Step 2: Progress- and Success-focused Program Design
Make the Learning Sequential, Progressive and Competency-Based
Most learning is sequential, with new skills and knowledge or building on existing skills and knowledge as one progresses. Programs assess where students are and begin the learning process from that point forward. For this reason, courses need to be designed to be progressive, with learning activities structured in a sequence where early lessons lay the foundation for what comes later (Fink, 1999). The amount of time that is spent in a learning activity is not the most important factor – much more important is what students learn. Learning programs need to focus on and be designed around the competencies that the students gain, and which are measured through assessment, with subsequent learning building on that base of knowledge.
An emphasis on competencies and progressive modules has allowed for three important innovations in the workforce development field. The first is bridge or ramp programs, which are learning programs designed for individuals whose skills do not meet minimum requirements of certain degree or certificate programs. Bridge programs allow learners to start from their current skill level, no matter how low, and develop the basic skills they need to begin the training program that is their ultimate goal. Another strategy used in some degree and certificate programs is the so-called “chunking” of educational programs into smaller modules. Rather than requiring someone to commit to a two-year, full-time program to reach their goal, the curriculum is divided into more manageable “chunks” so that the learner can work full time while taking steps toward a credential that will help them advance in their careers (Poppe, Strawn, & Martinson, 2004). In many programs, milestones are recognized with certificates and often with pay increases. This innovation then permits the innovation of career ladder programs, where one “chunk” of learning leads to an entry-level job and subsequent chunks will lead to a credential needed for further advancement. Apprenticeship programs are a variation of career ladder programs, with learning on the job and a progressive schedule of wages based on experience as well as new skills and competencies.
Perhaps more than any other kind of learning program, a good career ladder initiative depends upon identifying the right career path for the program by conducting a thorough assessment of labor market needs and projections during the Analysis phase. The task is not just determining whether there will be long term employability, but also whether the job targets for the early phases of training will provide opportunities to advance in a career and to earn higher wages. The ladders are most often created for a single industry, although new work in cluster development is promising to expand the options available to a worker.
As mentioned earlier, employer involvement is important to the design of any learning initiative, even at its earliest development stage. Once the career path is chosen for the program, continued employer involvement is crucial. Not only should employers be consulted to make sure that the program is designed around skill needs of the local labor market, but employers will need to be close partners in the design, development and implementation of the program as well. They will need to be a part of the curriculum development, they will need to adjust their own internal human resource practices to accommodate career ladders, and they will need to make firm hiring commitments to make the program work (Mills & Prince, 2003; Prince, 2003). At the same time, the program needs to be attractive to the employer. It should be cost-effective, meet a real need that the employer has, and it should be easy to use (Prince, 2003).