Organizational example:

Organization/Program

(NACTEL) – National Coalition for Telecommunications Education and Learning, serving the telecommunications industry, and (EPCE) – The Energy Providers Coalition for Education, serving the utilities industry.
Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
Denver, Colorado

Program Purpose

To develop skills and provide industry-sanctioned career paths for incumbent workers and individuals wishing to enter industries facing shortages of high skill workers and rapidly-changing technologies

Program Description

CAEL’s Industry-Led Online Alliances are led by a consortium of industry leaders, both labor and business, and work with selected colleges and universities with online degree and certificate programs. These programs encourage participation in intensive, industry-developed education, delivered in an asynchronous online format via the internet. CAEL has led the development of these international initiatives in two major industry sectors—telecommunications and utilities (both the electric power side of the industry and the nuclear power side).

• The guiding principle for this work is: “By the Industry – For the Industry.”
• Each initiative creates online learning options, aligned with internal training, to address critical employment needs with programs that target both incumbent workers and those new to the industry.
• Each is led by a national coalition that includes employers, industry associations, and unions.
• Each initiative works closely with leading online institutions of higher education.
• With an online learning format, technicians in both industries can continue their education from any place in the country.

Progress

Pace University has offered a NACTEL-sponsored curriculum for eight years. Students can achieve an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree or one of several certificates in telecommunications.

• More than 2000 students have taken nearly 15,000 courses in Pace NACTEL programs.
• These students come from all 50 states, with an average age of 36.
• A joint university-industry committee continually updates the curriculum; most recently, NACTEL add a degree emphasis in fiber, networking and emerging telecommunications technologies.

Bismarck State College has offered an EPCE-sponsored curriculum for 5 years

• More than 700 students have taken EPCE-sponsored courses.
• To meet industry demand, EPCE now sponsors curriculum content in both Electric Power and Nuclear technologies.
• EPCE is now adding new providers to offer an industry-sponsored bachelor’s degree.

Contact Information

Susan Kannel
CAEL Senior Director for Online Programs
T: 303.804.4664
skannel@cael.org
http://www.cael.org/online_alliances.htm