Accelerated Pathways in Advanced Manufacturing
A community college in New England used US Department of Labor funds to revamp its Advanced Manufacturing programs and improve student support services, all with the goal of getting their students through college smoothly and into the workforce as soon as possible. With strong manufacturing industry partnerships, the college developed degree and certificate programs that incorporated innovative hands-on learning and state-of-the-art equipment. The college also overhauled its prior learning assessment processes, creating new avenues for incoming students to earn credit for their previous education and employment experiences. Each of these activities align with the state’s Manufacturing Initiative to revitalize the industry statewide.
To bolster their success, the college engaged Hezel Associates to gauge their progress in implementing grant activities and investigate how those translated into outcomes for students. Our team’s evaluation provided the college with stakeholder perspectives (students and industry partners) and expert advice, allowing them to make adjustments along the way. We demonstrated that the project resulted in positive change for the college and positioned our client to further inform statewide initiatives.