Workforce Education: STEM Recruitment, Retention, and Realization

在美国国家科学基金会科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金(S-STEM)计划的资助下，华盛顿沃拉沃拉社区学院(WWCC)的这个项目将协调其劳动力教育和过渡研究系之间的活动，以增加四个科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)劳动力教育学位课程的学生的招生、留住和实现：工程、农业、能源和水。由于雇主对这四个项目的毕业生需求很高，该项目旨在影响学生的学位完成、高等教育和就业安置。由于该机构的人口结构，以及有针对性地招聘双重入学的高中生和寻求成人基础教育/转业的学生，该项目将有助于使劳动力多样化。该项目将产生关于使用综合基础教育和技能培训(I-BEST)模式的课程的有效性的知识，通过在课堂上提供情景教学和补充支持，促进快速完成学位和学生的良好表现。研究将评估双重招生学生和寻求成人基础教育/转业学生的招生战略的有效性。研究还将评估实施的保留战略在多大程度上导致STEM学位完成和安置在相关STEM工作和/或高级STEM教育中。该项目将通过以下方式产生广泛的影响：(1)研究、制定和实施有效的战略，招募和招收妇女、拉丁裔/o血统的学生和其他传统上服务不足的人群加入STEM劳动力计划；(2)开发和评估协调的、基于证据的做法的实施，以促进STEM劳动力教育学位计划的保留和完成；以及(3)向内部和外部受众传播从招聘、保留和实现战略和实践中学到的经验教训。为了增加留住并完成工程、农业、能源或水项目的有经济需求的有学业天赋的学生的数量，该项目将侧重于将通过奖学金提供的资金支持与以下战略结合起来：(A)通过两门关于学习战略/人际关系和求职技能的必修课程发展学习社区，(B)由具有可用的支持服务专家的导航员定期提供建议，(C)由教师讲师提供指导，以及(D)经常有机会获得科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)行业专业人员的指导和互动机会。将实施的有针对性的招聘活动包括面向务农家庭的外联活动，以西班牙语和/或以STEM行业和职业中的妇女为特色的外联材料，以及通过社区合作伙伴促进STEM项目示范的季度开放日。

With funding from the National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (NSF S-STEM) program and in collaboration with regional industry partners, this project at Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) in Washington will coordinate activities between its Workforce Education and Transitional Studies departments to increase the recruitment, retention, and realization of students in four science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce education degree programs: engineering, agriculture, energy, and water. Because graduates from these four programs are in high demand by employers, this project is designed to impact degree completion, advanced education and job placement for students. Due to the demographics of the institution and the targeted recruitment of dual enrollment high school students and adult basic education/career change seeking students, the project will help to diversify the workforce. The project will generate knowledge on the efficacy of courses that use the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) model to facilitate degree completion at a rapid pace with good student performance by providing contextualized instruction combined with supplemental support in the classroom. Research will assess the effectiveness of recruitment strategies for dual enrollment students and adult basic education/career change seeking students. Research will also evaluate to what extent the implemented retention strategies result in STEM degree completion and placement in relevant STEM jobs and/or advanced STEM education. The project will have a broad impact by (1) studying, developing, and implementing effective strategies to recruit and enroll women, students of Latina/o origin, and other traditionally underserved populations into STEM workforce programs; (2) developing and evaluating the implementation of coordinated, evidence-based practices that facilitate retention and completion in STEM workforce education degree programs; and (3) disseminating the lessons learned from the recruitment, retention, and realization strategies and practices with the highest beneficial impacts to internal and external audiences.To increase the number of academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who are retained in and complete a program in engineering, agriculture, energy, or water, the project will focus on combining financial support through scholarships with strategies that center on (a) developing learning communities through two required courses on learning strategies/human relations and job seeking skills, (b) regular advising by Navigators who are experts in available support services, (c) mentoring by faculty instructors, and (d) frequent opportunities for mentoring by and interactions with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) industry professionals. Targeted recruitment activities that will be implemented include outreach to working farming families, outreach materials in Spanish and/or that feature women in STEM trades and professions, and quarterly open houses where STEM program demonstrations are promoted through community partners.