• News from Career Coaches for Career Coaches

DataBytes

• Upcoming deadlines:  The end of the year reports are quickly approaching.  The following are deadlines for reports.  Please contact Wendy Kang for questions:
  
  July 15 - WDS data fro PeopleSoft. WDS will pull the annual course data from PeopleSoft SIS for review for all courses ending July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008.  Please ensure all grades are entered, courses are flagged appropriately, and contact hours are provided for courses.
                - Annual reports for the 2007-08 Institute of Excellence (IE) projects.
  July 30 - Tech Prep annual data reports are due.    
  August 15 - Annual reports for the 2007-08 IE Just-in-Time and end-of-year special funding projects

May '08 DataBytes
April '08 DataBytes
March '08 DataBytes
February '08 DataBytes
January '08 DataBytes
October '07 DataBytes
December '07DataBytes
January '08 DataBytes

College Submissions

• Central Virginia Community College (CVCC)
  
  Congratulations to CVCC for receiving a $2 Million NSF grant for engineering education!
  
  
• Community College Workforce Alliance (CCWA)
  
   In July 2007 CCWA presented “Workplace Essential Skills,” a pilot program for Fort Lee’s Military Spouses, in partnership with Fort Lee, the Crater Planning District Commission, John Tyler Community College, the Virginia Employment Commission, the Crater Workforce Investment Group, and Virginia’s Gateway Region. The goal of the program was to broaden the skills and job opportunities for the military spouses. 
   
  
  CCWA Instructors Joe Fleming (back row, third from right) and Connie Turner (front row, third from right) pictured with participants
  
  A total of 110 military spouses completed the program, which was supported by a grant through the Virginia Workforce Council. On June 13, 2008, the tenth program was completed with a special graduation. Each program lasted for two weeks; CCWA instructors taught job-finding skills, including resume writing, interviewing, and computer training to help the participants develop competencies that are sought by regional employers and that are also portable. In addition to this skills training, the military spouses had the opportunity to earn a Virginia Career Readiness Certificate (CRC). Those who sought employment were successful and are currently working for organizations such as military contractors, Chesterfield County, Northrop Grumman, Target, John Tyler Community College, and many others.
   
  
  CCWA Instructor Joe Fleming presents to military spouse class
  
  The partners in this venture hope to resume the military spouse training program in September 2008 with additional grant funding.
  
  
• Dabney S. Lancaster Community College (DSLCC) 
  
  

  DSLCC student Richard Rider of Covington (seated) programs a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) to dynamically control water tank temperature and level in a hands-on manufacturing lab activity with Associate Professor Dr. Leo Mulcahy.
  
  Engineering and engineering technology courses offered at Dabney S. Lancaster not only offer opportunities for a great career, but are now a great value thanks to several scholarships that let students complete the course sequences at virtually no cost.
  
  “Full funding is available for tuition and books for eligible pre-engineering and engineering technology students,” says Dr. Leo Mulcahy, Associate Professor.  Two engineering pathways are available.  The pre-engineering route is for those who intend to pursue a four-year engineering degree by spending the first two years at DSLCC.  Students who are more interested in hands-on engineering applications rather than theoretical engineering should enroll in our associate degree focusing on mechatronics-- the combination of mechanical, electronic and software engineering for controlling advanced automation and hybrid systems. For information about these scholarships, contact Dr. Leo Mulcahy at (540) 863-2825 (office) or lmulcahy@dslcc.edu. 
  

• Eastern Shore Community College (ESCC)
  
  ESCC’s Adult Education Program (under the Division of Workforce Development Services) had a record number of GED graduates in FY 2008.  Two hundred GED diplomas were awarded, a 36% increase over FY 2007, which also set a record of its own.
  
  Forty GED graduates participated in the graduation ceremony held June 27 at Nandua High School’s auditorium in Onley, Virginia.  The Honorable Lynwood Lewis, Delegate to the Virginia House of Delegates from the 100th House District, was the keynote speaker.  His speech highlighted the importance of the graduates’ decision to complete their secondary credential as a way to better contribute to the development of the community in which they live. Maureen Dooley, Coordinator of ESCC’s Adult Education program, presented Delegate Lewis with a “Champion of Adult Education” award recognizing his leadership in the Virginia Legislature as an advocate for Adult Education programming.
  
  Eddie Swain, ESCC’s Dean of Workforce Development Services, presented a second “Champion of Adult Education” award to John Williams from Bayshore Concrete Products Corporation in recognition of its support for ABE, GED, and ELL programming on-site for their employees.  Bayshore Concrete was also recognized for its forward thinking in expanding training opportunities for managers and staff through ESCC’s contract training program and for its leadership in assisting ESCC with developing an instructional site in Cape Charles. 
  
  Momo Way, selected to deliver the Graduate Address by the ABE instructors and staff, encouraged his fellow graduates to pursue their true purpose in life and to seek inspiration from God.  After Ms. Dooley presented each graduate with a certificate, the graduates were congratulated by Dr. Cheryl Thompson-Stacy, ESCC’s President and Delegate Lewis.  The Graduation Celebration concluded with a reception in Nandua’s Cafeteria.
  
  
• Germanna Community College (GCC)
  
  GCC is pleased to announce the launch of its new Industrial Maintenance Career Studies Certificate program designed to provide initial training for those wishing to pursue a career in Industrial Maintenance.  The program will focus on safety, machine tools and methods, pneumatics and hydraulics, electricity and electronics, and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs).  Students will learn the basics of troubleshooting equipment found in various industrial environments in and around Culpeper.  Upon completion of the program, the student will have received their Career Readiness Certificate, OSHA 30 hour certification, and the Career Certificate from Germanna.
  
  Classes will be taught using an online method combined with hands-on learning at the Daniel Technology Center.  The first class will start the week of August 25th. Typically, maintenance workers in our region can earn from $12.00 to $18.00 per hour depending upon the skills required for the job.
  
  
• Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) 
  
  In Northern Virginia, the percentage of foreign-born residents has risen to nearly 25% of the population and the proportion of those living below self-sufficiency are increasingly foreign-born. At the same time, employers in this region have reported difficulty in recruiting for many career-track positions.
  
  To connect the career aspirations of individuals with the talent needs of employers, NOVA and its network of partners have launched our “American Dream Team” initiative, which connects low-income, legal, high-performing ESL participants from numerous church and community organizations with educational and career opportunities and better-paying  jobs at participating employers.  
  
  The NOVA Workforce Development Division secured a $100,000 grant from Fairfax County to help launch this initiative beginning in Fall 2008.  NOVA will enroll 200 moderate-income, intermediate-level English-speaking adults in new “ESOL for Employment” courses in 2008-09.
  
  
• Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC)
  
  Congratulations to PVCC for making ed2go's Top 25 Performing Schools for May 2008 enrollments!!!
  
  
• Rappahannock Community College (RCC)
  
  RCC is kicking off an Educational Consortium effort with 14 school districts in the service region. During the week of July 28-31, RCC will offer 29 seminars which can be used for re-certification points for educators.  Over 350 teachers, school nurses, counselors, bus drivers and other school personnel  have registered.  An example of topics include:  CPR; Dealing with disruptive students; Engaging students in collaborative ways; Growing oysters and other neat environmental stuff; Introduction to gangs; Let’s go surfing….web surfing; My momma says I’m brilliant….How are you going to teach me? 
  
  This effort will continue throughout the year including two nationally recognized presenters in August and September.
   
  
  
• Virginia Western Community College (VWCC)
  
  Read about VWCC's Fresh Connect Seminar with Ukrops and the Entrepreneurship Plus Career Studies Certificate approved by VWCC’s local board.
  
  Blogging, RSS feeds and Wikis, oh my!  As we travel the Workforce Development yellow brick road, our journey will take us to a new Emerald City that uses eMarketing.  However, we may feel unprepared to use some of the tools associated with eMarketing. What can we do? 
      
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g&feature=related
  
  On May 29 and 30, VWCC hosted an eMarketing Techniques Workshop in Roanoke, VA that included 24 participants from 13 community colleges.  Brad Kleinman, Director of Business Development of O-Web technologies and co-founder of WorkSmart eMarketing organized and facilitated a two day workshop that included eMarketing topics and strategies.
  

  

  Many thanks to the following outstanding presenters:
  
  Brad Kleinman
  Anne Blum Hach, Executive Director of Training and Development, Corporate College, Cleveland, Ohio
  David Toth, President of WorkSmart eMarketing
  Greg Marsello, LERN’s Vice President for Organizational Development and developer of Lumens.
  Todd Gibby, Intelliworks
  
  Thank you to the Virginia Community College System for supporting the workshop and vision. 
  
  Thank you to our eMarketing sponsors, Intelliworks and Augusoft.

System Office Updates

• Please welcome Lauren VonHerbulis to the System Office as the interim contact for Heather Millar's position, effective July 18, 2008.  Lauren joined the VCCS in January 2008 as a public relations/marketing intern in the Office of Institutional Advancement. The internship fulfilled her final requirements for a Master's degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from the University of South Carolina.
  
  
• The VCCS would like to thank everyone at each college for your participation in the third annual WDS Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Trainer/Instructor luncheon. A special thank you to NRCC for the band and to DSLCC for the truffles!  Your selection of talented and passionate instructors was great! As we all know, the lifeblood of workforce programs and services is our instructors.
  
  Please help me in thanking the following instructors who received the WDS Chancellors Instructor/Trainers award this 2008!
  
  Full list of Cancellor Award Winners
  
  Workforce Development Services Chancellor award winners from Southside Virginia Community College were lauded at a recent  luncheon held at the SVCC Estes Center in Chase City on June 23.
  
  
  
  Pictured from the left are: Trenton Hightower; VCCS Assistant Vice Chancellor; Louise Ogburn, Community Services award winner; Al Robert, SVCC Vice President of Workforce Development and Continuing Education; Patricia Archer, Occupational Specific Instruction award winner; Dennis Smith, SVCC Director of Workforce Development and Continuing Education; Nathalie Coronas, Career Pathways award winner; Tom Reynolds, SVCC Dean of Workforce Development; Chad Patton, Employer Services award winner; Debra Smiley, SVCC Coordinator of Off-Campus Programs; and Rosa Hawkins, SVCC Coordinator of Off-Campus Programs

Important Dates to Remember

Workforce Development Academy (WDA)

• Just a few seats left! The next Workforce Development Professional Competencies course will be July 28 – August 1, 2008 in Charlottesville, Virginia. For more information, contact Barbara Kessler at 434-243-5337.  This course is the first step towards certification as a Professional in Workforce Development (PWD) from the University of Virginia.
  
• PSWD 590: Professional Assessment and Development begins in August!  For those of you who have completed PSWD 589, it is time to register for this second course of the Graduate Certificate in Workforce Development.  For more information, contact Barbara Kessler at 434-243-5337.
  
• Congratulations to Heather Foor, Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development and Piedmont Workforce Network, and to Dennis Smith, Southside Virginia Community College for achieving the certification designation of Professional in Workforce Development (PWD) from the University of Virginia.
  
• The Second Annual WDA Alumni Reunion planning has begun.  Due to the WIA transition to the VCCS, the reunion will be held early fall 2008.
  

VCCS General News / Highlights

Click here for the May 2008 Newsletter