Piedmont Technical College (PTC) has created six career communities to help enhance outcomes for students and early signs indicate that this multi-faceted strategy is succeeding.
Each career communities consists of a cluster of similar programs such as health sciences or skilled trades and advanced manufacturing. New PTC students within these communities take an introductory course that allows them to explore options and ultimately choose a field of study that is the “right fit.”
“Students can have difficulty aligning their college major with their interests,” Dr. Joshua Black, PTC’s vice president for student affairs said. “We’ve created a structure to help them engage in that exploration as early as possible to minimize wasted time, credit hours and money on their way to a credential.”
The introductory course also helps build self-awareness and emotional intelligence for personal and professional growth, as well as developing study and time management skills. Students are encouraged to create an academic career plan with actionable goals.
Additionally, the first week of the introductory course focuses on college orientation.
“Many of our students are first-generation college students, so they don’t have an academic background in the family and may lack the context to be able to easily navigate college processes and requirements,” Black said. “We work proactively to help them know which steps they need to take to succeed with their college education.”
Advising coordinators with specialized knowledge are assigned to each career community.
The advisors communicate frequently with students, reminding them to schedule appointments and register for courses. They also offer assistance and guidance to individual students who have specific needs.
“They’re instrumental,” Dr. Keli Fewox, PTC’s vice president for academic affairs said. “They are the ones that keep our students moving through the program. In a lot of ways, they’re the face of the community.”
Another aspect of PTC’s career communities are events such as block parties that are held to forge connections and a sense of belonging among classmates and faculty members.
“We’re putting the community back in community college,” Fewox said. “We want to keep students engaged inside and outside the classroom in hopes that will help us retain them to completion.”
Evolving from a successful series of pilot programs that began in 2018, PTC fully implemented the current career communities last year. One immediate result was a six percent increase in fall to spring persistence among students. The number of students with academic plans has grown and academic success rates are rising.
While refinements will likely be made, Black said he has an optimistic outlook.
“You can look at those numbers and see if this continues and we get better at it, then this is ultimately going to help students be more successful,” Black said.
The PTC Career Communities include:
- University Transfer- Associate in Arts/Associate in Science
- Health Sciences – Healthcare Programs
- Business – Business Administration, Administrative Office Technology, Computer Technology, Commercial Art and Funeral Service.
- Public Service/Education – Criminal Justic, Early Care and Education and Human Services
- Engineering – Electronic Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology and Engineering Design Technology
- Skilled Trades and Advanced Manufacturing – Diversified Agriculture, Horticulture Technology, Building Construction Technology, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, Machine Tool Technology, Gunsmithing, Automotive Technology, Mechatronics Technology and Welding.