Planning Grant for a Regional Center for Information Technology Education

Nashville State Community College, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

This project brings together a planning team composed of stakeholders of the Tennessee Valley Region to develop a comprehensive and systematic plan for a regional center for information technology education. The center addresses the need to increase the region's capacity to produce and sustain an information technology workforce. Particular emphasis is placed on developing human resources capacity to enable further automation and sustain the region's major industries of manufacturing, finance, and health care. The planning process focuses on three areas: development of plans and processes to build a community of those with an interest in information technology education, development of a detailed plan for academic program reform and faculty development in information technology education in the region, and creation of a program that engages a large population of potential information technology workers. The planning team that manages the process has representatives from the major stakeholders in the region including community colleges, universities, a large metropolitan school system, and industry partners.