Preparing Career Ready Information Technology Technicians

技术部门缺乏多样性，缺乏合格的工人，这是一个众所周知的、有据可查的问题，使公司难以在整个技术部门招聘工人。该项目将满足当地行业的需求，同时为农村地区信息技术劳动力多样化的有效战略提供更广泛的见解，并在高科技课程中正式开展职业准备技能发展。职业准备技能将嵌入核心计算机科学技术课程，为学生提供参加行业认证考试以及学习和练习工作技能的机会。该项目的结果将是一支更加多样化、为职业做好准备的技术劳动力，能够支持切萨皮克学院计算机科学技术专业的持续增长和德尔马瓦半岛不断增长的人口。四项职业准备技能(团队合作、客户服务、沟通和专业精神)和12项软技能能力将嵌入该计划的六门核心课程。学生将获得代金券，让他们可以参加两次行业认证考试，为他们提供进一步发展其信息技术技能的机会。针对当地劳动力对有帮助台经验的学生的需求，将建立帮助台模拟实验室，为学生提供使用帮助台软件提供客户服务的实践经验，同时允许他们提高软技能。为了评估项目实现其目标的程度，评价将由基本问题和总结性问题组成，将对这些问题进行分析，以确定项目目标的实现程度。项目结果将通过在州和全国会议上的陈述以及通过ATE中心进行传播。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域的技术人员进行教育。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。

The lack of diversity and the shortage of qualified workers in the technical sector is a well-known and well-documented problem that is making it difficult for companies to hire workers across the entire technology sector. This project will address local industry needs while at the same time supplying broader insights into effective strategies for diversifying the Information Technology workforce in a rural region, and formalizing career readiness skill development within a highly technical curriculum. Career readiness skills will be embedded throughout the core Computer Science Technology program, providing students with the opportunity to take industry certification exams and to learn and practice job skills. The result of this project will be a more diverse, career-ready technical workforce that can support the continued growth of Chesapeake College’s Computer Science Technology program and the growing population on the Delmarva Peninsula. Four career readiness skills (teamwork, customer service, communication, and professionalism) and 12 soft skill competencies will be embedded into the program’s six core courses. Students will be provided with vouchers enabling them to take two industry certification exams, providing the opportunity to further develop their Information Technology skills. Responding to local workforce needs for students with help desk experience, a help desk simulation lab will be established to provide students with hands on experience providing customer service using help desk software while at the same time allow them to improve their soft skills. To assess the extent to which the project achieves its objectives, the evaluation will consist of formative questions and summative questions that will be analyzed to determine the extent to which the objectives of the project are being achieved. Project results will be disseminated through presentations at state and national conferences as well as through ATE Central.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.