The WTxEC Workforce & Education Committee's colleges met Friday, September 12th to continue its work on curriculum alignment. The Consortium partners are currently developing regionally aligned degree programs in technical education for those high-skill, high-wage and high-demand career fields. The colleges selected welding as their first program to align as all eight colleges have Welding Technology programs on their campuses.
Their work will make curricula transparent, cohesive and regional. Consortium participants are working together to bring the highest level of technical and soft skills necessary into the classroom for those career fields in high demand by the employers in the region and state-wide. The committee's work along with input from a Regional Advisory Committee made up of industry representatives will strengthen these training programs and make for a cohesive regional approach for sharing curriculum, equipment, and training resources that meet industry specific standards.
The Consortium's current work in aligning technical occupation training among the eight community & technical schools is such that regardless of which school a student attends he/she leaves having training outcomes that meet or exceed industry recognized skill expectations. It also will allow for a seamless transfer of credits from one institution to another should a student move within the region and wish to continue their education. The overall goal is to train a much needed, quality workforce that provides for a successful business operation and positive reinvestment into our communities.
Their next meeting is scheduled for Friday, October 17th at Howard College in Big Spring, Texas. If you have questions or are interested in this work, please visit the WTxEC website.