Leveraging Workforce Development to Build and Sustain Technology-Connected Communities

Concurrent Session 1

Session Materials

Brief Abstract

New Mexico established the Emergency Education Relief Fund in response to COVID.  Highlands University established the Northern New Mexico IHE and Community Partner Consortium to co-develop the Technology Learning Support Specialists program.  Open to any learner, there are free 60 minute asynchronous courses focused on best practices in distance learning.        

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Roxanne Gonzales, New Mexico Highlands University

Roxanne has dedicated her career to provide access to higher education having served as an administrator and faculty in the U.S., England, and Germany with a focus on post-traditional populations. She is the provost and vice-president of academic affairs at New Mexico Highlands University, a Hispanic Serving Institution. Previously she was the executive dean of Venango College at Clarion University. She has served in leadership roles that include, academic dean of the College for Professional Studies at Regis University, dean of distance learning as well as a tenured associate professor of Adult Education at Park University, assistant professor of Adult Education at Colorado State University, director of education and training at Hanscom AFB, MA, and assistant education services officer/guidance counselor at Bitburg AB, Germany, and other administrative positions serving first generation, high need students with the TRIO program Educational Talent Search.

Co-presenter: Mary Earick, New Mexico Highlands University (Virtual Presenter)

Co-presenter: Marthann Schulte, New Mexico Highlands University

Extended Abstract

In response to COVID, New Mexico established the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund for Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) to transition to online learning. New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) partnered to establish the Northern New Mexico IHE and Community Partner Consortium made up of a comprehensive college, community colleges, workforce development groups, Native American school districts, and a superintendent cooperative group to co-develop the Technology Learning Support Specialists (TLSS) program, a first in the State and a national model for using micro credentials as a community investment and revitalization strategy to build and sustain technology-connected communities through workforce development.

TLSS addresses critical needs as faculty, teachers, parents and caregivers transition to distance learning through free 60 minute asynchronous bootcamp modules with three distinct equity-based grow your own onramps - business job skills, professional development and teacher licensure.   Content that includes technology best practices and strategies in distance education build into micro credentials that can be presented when applying for jobs. Modules can also be applied as undergraduate credit toward a bachelor’s degree in education or graduate credits.  

Northern New Mexico is the priority area for the community-based coaching component of the program serving 5,000 individuals over two years.  TLSS takes an aggressive community-based approach to recruitment and workforce development to ensure that families, parents and caregivers in our Tribal, Pueblo, low income, and Hispanic rural communities with the greatest financial needs and with the least social capital or financial connections will benefit the most in our micro credential system.

Outcomes

1) Explore a new model of micro credentialing to meet distance learning needs

2) Discuss how to establish a cross-sectional group of stakeholders to meet education and workforce needs

3) Explore the establishment of a new paraprofessional career field or P-12 and higher education

4) Review early research data from the project:

Engagement of Participants

  • One Break-out Session (time permitting) with shared document.
  • Articles for either pre-reading or post-session engagement
  • Program Summary
  • Infographics for explanation and duplication of the model
  • Survey
  • Discussion in chat and Q & A
  • Academic resources handout
  • Poll questions related to micro credentialing
    • Blog Widget-most conferences have an LMS that allows tweeting and blogging.