In Jobs to Manufacturing Careers, Jobs for the Future (JFF), with Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) and WGBH Educational Foundation (WGBH), developed and tested work-based courses (WBCs), a pioneering work-based learning approach to manufacturing education geared toward production technicians lacking an associate’s degree. WBCs bring college to the production line by using the job as a learning lab. Key features of WBC are that they integrate the classroom and workplace by formalizing instruction that happens during work; reflect the unique production needs of a company because teaching happens on the job; and fulfill program requirements for a community college certificate or degree.

Intellectual Merit: JFF defined, refined, and researched the WBC model as a new way of delivering work-based learning as part of a rigorous manufacturing education. These community college courses are redesigned in partnership with employers so competencies are taught not only in the classroom or lab, but also on the job itself with both college faculty and employer supervisors or other employer mentors serving as instructors. OCTC adapted 27 manufacturing courses, including both lecture and lab courses, to the WBC format and delivered them in partnership with 15 employers in Kentucky and Indiana.

In order to use lessons from Jobs to Manufacturing Careers to advance knowledge in manufacturing education, JFF created an online multimedia toolkit with WGBH to guide community college implementation, underwent a third-party evaluation by Education Development Center, Inc. of program outcomes, and disseminated findings at national conferences. The project has yielded three JFF practitioner-focused publications and resources:

• Kobes, Deborah & Amy Girardi. 2016. Work-Based Courses Toolkit: Bringing College to the Production Line. Boston, MA: JFF;
• Cahill, Charlotte. 2016. Making Work-Based Learning Work. Boston, MA: JFF; and
• Kobes, Deborah. 2016. Jobs to Manufacturing Careers: Work-Based Courses. Work-Based Learning in Action series. Boston, MA: JFF.

Broader Impact: Student outcomes demonstrate that WBCs improve community college education by connecting incumbent workers to degree programs, facilitating mastery of course content, and ensuring that courses are relevant to the local economy. The 104 incumbent workers enrolled in WBCs academically outperformed their traditional peers, with an average GPA of 3.90 as compared to 3.52. Incumbent workers in the project earned an average of 11 academic credits toward an associate’s degree. Almost three-quarters of WBC students who completed a post-course survey said WBCs increased their interest in their job, two-thirds indicated that the courses prepared them for a new job, and 43 percent said the courses helped increase their wages.

This approach strengthens connections between learning and work for educators, employers, and students. Participating employers have found work-based courses to be a flexible, cost-effective model for building the skills of their workers. The benefits to the college and employer are evident in a new partnership between OCTC and Waupaca: the manufacturer simultaneously enrolled 52 workers in a WBC and committed to raises or promotions based on assessments upon course completion. OCTC plans to recommend a similar WBC approach to all new employer partners. Finally, a human resources representative of one participating company observed that the program not only helped the current group of WBC students, but also may inspire other employees to see themselves moving up in the company. “It’s a morale booster to see that we’re investing in our people,” she said.

Last Modified: 01/04/2017
Modified by: Deborah Kobes