Preparing Career Ready Information Technology Technicians

技术部门缺乏多样性和合格工人短缺是一个众所周知且有据可查的问题，这使得公司难以在整个技术部门雇用工人。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，并在高技术课程中正式确定职业准备技能发展。职业准备技能将嵌入整个核心计算机科学技术计划，为学生提供参加行业认证考试以及学习和实践工作技能的机会。该项目的结果将是一个更加多样化，职业准备的技术劳动力，可以支持切萨皮克学院的计算机科学技术计划和德尔玛瓦半岛不断增长的人口的持续增长。四个职业准备技能（团队合作，客户服务，沟通和专业精神）和12个软技能能力将嵌入到该计划的六个核心课程。学生将获得代金券，使他们能够参加两个行业认证考试，提供进一步发展他们的信息技术技能的机会。为了满足当地对具有帮助台经验的学生的劳动力需求，将建立一个帮助台模拟实验室，为学生提供使用帮助台软件提供客户服务的实践经验，同时让他们提高软技能。为了评估项目实现其目标的程度，评估将包括形成性问题和总结性问题，将对这些问题进行分析，以确定项目目标实现的程度。项目成果将通过在州和国家会议上的演讲以及通过ATE中心传播。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于高级技术人员的教育，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响进行评估，被认为值得支持审查标准。

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.