Project Partners: 12 colleges, 8 states
Hubs by color
Lab Skills
Medical Devices
Biomanufacturing
Learning
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c3bc Project Model
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 Revised &
Validated Skill
Standards
 Tailored
Credentials
 New Skill
Standards
 Tailored
Credentials
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 Revised &
Validated Skill
Standards
 Tailored
Credentials
Increased Capacity
Workforce Assessments & Training
Harmonized Core Skill Standards
NTER
Articulations
 Contextual &
Modularized
Learning Program
 Tailored
Credentials
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c3bc Activities
 Core Skill Standards Development and Harmonization
 Lab Skills Skill Standards revised
 Biomanufacturing Standards revalidated by industry experts
 Medical Device Skill Standards developed, reviewed by industry experts, and
are in final review
 Core Skills Harmonization: Bioscience Common Core Skill
Standards are drafted and will be reviewed by industry
experts in early 2015
 Learning Hub “Granules” of information produced;
deconstructed and reconstructed modules for modularized
learning are operational
 New curriculum developed and capacity-building expansion
underway
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What is in it for Companies?
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The improved assessment of
potential employees from a
workforce prospective
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An increased source of qualified
employees
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An Industry Recognized Harmonized
Core of Skill Standards & Credentials
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Science Skills Laboratory
• It is a multidisciplinary Science
Laboratory facility funded by
the TAACCT Grant at Forsyth
Technical Community College
Aim of the SSL
To aid students in fulfilling
the laboratory requirement
of their course in a flexible
environment.
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What’s the difference between the SSL and
Traditional Labs?
Flexibility
Lab
Material
Traditional Labs
SSL
Labs have to be done at a set Students can schedule labs at
time each week.
various times during the week,
depending on their availability.
Copy-written materials from
established publishers –
costly.
Uniqueness Implemented in most
institutions
Open source materials – lower cost
to students
First facility of its kind to offer
flexible labs over various
disciplines.
Soft skills (accountability) - valuable
for workforce
Learning is made easier and more accessible to students while
keeping them at a high standard of academic performance.
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Who are served in the
SSL?
A wide cross-section of students
e.g.:
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Working students
Displaced workers
Stay-at-home parents
Early College students
Students with different learning
styles and pace
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SSL Hours of Operation
Day
Time
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
8am – 10pm
8am – 10pm
7am – 9pm
8am – 9pm
7am – 5pm
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Courses Facilitated in the SSL To Date
CHM 132
(Spring and
Summer)
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Instructional Design of SSL
 Multiple ways of
presenting information
 Engaging material
 Mastery-level learning
 Barriers to student success
are removed
 Pre-lab work
 In-lab support
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Type of Materials Used in SSL
 Course materials are posted on Blackboard
 Class/Lecture materials are provided to
students:
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Written materials
Work examples
Mini-lecture videos
Animations
 Laboratory materials
 Students print laboratory documents, read the
documents, and bring them to lab
 Videos and animations are used to demonstrate
the use of equipment or specific techniques
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During Lab
Checklist reminding students
what is required before
completing their lab
Example of the student sign-in
sheet
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The Lab Equipment Manual helps students to
locate the equipment needed for each lab.
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Even though students are encouraged to be
independent, they receive guidance from instructors.
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After Attending Lab - Chemistry
 Data analysis and interpretation at home with the ability to
ask questions before submitting completed laboratory
assignment
– Discussion board for questions
 Completed laboratory assignments are submitted online
through Bb
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Student Feedback - Chemistry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb9weUeR4xM
CHM 132-900 2014 SU
 “Having the flexibility to come in and complete labs on your
own time”
 “One positive aspect was that I was able to create my own
schedule for labs…”
 “…you gave a lot of feedback on labs to help us understand
what we did wrong.”
 “Positive aspect would be the flexibility of the lab hours.”
 “I really did appreciate the flexibility of the time slots for
labs; that made the lab work easier to fit into my work
schedule and to come in when I could. And the lab
instructors were always extremely helpful and ready to do
what was needed to get me back on track with lab.”
 “You could schedule labs to your own convenience.”
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c3bc Evaluation Activities
 Design and data collection
 Emerging patterns from implementation study
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c3bc Evaluation Design
Impact Evaluation
 Do the enhanced and accelerated training processes that
c3bc participants receive result in their greater:
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Program completion;
Attainment of bioscience certificates or degrees;
Job attainment; or
Earnings? (Quasi-experimental, difference-in-differences
design)
Descriptive Evaluation
 Did enrollments in bioscience programs at c3bc colleges
increase in the year after the enhanced recruitment,
assessment, or other procedures were implemented?
(Descriptive, change-focused design)
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c3bc Evaluation Design
 College-level Evaluation
 Sample
 Treatment: Students enrolled in courses developed or refined
in c3bc
 Comparison: Students enrolled in version of course not
refined:
 Before new course was introduced
 While new course is being taught (but “old” course is taught by a
different faculty member than new course)
 Issue: course enrollments are small; can increase sample with
more colleges teaching same course “as designed.” May be
able to pool samples.
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c3bc Evaluation Design
Implementation Evaluation: Determine processes c3bc
colleges used to develop and carry out 4 core activities of
project…
 Improved recruitment and testing of TAA-eligible and other
populations to increase enrollments in biosciences programs
 Enhanced training components and accelerated certificate and
credentialing processes in biosciences
 Harmonizing of skill standards in the biosciences
 Building capacity of c3bc colleges to meet emerging needs for
biosciences training across subsectors through partnerships with
representatives of local, state, and national industry
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c3bc Evaluation Design
Implementation Evaluation: Determine operational strengths
and weaknesses of colleges’ activities…
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Development of c3bc courses, certificates, & credentials
Recruitment of target populations of students
Delivery of courses
Referral of c3bc participants to jobs or placement in jobs
Colleges’ relationships with internal (within college) and external
partners—local Workforce Boards, American job centers, business and
industry, other entities involved in c3bc activities
 Relationship of c3bc activities to other courses of study within colleges
 Leveraging of other funded projects with c3bc
 Development of new leaders in community college bioscience programs
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Data Collection
Student Level
 Demographic and background information: c3bc Intake Form
 Course and program participation: College Records
 Certificates and degrees earned: College Records
 Employment: College Records, student survey
 Perceptions of courses and programs: student survey
Site Level
Colleges’ activities for key project objectives and areas of work:
 College Quarterly Progress Report
 Site visits to colleges during late Summer& Fall 2014, 2015
 Information gathered during monthly project calls, meetings
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c3bc College Quarterly Progress Report
Name of College
C3bc Activity
Date & Status of Activity
1. Course Development /Implementation
2. Student Recruitment
3. Workforce Development/WIB/American Job Center
4. Hub-related Activities
5. Data Collection
6. Coordination with other TAACCCT Activities
7. External Activities/Dissemination
8. Grant Administration and Personnel
Strategies for Employer/Business
Partnerships
 Sources of Partnerships
 Prior relationships with grant coordinator, college
 Proactive recruitment of partners
 Developing Partnerships
 Identify potential benefits to partner
 Build from prior successes, connections
 Specify clear roles for partners; activities valued by partners
 Maintaining Partnerships
 Have process for checking payoff to partners
 Provide feedback on results of partnership
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Trends in c3bc Employer/Business
Involvement
 Activities
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Recruiting students
Designing courses/curriculum
Reviewing credential requirements
Delivering instruction
Advising project overall
 Outcomes
 Facilitating course and credential completion
 Interviewing/hiring credentialed students
 Leveraging of grant activities
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c3bc Next Steps
 Continue course development, delivery, and refinement
 Disseminate courses within and outside of c3bc
 Model segments of c3bc courses though videos
 Place courses in NTER
 Disseminate Core Skill Standards for Biosciences
 Continue with evaluation implementation and outcomes
studies
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