ERIC Number: ED415934
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1997-Dec
Pages: 36
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Meeting the Need for Improved Skills in the Local Workforce.
Clark, Mary Jo
In an attempt to meet the need for improved skills in the local workforce, San Juan College (New Mexico) made efforts to locate a target population of students and find out how successfully the courses they took met their work needs. A computer search identified a trial population of 513 students who met a set of criteria that suggested they took courses for job skills improvement. Telephone interviews were successfully conducted on 56% of the students to determine their primary reason for taking a course, satisfaction with the course and goal achievement, previous course enrollment to improve job skills, employment information, future enrollment plans, and demographic information. Results indicated that 65% of the interviewed students took vocational courses to improve job skills, with an 84% rate of high satisfaction. Almost all of the students were employed and said their job performance improved as a result of taking the course. Even those not seeking to improve job skills were highly satisfied with the courses, and most respondents plan to continue taking San Juan College courses in the future. Appendices include documentation of study methods, instructions to telephone interviewers, employer questionnaires, and data tables. (YKH)
Descriptors: Community Colleges, Course Evaluation, Course Objectives, Education Work Relationship, Educational Assessment, Educational Quality, Enrollment Projections, Evaluation Methods, Focus Groups, Interviews, Job Performance, Job Skills, Job Training, Labor Force Development, Noncredit Courses, Nontraditional Students, Off the Job Training, Outcomes of Education, Personnel Evaluation, Skill Development, Two Year College Students, Two Year Colleges
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: San Juan Coll., Farmington, NM.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A