OCTC RECEIVES SHARE OF $200,000 FROM THE BILL MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION TO SCALE UP BREAKING THROUGH SUCCESSES
Owensboro, KY (December 1,, 2009)Through the support of the
Bill amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, Owensboro Community amp; Technical
College is one of five community colleges in the country that will share
$200,000 to scale up Breaking Through, a national initiative designed to
support the educational and workforce advancement of underserved and
under-skilled young adult students by helping them prepare for and succeed in
occupational and technical degree programs. The project is a partnership of
Jobs for the Future and the National Council for Workforce Education.
Dr. Larry Durrence, interim president at Owensboro Community amp; Technical
College commented that, The Breaking Through grant from the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation recognizes the past success OCTC has in
providing education and skills that enable young adults to advance, but, more
importantly, these funds will enable OCTC to train more young adults for the
skilled careers that do exist in this troubled economy. Our goal is not
only to help our local economy but to develop successful programs that can be
replicated by other colleges.
The five community colleges selected for the scale-up grants
have demonstrated that their Breaking Through strategies have improved
academic outcomes for students. In addition, the award reflects each
institutions success in designing a sustainable model for the Breaking Though
initiative on their campuses.
All Americans deserve a chance to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to
compete for jobs that can provide family-supporting wages, said Marlene B.
Seltzer, president and CEO of Jobs for the Future. Colleges that scale up
strategies like Breaking Through will accelerate President Obamas goal
of graduating 5 million more Americans from community colleges by 2020. The
grants from the Bill amp; Melinda Gates Foundation help expand the pathways
for low-skilled young adults to attain college credentials that will pay off in
todays labor market as well as over the long term.
Owensboro Community amp; Technical College enrolls over 5,500
students with 69 percent attending part time. With Gates Foundation support,
OCTC will work in partnership with the Greater Owensboro Economic Development
Corporation and Green River Workforce Investment Board to scale up efforts that
help dislocated and incumbent workers obtain certifications and degrees. Cindy
Fiorella, OCTCs Vice President of Workforce Solutions added, This additional
funding will allow us to provide further intensive services needed by
time-challenged, under-skilled adults. Our overarching goal is to ensure
that they achieve the economic success provided through industry recognized
post-secondary skills.
With support from the Charles
Stewart Mott Foundation, Breaking Through began as a research initiative
in 2004, identifying barriers that account for the lack of success among
low-skilled adult students, as well as recommendations for overcoming those
barriers. To build on those research findings, Breaking Through
entered a three-year national demonstration phase in 2005 that enabled
community colleges to implement full pathways to college-level
professional/technical programs for low-skilled adults. In 2009, Breaking
Through entered a new phase that combines documenting best practices at
participating community colleges, documenting evidence that those practices
make a difference in the lives of students, and scaling up the work in several
sites.
The other community colleges that will receive the scale up grants from the
Bill amp; Melinda Gates Foundation are:
Durham Technical Community
College (Durham, North Carolina) 5,000 students include a large number of
non-traditional students: 72 percent attend part time while 61 percent are over
age 25. With its Scale Up grant, Durham Tech will leverage its incentive
programusing cash or certificatesto increase student retention and
advancement.
Lake Michigan College (Benton Harbor, Michigan) a 2-year community
college that works closely with the local Workforce Investment Board to
prepare TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) participants for
employment and postsecondary education. With its grant, Lake Michigan College
will scale up its efforts to help underprepared adults complete stackable
certificates that can lead to job prospects and degrees.
Pamlico Community College (Grantsboro, North Carolina) enrolls just over
500 students, with 51 percent attending part time; 56 percent are over the age
of 24. Pamlico has integrated concepts of Breaking Through into its healthcare
pathway in both credit and non-credit courses. With its grant, Pamlico will
scale up the principles of Breaking Through throughout the rest of the
college including the creation of an academic success center.
Tacoma Community College (Tacoma, Washington) has 8,000 students, with
46 percent attending part time; 50 percent are over the age of 25 and 17
percent are over the age of 45. For its low-skilled adult students, the college
uses a program that combines basic skills with career training and technical
coursework (I-BEST). With its grant, TCC will scale up its integration of
I-BEST and Breaking Through practices.
About OCTC Owensboro
Community amp; Technical College is one of the 16 colleges that make up
the Kentucky Community amp; Technical College System. OCTC serves the
western Kentucky region counties of Daviess, Ohio, Hancock and McLean.
About Breaking Through
Breaking Through, a multiyear demonstration project, promotes and
strengthens the efforts of innovative community colleges across the country to
help low-literacy adults prepare for and succeed in occupational and technical
degree programs. The goal is to strengthen postsecondary outcomes for
low-income adults by focusing on strategies that create more effective pathways
through pre-college and degree-level programs. Breaking Through is
supported by grants from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the North
Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Bill amp;
Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information, visit www.breakingthroughcc.org.
About Jobs for the Future
Jobs for the Future identifies, develops, and promotes new education and
workforce strategies that help communities, states, and the nation compete in a
global economy. In over 200 communities in 41 states, JFF improves the pathways
leading from high school to college to family-sustaining careers. For more
information, visit www.jff.org.
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