Building the Energy Workforce of
Tomorrow
Charles Cook, Vice Chancellor
for Educational Development
November 3, 2005
Question 1: How Big is HCC?
Each Semester, HCC enrolls:
a. Between 10,000-15,000 students.
b. About 20,000 students.
c. Almost 40,000 students.
d. Over 55,000 students.
Answer: D
Each semester, over 55,000 students attend
HCC in several programs:
• 76 percent of them are enrolled in academic
transfer (AA/AS) or workforce credit
(certificate/AAS) programs.
• 13 percent are enrolled in continuing
education courses/programs.
• 5 percent are enrolled in Adult Education.
• 6 percent are enrolled in Dual Credit courses.
Question 2: Which group represents
the largest percentage
of HCC students?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Caucasian.
African-American.
Hispanic.
Asian-American.
International.
Diversity of HCCS Enrollment
Answer: C
Source: 2001 HCCS Fact Book
THE DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSFORMATIONS
OF HARRIS COUNTY (1960-2000)
Anglos
Blacks
Hispanics
Asians/Others
4.0
6.5%
Population (in Millions)
3.5
3.0
4.1%
2.1%
2.5
33.0%
33.0%
22.7%
15.5%
2.0
0.8%
9.9%
1.5
0.3%
6.0%
1.0
19.7%
19.1%
18.3%
20.1%
62.7%
19.8%
54.0%
42.2%
69.2%
0.5
73.9%
0.0
1960
(1,243,258)
1970
(1,741,912)
1980
(2,409,547)
1990
(2,818,199)
2000
(3,400,578)
Source: U.S. Census (www.census.gov); classifications based on Texas State Data Center conventions;
total populations are given in parentheses.
What is the Role of HCC in
Preparing the Energy Workforce?
 HCC provides the connection between high school
and the workforce and/or the university.
 Technician Level: HCC offers certificates and AAS
degrees that are designed to prepare students with
entry-level job skills (some programs/courses are
also transferable).
 Professional Level: HCC offers AA/AS degrees in
core subject areas (math, sciences, pre-engineering)
for students to transfer to baccalaureate programs.
 Continuing Education: HCC provides access to
contracted, on-going education/training.
HCC-High School Connections
• Tech-Prep: students can take “articulated”
courses in the 9th and 10th grades that will
prepare them for further study in a specific
job/career path (see sample 6-year plans)
• Dual Credit: students with college-level
skills (reading, writing, and math) may take
courses for both HS and college credit.
• Early College High School: HCC hosts
HISD charter high school(s) directly on its
campuses.
Faculty Development
Partnership Program
 $2.2 million grant from US Dept of Ed
 HCC, HISD, UH-Downtown
 15 workshops in the following topics:
mathematics, advances in technology,
biology, English composition, the physical
sciences, and counseling/advising.
 The topics address subject matter,
teaching techniques, and curriculum
alignment.
Question 3: What energy-specific
programs does HCC provide?
a. Pre-Engineering.
b. Process Technology.
c. Chemical Laboratory Technology
d. Instrumentation.
e. All of the above.
(Answer: E – All of the above)
Sample Curriculum:
Process Technology Certificate
College Algebra Process
Process Tech III
Instrumentation – Operations
Introduction to
Process
Technology
Safety, Health,
and the
Environment
Process Tech I Equipment
Process Tech II
– Systems
Principles of
Quality
Applied General
Chemistry I
Process
Troubleshooting
WWW.GCTAP.ORG
HCC-University connections
Pre-Engineering at HCC:
• Students complete 42 SCH of core
curriculum courses at HCC, including
Calculus I and II and Physics I and II
• Students may complete up to an additional
24 SCH of courses specific to the
engineering discipline in which they wish to
major
“Closing the Gaps” in
Texas Higher Education
 Houston and Texas are becoming increasingly
diverse – so is HCC.
 Income and Economic Vitality are tied to
Educational Attainment of Population
 80 percent of today’s jobs, including those in
energy, require post-secondary education.
 Texas must “close the gaps” in educational
attainment for all Texans – the majority of Texas
college students are in community colleges.
……………………………………………………………………………….
Closing the Gaps
Texas Lags in Income
44,042
45,000
45,000
42,148
39,842
40,000
40,000
35,000
35,000
30,757
30,000
29,626
27,871
30,000
25,000
25,000
20,000
20,000
Per Capita Income
Texas
Median Household Income
Avg. 10 Largest States
All of USA
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Abstract of the U.S., 2001.