Pilot Program to Prepare Adults who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing for Skilled Technical Positions in Information Technology

为失聪或听力困难的成年人做好信息技术熟练技术职位准备的试点计划

• 批准号: 2100330
• 负责人: Donna Lange
• 金额: $ 47.01万
• 依托单位: Rochester Institute of Tech
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-05-01 至 2025-04-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2100330&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Pilot; Program; Prepare; Adults; who

Deafness creates communication barriers resulting in significant and unique learning needs. For example, adults who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (deaf/hh) often experience frustration and struggle with comprehending technical content when attending traditional professional development supported by sign language interpreters. These learners reported difficulties with the pace of instruction and communication with their instructors and peers. Out of class situations, such as breaks or lunch time, were described as awkward because they needed an interpreter to socialize. This indirect communication environment often left these learners feeling isolated, like “second class citizens,” and questioning their own competence and ability to learn technical content. There are extremely limited opportunities for technical professional development for deaf adults that are delivered by experienced instructors using American Sign Language (ASL). The goal of this project is to provide professional development that will improve the employment of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community as Information Technology support technicians. This project will be carried out by a partnership that includes CompTIA, the world’s leading provider of vendor-neutral IT certifications and the DeafTEC Resource Center, housed at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) within the Rochester Institute of Technology. This professional development, referred to as the DeafTEC Ready program, will be offered in a direct communication environment in which all instructors and learners know ASL, allowing everyone to communicate freely. By participating in the DeafTEC Ready program, learners who are deaf/hh will learn technical skills such as repairing and maintaining computer equipment, networks, and operating systems, as well as key workplace skills such as professional communication and problem solving. After completing their training, the learners will sit for CompTIA A+ certification exams, the industry standard for launching a career in IT. Upon successful certification, these individuals will receive direct job placement assistance from CompTIA’s career services staff. Certified individuals will also receive credit for three courses in NTID’s Applied Computer Technology associate degree programs. These courses can be used toward an associate degree at NTID or at other colleges across the country that accept the credit. The project will help meet industry’s need for computer support technicians and for a more diverse workforce by increasing participation of deaf/hh individuals in highly skilled technician careers. This increased participation can also increase acceptance of deaf/hh individuals within these workplaces and beyond. The project will increase access to CompTIA training materials and exams by reducing language barriers that will not only help deaf/hh test-takers but other English language learners. Thus, the project can help people from different communities obtain CompTIA A+ certification and enter the IT workforce. The DeafTEC Ready program will also help employers develop the sensitivity and skills to create an inclusive workplace where not only deaf/hh employees but all employees can succeed. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

耳聋会造成沟通障碍，导致显着而独特的学习需求。例如，失聪或有听力障碍 (deaf/hh) 的成年人在参加手语翻译支持的传统专业发展时经常会感到沮丧并难以理解技术内容。这些学习者表示，教学进度以及与老师和同学的沟通存在困难。课外的情况，例如休息或午餐时间，被描述为尴尬的，因为他们需要翻译来进行社交。这种间接的沟通环境常常让这些学习者感到孤立，就像“二等公民”，并质疑自己学习技术内容的能力和能力。由经验丰富的教练使用美国手语 (ASL) 提供的聋人技术专业发展机会极其有限。该项目的目标是提供专业发展，以改善聋人和听力障碍社区作为信息技术支持技术人员的就业情况。该项目将由全球领先的供应商中立 IT 认证提供商 CompTIA 和位于罗彻斯特理工学院国家聋人技术研究所 (NTID) 的 DeafTEC 资源中心等合作伙伴实施。这项专业发展被称为 DeafTEC Ready 计划，将在所有教师和学习者都了解 ASL 的直接沟通环境中提供，让每个人都能自由沟通。通过参加 DeafTEC Ready 计划，聋哑学习者将学习修理和维护计算机设备、网络和操作系统等技术技能，以及专业沟通和解决问题等关键工作场所技能。完成培训后，学习者将参加 CompTIA A+ 认证考试，这是开启 IT 职业生涯的行业标准。成功认证后，这些人将获得 CompTIA 职业服务人员的直接就业安置帮助。获得认证的个人还将获得 NTID 应用计算机技术副学士学位课程中三门课程的学分。 这些课程可用于攻读 NTID 或全国其他接受学分的大学的副学士学位。该项目将通过增加聋人/健康人对高技能技术人员职业的参与，帮助满足行业对计算机支持技术人员和更加多样化的劳动力的需求。 这种参与的增加还可以提高这些工作场所内外对聋人/健康人的接受度。该项目将通过减少语言障碍来增加获得 CompTIA 培训材料和考试的机会，这不仅可以帮助聋哑人/普通人考生，还可以帮助其他英语学习者。 因此，该项目可以帮助来自不同社区的人们获得CompTIA A+认证并进入IT劳动力队伍。 DeafTEC Ready 计划还将帮助雇主培养敏感性和技能，以创建一个包容性的工作场所，使聋哑/非聋哑员工和所有员工都能取得成功。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划重点关注推动国家经济发展的先进技术领域的技术人员教育。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。