Assessing Information Technology Educational Pathways that Promote

奇波拉学院、塔拉哈西社区学院和非大都市行业领导者与佛罗里达州立大学信息使用管理和政策研究所以及图书馆和信息研究学院一起，研究支持佛罗里达州西北部社区宽带部署的信息技术(IT)技术人员的教育和职业道路。混合方法研究项目调查了该地区宽带人员的需求，以确定宽带技术人员的角色，开发成功担任这些角色所需的知识和技能所需的教育，以及维持教育和行业利益攸关方之间长期伙伴关系的过程。宽带的普遍性质表明，需要能够处理与该地区商业和社区需求相关的广泛问题的IT/宽带工作人员。此外，这项研究概念化并确立了术语非大都市的用法，用来描述毗邻大都市或城市地区并包括农村和城市居民的社区。研究成果包括1)支持课程发展的差距分析；2)创建包括雇主、行业、社区机构和技术教育工作者在内的非城市利益相关者网络；3)迭代课程/劳动力需求评估，以确保研究结果的深度和广度；4)多个教师/行业研讨会，提供建议并征求教师/行业对研究结果的审查；以及5)一系列活动，支持广泛传播研究结果，向当地教育工作者和行业提供信息，并让所有利益相关者参与持续的讨论。这项研究有助于增加关于IT技术人员、教育工作者和雇主在宽带技术方面的交叉需求的知识，尽管数量有限。

Chipola College, Tallahassee Community College, and nonmetropolitan industry leaders join with the Florida State University Information Use Management and Policy Institute and School of Library and Information Studies to examine the educational and career pathways of information technology (IT) technicians supporting broadband deployment in communities in Northwest Florida. The mixed methods research project investigates the region's broadband staffing needs to identify the roles of broadband technicians, education needed to develop the knowledge and skills to be successful in these roles, and the process to sustain long-lasting partnerships between educational and industry stakeholders. The pervasive nature of broadband indicates a need for IT/broadband workers who can handle a broad range of issues associated with the needs of commerce and communities in the region. In addition, the study conceptualizes and establishes the use of the term, nonmetropolitan, to describe communities that are adjacent to metro or urban areas and comprise a population of both rural and urban residents. The study deliverables include 1) a gap analysis that supports curriculum development; 2) creation of a network of nonmetropolitan stakeholders that includes employers, industries, community institutions, and technician educators; 3) an iterative curriculum/labor needs assessment that ensures depth and breadth of findings; 4) multiple faculty/industry workshops that deliver recommendations and solicit faculty/industry review of research findings; and 5) an array of activities that supports broad dissemination of the findings to inform local educators and industry, and engage all stakeholders in ongoing discussion. The research study contributes to a growing, though limited body of knowledge on the intersecting needs of IT technicians, educators, and employers in broadband technologies.