North Texas Regional Technologies Center

Collin County Community College, Mckinney TX

Investigators

Abstract

The North Texas Regional Technology Consortium combines the strengths of regional educational institutions and business and industry partners to improve Information Technology (IT) Programs to increase the quantity and quality of IT resources available to the workforce. A partnership with the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET) provides access to cutting edge information and access to successful existing curricula that can be adapted to so that multiple IT certification options can be integrated into associate degree bearing curricula. Articulation agreements are developed between high schools and two-year colleges and between two and four-year colleges in the area. The partnership with NWCET also provides access to affordable Educator-to-Educator professional development workshops for faculty in community colleges and high schools. A convergence laboratory at Collins County Community College provides students with experiences with interoperability of equipment and technologies. This laboratory is available to industry as a test bed. An industry council provides guidance to the project as well as opportunities for faculty and students to become acquainted with industrial practice and concerns. A dual recruitment process with industry helps increase the number of students from underserved populations. The project develops metrics for measuring increase in IT enrollments and in employer satisfaction with those employees who have participated in the program.