Motor Sports and Power Equipment Industry Skills Panel

Introduction=

Lake Washington Technical= College has long since been a leader in deliv= ering technical education and in working closely with industry to ensure that emerging trends and latest technology are incorporated into the classroom.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Our mission is to prepare today= 217;s students for tomorrow’s opportunities. With the Motor Sports Industry, today’s opportunity is in helping to identify SKILLS where skills standards have not existed. T= his is an unprecedented opportunity and one that will greatly assist in establishi= ng an educational process that will rival, if not exceed other nation-wide training efforts in the United States.= Also, by achieving a higher standard of excellence in Motor Sports a= s a system, the need for students to uproot themselves and/or family to attend out-of-state private colleges is significantly decreased which ensures a st= ream of qualified workers here in = Washington. Funding from the Worker Training B= oard (WTB) will be utilized to close skills gaps for the Industry.

This is an industry that has seen little or no support and now is t= he time… it is critical in order to stay ahead of the curve. If not, the impact will be: increasing costs for repairs, cust= omers looking elsewhere as repair shops have long lead times and cannot produce on time/on budget, retail sales will be greatly impacted and without a steady supply of qualified workers, companies will either cannibalize staff from others or attract workers from outside of the State. There are 1054 companies across Washington that = would benefit from our support. Res= earch and industry input on a national level have shown that this is Industry that will not go away with lack of discretionary income.

1).&n= bsp; Project Schedule

Project Design Summary

The goal is= to create an inaugural Motor Sports Industry SKILLS panel that:

§ S= ets skills standards enhancements for entry level technicians;

§ O= utlines an industry career path;

§ P= roduces standards of excellence for graduates and ensuring stream of qualified work= ers to the Industry; and,

§ F= ulfills the goal by becoming an on-going regional partnership ultimately generating= new jobs.

Objectives Summary

1.      Examine trends in industry, build fram= ework for future efforts in the Power Equipment Industry;

2.      Devise response strategies to raise awareness of the industry and need for common workforce and economic development strategies; and,

3.      Set the base for community and technic= al college curriculum alignment initiatives.

Strategies Summary

Our strateg= ies will focus on utilizing LWTC’s strong reputation in the Motor Sports and P= ower Equipment industry to harness the industry’s energy and as a result, impact change in the State as a whole as related to CTC involvement and economic development. Because Industry will be asked for their input and advice, pathways to success will= be readily embraced. To this end… workforce development equals economic development.

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Deliverables Summary=

a.      SKILLS Panel energizes for next year d= ue to results achieved;

b.      Awareness is raised through targeted investments in the Industry and common economic development strategies developed as a result;

c.      = Limitations of training resources will= be addressed;

d.     Educators see tangible benefits and be= gin to incorporate findings into their programming; and,

e.      Students understand career path.<= /o:p>

Project Schedule Details:

Timeline

Actions

Responsibilities

Outcomes

November

First industry panel session: Ski= ll Definition

Motor Sports Panel to include CTC faculty

Participation of minimum of 9 Motor Sports Industry professionals from both local and corporate

Consensus reached on skills required for entry-level workers.

November –January

Interview companies, both local-business and corporate

Project Director

30 companies will be interviewed

Ongoing – length of project

Research National education programs, specific to Industry

Project Director

Best practices in similar industries and on a national level will be identified and key components will be incorporated into SKILLS Panel efforts.

November-January

Review and translate industry certifications/ corporate training programs

Project Director, LWTC faculty

4 corporate training programs will be reviewed. Components will be incorporated = into assessment and measurement tools. Trends will be examined and incorporated into efforts.<= /span>

February

Synthesize input provided, distribute for validation

Project Director

Information will be delivered to all interviewed and SKILLS Panel.<= /p>

December – February

Conduct 3 geographically diverse focus groups and needs analysis

Project Director and LWTC administration

3 CTCs or where needed, industry leaders, will identify & involve their partners to ensure a diverse, focused response. Regionally-appropriate response = is key.

March - April

Develop assessment and measurement tools

Project Director and LWTC faculty

Assessment tools meet industry needs based on above findings.

April – June

Draft curriculum outline for field testing at LWTC

Project Director and LWTC faculty

SKILLS Panel approves deliverables to be produced.

June

Production and publication of findings

Project Director

SKILLS Panel energizes for next year due to results achieved.
Awareness is r= aised for the industry and common economic development strategies develope= d as a result.

Educators see tangible benefits and begin to incorporate findings into their programming; and,

Students under= stand career path.

June, 2005

Final report

LWTC

§   Documented results shared publicly.

§   Secure funding in 05-06 and industry support to continue efforts in Skills Standards development for the Motor Sports Industry

§   Replicate efforts for the Power Equipment Industry and combine common themes to begin skills standards development for the Indus= try (work in progress and will building upon SKILLS Panel findings).

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2).&n= bsp; Strengthening of Regional Collaboration & Connection with Center of Excellence

For a succe= ssful SKILLS Panel, the foundation lies in the power of partnerships. There are three commons underlying themes that will connect efforts on a State-Wide level: 1). Industry partners need to be competitive; 2). Stakeholders’ di= rect relationship with industry partners; and, 3). Delivery of industry-identifi= ed workforce education. As ident= ified through SKILLS Panel work for the Gaming/Animation industry, “when businesses in an industry join together to analyze their workforce needs, s= hare human resource strategies that work, and work with training providers to de= sign programs that meet their needs, they make more progress than when they go it alone.” Regional collaboration and leadership are crucial to the Motor Sports Industry stayi= ng ahead of the curve. The Indus= try has transitioned from that of maintenance tech or what some may have referr= ed to as “parts replacer,” to a full-blown technician that requires the same skills as a computer technician or as some would say, “diagnostician.” = It is crucial that we harness the energy of this Industry and help funnel efforts into devising common economic themes ensuring it continues to stay strong a= nd most importantly, having access to a well-trained, qualified workforce.

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Industry Cluster(s)<= /b>

While the M= otor Sports and Power Equipment Industry is not a stand alone cluster in Washington State, there are strong connection= s to the following clusters: Marine (Engines), Manufacturing (Parts & Supplies), Transportation (Motorcycles-HOV lane) and Tourism (Retail and consumer spending).

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How is this visionary?

The Motor S= ports and Power Equipment Industry is an emerging industry and needs support from= the State if they are to address issues identified in the concept paper. It must be noted that we tend to t= hink of skills in this Industry as being “physical,” what is also equally as important are soft skills; i.e., strong customer service skills = (how to work with the public, demanding customers, etc.) and the need to establi= sh ethics (all encompassing). Th= ese components will be incorporated into the SKILLS Panel’s efforts and industry wil= l be asked for their feedback with regards to training needs or current shortcom= ings in these areas.

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SKILLS Panel/Connectedness<= /span>

Due substan= tially to Lake Washington Technical College’s connection to the Motor Sports and Power Equipment Industry achievements and contacts comprised of a minimum of nine industry professionals will be identified. The Panel’s= role will be facilitation, planning, publication and reporting. (Appendix A: LWTC =3D Connectedness).

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Connection = with Center of Excellence is crucial, however, fu= nding has not been granted to LWTC in 2004-05 in support of this Industry. Because of the importance of this service and Industry identified need, LWTC will continue efforts as time and limited funding allow to support the SKILLS Panel work and as a bridge from= key components outlined. Core competencies will need to be identified:&n= bsp; 1). Critical work functions/key activities, 2). Performance indicato= rs, and 3). Knowledge, skills and abilities: academic knowledge= and skills, employability knowledge and skills and Occupational/technical knowl= edge and skills. This work will be= divided into four phases: 1). Motor S= ports Worker Role Definitions, 2). Curriculum Definition for Each Job Role/Module, 3). Curriculum Testing and 4). Begin deployment. Phase I will be identified in year = one of our efforts and with funding from the WTB.

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Program Sustainability

Coherent st= rategic steps to ensure continuation of the SKILLS panel as evidenced by the succes= s of LWTC’s Gaming/Animation SKILLS panel efforts:

Lay out the big picture, chart comprehensive industry career path;

Be obsessive regarding relevancy,= match new curriculum specifications to precise Motor Sports (and in the futu= re, Power Equipment) industry skill needs;

Produce results, relying on curri= culum field tested at LWTC;

Extend reach of initiative to all community and technical colleges; and,

Sustain education partnerships to ensure ongoing Motor Sports and Power Equipment industry needs are met= .

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Support of Economic Development Strate= gies

This effort= cannot be achieved without Economic Development and Workforce Development Councils= at the table. To start, King and= Snohomish County will be involved and as the= three focus groups in differing geographic areas of the State are deployed, local CTCs will be given the opportunity to involve their connections.=

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The communi= ty and technical colleges are most closely aligned with Industry’s need for entry-level production workers. By coupling the CTC’s expertise with the energy of the Motor Sports and Power Equipment Industry great strides can be taken to help move this indus= try forward. Training to the skil= ls identified and in the near future, Skills Standards, will create a win-win private-public partnership. <= /span>The WDC su= pports this effort for the Motor Sports and Power Equipment (MSPE) industry at Lake Washington Technical College:

The M= SPE industry is an emerging industry with strong growth potential for our region and across the State.

The M= SPE offers good wages that promote economic self-sufficiency in the workfo= rce.

The industry is also a good occupation with strong potential for career ladders.

The technical skills sets required to compete in this industry are also transferable to other industry clusters and therefore also promote long-term career development and self-sufficiency.

The Sea-Kin= g EDC, soon to be Enterprise Seattle, supports this concept as resulting efforts w= ill help support and retain local business, while the jobs are not primary, they are found consistently across Washington State. With the promotion of career paths= and opportunities, WorkSource Centers will have a detailed career path to prese= nt to clients and specific course offerings and public postsecondary schools.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> They will be able to discuss skills required and wage progression based on input provided by the Motor Sports a= nd Power Equipment industry themselves and as synthesized by LWTC into documen= ts both printed and online. Agai= n, this tactic has worked well with previous SKILLS Panel efforts conducted by LWTC.

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If one piece of the puzzle is not filled due to lack of trained workers, need for higher technical skills or inefficiency on the job…= the whole company will collapse. A complete puzzle is important to customer satisfaction, staying ahead of the curve and continual industry growth. Specialization is vital to the industry. There are two components critical = to addressing this puzzle 1). Core competencies and 2). Manufacturer-specific,= the first will be incorporated into the SKILLS Panel project schedule.… a support mechanism that the industry has not received to date and is well po= ised and ready to move forward with the assistance of the Panel as well as LWTC’s leadership. As a system, we have an opportunity to make a nation-wide impact and to not only support our local-area businesses and corporations, but industry trade coun= cils on the national level as well.

3).&n= bsp; Project Team. Staff as= signed to the project and their responsibilities and qualifications to include amo= unt of time assigned to each for the project.&= nbsp;

Steve Banks – Project Director <= /span>(1 FTE for 9 months)

Steve will coordinate and drive efforts as outlined in the project schedule. His strong marketing, research and development as well as experience in the Motor Sports Industry will ensure deliverance of a quality product and strong leadership for the SKILLS Panel= . Steve is ready to start work corresponded with funding received and as soon as the end of October.<= /o:p>

Bob Monroig – MSPE faculty (180 hours)

Bob will ad= vise Steve and assist with key industry identification. Bob will work with community and technical college faculty in support of curriculum efforts and ensuring the= ir voices are heard throughout the process.&n= bsp;

Kristi Tripple – Business Traini= ng Director (As needed f= or the length of the project and beyond to ensure continuation of efforts and industry/CTC support)

Kristi will identify national models for review, support the project director in efforts above and provide overall leadership for the project.

Dave Cunningham – Dean for Indus= trial Trades and Worker Retraining (40 hours)

Dave will d= eploy SKILLS Panel sessions resulting in strategic planning and economic developm= ent tools creation. His role will= be to provide the Project Director with strategies to ensure consensus and result= ing deliverables.

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(Appendix B= : vitaes and job description of Proj= ect Director)

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4).&n= bsp; Fiscal Agent and agents ability to administer state/federal grants

Lake Washington LWTC has had proven success and ye= ars of experience in administering both State and Federal grants. As demonstrated by previous effort= s in SKILLS Panel work for Gaming/Animation, LWTC has the ability to deliver on-time, on-budget and high quality work correspondent with budgetary allocation. LWTC is a public, non-profit educational institution and part of the 34 community and technic= al colleges that comprise the Washington State Community and Technical College system.

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A majority = of the funding requested is for staffing. Time and effort reporting will be kept for Bob Monroig, Kristi Tripp= le and Dave Cunningham. The Proj= ect Director, Steve Banks, will keep a log of weekly efforts, outcomes and resulting deliverables in addition to the overall project schedule activiti= es.

Timeline	Actions	Responsibilities	Outcomes
November	First industry panel session: Ski= ll Definition	Motor Sports Panel to include CTC faculty	Participation of minimum of 9 Motor Sports Industry professionals from both local and corporate Consensus reached on skills required for entry-level workers.
November –January	Interview companies, both local-business and corporate	Project Director	30 companies will be interviewed
Ongoing – length of project	Research National education programs, specific to Industry	Project Director	Best practices in similar industries and on a national level will be identified and key components will be incorporated into SKILLS Panel efforts.
November-January	Review and translate industry certifications/ corporate training programs	Project Director, LWTC faculty	4 corporate training programs will be reviewed. Components will be incorporated = into assessment and measurement tools. Trends will be examined and incorporated into efforts.<= /span>
February	Synthesize input provided, distribute for validation	Project Director	Information will be delivered to all interviewed and SKILLS Panel.<= /p>
December – February	Conduct 3 geographically diverse focus groups and needs analysis	Project Director and LWTC administration	3 CTCs or where needed, industry leaders, will identify & involve their partners to ensure a diverse, focused response. Regionally-appropriate response = is key.
March - April	Develop assessment and measurement tools	Project Director and LWTC faculty	Assessment tools meet industry needs based on above findings.
April – June	Draft curriculum outline for field testing at LWTC	Project Director and LWTC faculty	SKILLS Panel approves deliverables to be produced.
June	Production and publication of findings	Project Director	SKILLS Panel energizes for next year due to results achieved. Awareness is r= aised for the industry and common economic development strategies develope= d as a result. Educators see tangible benefits and begin to incorporate findings into their programming; and, Students under= stand career path.
June, 2005	Final report	LWTC	§ Documented results shared publicly. § Secure funding in 05-06 and industry support to continue efforts in Skills Standards development for the Motor Sports Industry § Replicate efforts for the Power Equipment Industry and combine common themes to begin skills standards development for the Indus= try (work in progress and will building upon SKILLS Panel findings).