MCC's Economic and Workforce Development: Annual Impact Report, September 2013 - January 2015

Purpose

MCC’s Division of Economic Development and Innovative Workforce Services (EDIWS) covers a lot of ground. Figuratively, in the scope of its academic and training options and literally, in relation to the Monroe County community of students and employers we serve. We’ve aimed high. We are a group of educators and developers, employers and employees, certificate and degree programs, community and campus outreach programs aiming to assess and fill our region’s mid-level skills gap. These gaps need skilled workers. Workers that can install, maintain and repair mechanical systems or create precision instruments or design emergency response protocols. Enter the EDIWS, responsive and innovative. Our purpose is ambitious, exciting and driven by the labor market. We continue to grow our programs. To this end, we have spent the last year in active pursuit of the following:

Actively create and promote a robust applied-STEM, career and technical education, and middle-skills career pathway system.

Support investment in curricula and equipment for academic, career and technical education, and industry targeted programming.

Identify any anticipated shortages in the educational pipeline needed by the future workforce and the skills gap in the existing workforce – we partner with economic experts, including the Center for Governmental Research, EMSI: Economic Modeling Specialists Intl., and Burning Glass Technologies to gather local labor market information. Reach out to Rochester business and industry in a persuasive and pervasive way – via routine surveys among local businesses on skill needs, training and the business climate, and training and educational partnerships. As a result, we have launched several initiatives within the past year. Program developments include a credit-bearing accelerated precision tooling certificate program and a selection of noncredit courses offered by the MCC Corporate College. Our Career Technical Education (CTE) program, Public Safety Training Facility, and the Homeland Security Management and Agriculture Life Sciences institutes have evolved as well. We intend to meet the needs of our students who want to build a career and a life. And those of our community’s employers who want access to an expert and motivated workforce.

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