Chapter II: bridge program development.

This chapter provides a step-by-step guide to developing a bridge program. First, it will help the program designer to identify and understand the target student audience and design a program that meets their needs, building on the best of what exists. Then it describes the process of building the partnerships necessary to develop and implement a bridge program, followed by a section on building key employer relationships. Next, the chapter presents bridge program instructional principles and sample curricula for our two model bridge types, along with a curriculum for employability skills that can be used in conjunction with either bridge model. Finally, this chapter presents a process for identifying the support services your students need and discusses post-program job and college placement.

In many cases, bridge programs will be built on or adapted from existing programs or services. The process outlined here is suited for such cases as well as for developing programs from scratch. Where programs for low-income adults currently exist, the object is to build on existing program strengths while working to fill gaps that prevent students from advancing in terms of both education and employment. The program designers should adapt the following steps as appropriate to build on the lead institution's strengths and avoid duplication of efforts. It is important to note that program design and development can be lengthy, taking anywhere from a few months to more than a year, as reflected by the programs profiled at the end of this guide.

Designing the Program

Designing a bridge program involves the following steps:

1) Identify the target population to be served and assess their learning and career goals and barriers to success.

2) Identify jobs and further education and training programs that would provide opportunities for advancement for the target population and map out the requirements of entry and success in those jobs and educational programs.

3) Conduct a gap analysis to determine how well existing programs or services prepare members of the target population to enter and succeed in the targeted jobs and education programs and highlight where individuals are "falling through the cracks."

4) Redesign existing program components and create new ones to address gaps and create "bridges" to better jobs and higher-level education and training.

5) Create a program flowchart to carefully review the elements that are in place and determine remaining gaps. In addition, it is a useful tool in identifying partner roles and providing a snapshot of the program for administrators, funders, and others.

Where the planned bridge programs build on existing programs, faculty and staff from those programs should be actively involved in the design process. In addition, it is critically important to involve faculty and staff from the programs to which the bridges are designed to lead.

The remainder of this section presents a series of worksheets containing questions and tips to guide bridge designers through each of these steps and to help in the initial stage of program design. These worksheets are guides and may need to be augmented depending upon the needs of the particular population, region, and partners.

Identify the Target Population

The answers to the questions in worksheet 1, p. 18, will help identify and assess the goals and needs of the target population the bridge program will serve. Potential target populations include individuals who have applied for training programs but have been rejected because they cannot pass the entrance test and current students in adult education classes, community college developmental education courses, and non-credit job-training programs. Instructors, staff, and students in adult education and non-credit job-training programs are good sources of information for answering these questions. The program designers may want to survey or conduct a focus group of students in adult education and developmental programs and students in degree-credit courses who have not yet declared a major. Even if the target population for the bridge program has already been identified, this section will help clarify their needs.

Identify Jobs and Education and Training Requirements

This section helps identify the educational and job outcomes for participants in the bridge program or programs. One objective is to identify the qualifications for jobs in the region that pay decent wages and benefits to those with limited education and experience and have the potential for career advancement. A second objective is to identify existing education and training programs in the region that prepare people for these jobs. The program designers will then use this information to design bridge programs to be stepping-stones to these education and training programs and jobs. Worksheet 2: Questions to Consider in Identifying Job and Education Requirements, p. 20, provides a framework for this analysis and will help the program designer complete worksheet 3: Mapping Job Levels and Existing Education and Training Programs, on p. 21.

The following entities are good resources and should be consulted in this process:

* Employers and industry associations. Instructors and staff at both the bridge and college-credit levels should be involved in interviewing employers about their needs and practices. ("Building and Sustaining Employer Relationships," pp. 34-38, provides guidance on this process.) One option is to hold a session to bring employers together with faculty from both the bridge and college-credit levels.

* Workforce boards and economic development agencies

* Unions, including apprenticeship programs

* Postsecondary program faculty and any other postsecondary education departments that are involved as the program is developed

Conduct Gap Analysis

Worksheets 1, 2, and 3 have helped to define the target audience and qualifications needed for the targeted jobs and helped to identify further education and training that prepare people for these occupations. The next step is to conduct a gap analysis to see how effective existing programs and services are in preparing individuals from the target audience to advance to the identified jobs and postsecondary education programs (see worksheet 4: Questions to Consider in Conducting a Gap Analysis, p. 22). If certain data are difficult to obtain, key informants can provide a general idea, so as not to delay program planning.

Develop Bridge Program Components

Using the information developed in worksheets 1 through 4, the next step is to develop the basic bridge program components. This process will often involve both building on existing programs and developing new components to meet the needs of the target population, employers, and gaps in existing programs and services. Worksheet 5: Questions to Consider When Developing Program Components, p. 24, along with worksheet 6: Bridge Program Components, p. 25, guide the program designer through the process of developing the basic bridge program components.

Create a Program Flowchart

Now that the basic curriculum and support service elements to be offered through your bridge program(s) are outlined, the program designers can begin to map the flow of steps that will be involved in the operation of the program. Below are sample program flowcharts of two bridge programs. Figure 6, p. 26, from the City Colleges of Chicago, shows the program elements of a lower-level bridge program leading into a higher-level bridge program in targeted jobs in the transportation, warehousing, and logistics sector. Figure 7, p. 27, from Instituto del Progreso Latino, a community-based organization in Chicago, also shows the elements of a lower-level bridge leading into a higher-level bridge for targeted occupations in the healthcare field. A bridge program would produce such a flowchart after the program designers have analyzed the target population, employer needs, and existing institutional resources and identified the gaps that the bridge program is designed to address.

[FIGURES 6-7 OMITTED]

These diagrams can help the lead institution and partners begin to assign responsibility for the various parts of operating the program. They can also help identify any unintended gaps prior to program implementation.

Building a Bridge Partnership

Bridge programs involve a complex set of functions that are often beyond the capacity and resources of a single organization or department within a large organization. Formation of internal and external partnerships is an effective strategy for building the needed capacity and for leveraging resources. The number, scope, and nature of partnerships should be tailored to fit program needs and organizational culture. In many cases, partnerships will evolve and grow with the program, starting with a small number of partners in initial program phases and expanding to increase service scope and capacity in subsequent phases.

This section provides tips on forming and sustaining high-performing partnerships that:

* Include internal and external members

* Take advantage of core competencies of each partner

* Leverage resources

* Provide high-quality services in a seamless system

* Meet or exceed outcomes and objectives

This guide defines a partner as one who performs a specific service function and is responsible for delivery and outcomes. Partnerships may be distinguished from relationships with organizations that provide general assistance with, for example, marketing, but are not accountable for outcomes. These less formal relationships may include organizations that agree to post materials or host a workshop, and employers that serve on advisory groups and refer employees or job applicants to training.

Determine the Need for Partners

Lead institutions should start forming partnerships during program conceptualization. The first phase requires preparation of a preliminary list of core program components and the expertise needed to develop and manage the program. Although this list may change as planning progresses, it is intended to help systematically identify who needs to be involved at the outset and to identify gaps in existing relationships where new partnerships will need to be developed.

Table 3: Sample Partners and Roles, p. 29, identifies the types of organizations with services and expertise that may be assets in developing and delivering a bridge program. The table is intended to demonstrate the range of potential partners--both internal and external.

Worksheet 7: Partner Role Identification, p. 30, will help the program designers inventory the functions and services that the program will need, identify what is already in place, and highlight the need for internal and external partners. The worksheet should be completed in two distinct steps. After completing the internal partners, use the worksheet to identify the need for potential external partners.

Step One: Internal Partnerships. It is important to spend time building the internal team before reaching out to external partners. Identify the individuals and departments within the lead institution that will be able to help build the program and recruit them to be part of a "core team." The core team members should have a commitment to the success of this type of program, and their roles should be clearly defined as central and not simply add-ons to their existing jobs. The core team will help recruit the necessary support and related services within the organization and externally. The program designer should be prepared to discuss the importance of bridge programs with team members and the organizations, potential benefits of such programs, examples of successful programs, and what is needed in initial meetings with potential partners.

Early involvement of the lead institution's top leadership, such as the president or provost in a community college and executive director in a nonprofit organization, will facilitate program and partnership development within the organization. This leadership should be engaged in promoting the program, making it a priority, bringing key departments and individuals to the table, and seeking resources for development and delivery. Ideally, faculty from the next level of education or training will work with the bridge designers to identify competencies required both for their programs and for the jobs to which these programs lead.

The combined capacity of the core team is critical. Effective core teams:

* Have skills and resources to teach low-literate adults

* Have the expertise to design a curriculum for the target audience

* Are knowledgeable about employers' needs and hiring practices

* Will be able to define the competencies required for the next level of education and target jobs

* Are familiar with the target population's need for support services

* Have an effective network of relationships both within and outside the organization, and can build institutional support

* Are familiar with diverse funding streams

Step Two: External Partnerships. Identify the need for external partners by reviewing the gaps on the completed worksheet 7: Partner Role Identification, p. 30. How a partnership functions will vary depending on the context, organizational cultures of the partners, and history of the partnership. Some, especially those that involve fees, contracts, or grants, may be formalized. Others may be informal and based on a mutual understanding. These are effective when organizations have complementary functions and trust each other, or when departments of large organizations have difficulty entering into legal relationships. They are also useful in working with employers, who may define "partnerships" differently and therefore prefer more informal relationships. (See "Building and Sustaining Employer Relationships," pp. 34-38.)

Together, the internal core partners should identify organizations that could perform the needed functions. The process of recruiting and selecting external partners should build interest in partnering and should determine whether the organizations have the capacity to provide the needed services and whether they are the "right fit." Preparation of a one- to two-page preliminary program concept will help focus the conversation. The concept should outline the purpose of the program, key components, organizational involvement, time frame, resource requirements, need for partners, and potential partnerships.

The core team should start the recruitment process with organizations that the lead institution already works with or that have been referred by colleagues and that have appropriate capacities. The following factors should be considered in the screening process:

* Compatibility with the organization's mission, culture, and values

* The quality of their experience with the target audience

* Their capacity to provide the needed services and their past performance

* Their understanding of labor market dynamics, work environments, and general expectations of employers for productive employees

* The resources that they will bring to the partnership, such as financing, staff expertise and experience, knowledge of employers, or networks with the target audience

* Their ability to adapt their current activities to a bridge program context

* The effectiveness of their management, information, and financial systems

* Their excitement about the potential of the program

The lead institution may want to formalize relationships with those external partners that are responsible for program outcomes and resources. This may involve a formal document, such as a letter of agreement or memorandum of understanding, which is signed by all core partners. The document should:

* Identify the lead organization and who has overall responsibility and authority. This organization is responsible for managing the flow of students through the different provider partners.

* Identify the lead person and primary contact in all partnering organizations.

* Define the specific tasks (type of service) that will be performed by each organization and the expected outcomes.

* Identify the participating staff and their specific responsibilities.

* Describe the resource contributions from each organization and how each will be compensated.

* Define the service delivery outcomes (number and length of courses, students, etc.).

* Include timelines and identify key milestones.

* Identify facilities to be used and who is responsible for set-up, supplies, and maintenance.

* State the protocol for communication with funders, the press, and other parties.

* Specify liability for each partner, as appropriate.

* State the terms for opting out of the agreement.

* Include signatures of all partners.

In the best partnerships, each partner recognizes that the other parties must have their goals met in this project. It must be a "win" for all concerned. Program partners must meet regularly and actively listen to each other.

Launch and Manage the Partnership

The success of the bridge program will depend on the effectiveness of the working relationships among all of the partners--formal and informal. Even though some of the organizations may have worked together in the past, or are in the same larger organization, it is important to make sure that members have a shared understanding of the mission, goals, and objectives of the bridge program, can present a common message about the program, understand each others' roles, responsibilities, and techniques for implementing their part of the program, understand program policies, protocols, and requirements, have basic contact information for each other, develop a shared trust and openness with other members, and participate in interorganizational problem-solving and continuous improvement activities.

These relationships can be developed through an initial orientation, team-building activities, workshops with the entire staff on new techniques and challenges, facilities tours, and introductions to organizational leaders. It may be helpful to establish an advisory committee for the bridge program that includes internal and external partners. An advisory committee can be built from an existing committee, such as a committee that advises on a related program, or it can be built from scratch. See "Building and Sustaining Employer Relationships," pp. 34-38.

The team will also need to develop simple and effective management and information systems for use by all program partners. These might include:

* A governance structure that allows for efficient decision- making and is participatory

* Identification of a single point of contact for all partnership organizations

* A documented process for referrals and sharing information about students

* Communication protocols (e.g., a process for identifying and solving problems)

* Ongoing informal communication regarding student progress and needs for intervention 

* Compatible information-collection and tracking systems

* Reporting schedules and formats

* A process for monitoring performance and continuous improvement

* Ongoing fundraising 

* Regular communication with stakeholders 

Partners should be an asset to program delivery, meeting the needs of the target audience and achieving goals. The person responsible for coordinating the program should monitor their progress regularly and work with all partners to make adjustments that are necessary for continuous improvement (see "Bridge Program Evaluation and Continuous Improvement," pp. 83-88). In addition, over time it may be useful to add partners or change roles to pursue new opportunities, to expand service capacity to reach new groups, or add training in different sectors or occupations.

Building and Sustaining Employer Relationships

The role of employers is an important component in all bridge programs. The significance of these roles in developing and implementing these programs is reflected throughout this guide. This section, however, specifically describes how to effectively build relationships with employers and employer groups so that they will engage in developing, implementing, and sustaining the bridge program. The process described here assumes that the employer has a limited amount of time to devote to the bridge program, therefore, the lead institution and/or core team members will be responsible for selling the program and facilitating the partnership. It further assumes that the core team is prepared to approach employers in a specific industry with a bridge program model in mind and the reasons why it can help solve one or more of the employers' problems, such as high turnover in entry-level positions or a lack of qualified candidates. Most likely, the core team has already met with key employers in order to complete worksheet 2: Identifying Job and Education Requirements, p. 20. In all cases, the bridge program providers need to ask employers for specific commitments and make it as simple as possible for them to participate.

Labor unions and labor-management partnerships that are active in the targeted sectors can be an important asset in all phases of program design and delivery. They can provide information about the industry and required competencies, instructors, apprenticeships, and resources, and can refer employees. Where appropriate, bridge program operators should work with labor and management in determining the most effective collaboration.

Build Employer Relationships

Employers should play numerous roles in the development and implementation of bridge programs. They are most heavily involved with higher-level bridge programs, but they need to be engaged in the development and implementation of lower-level bridges as well. Employer relationships are best built in phases.

Phase 1 Learn the language of business and develop an understanding of the issues employers face, their workforce needs, and their performance challenges. Some suggested action steps to take:

* Review the Web sites of industry associations, industry leaders, and labor unions that are active in the target sectors.

* Talk with internal and external partners who have good connections with the industry.

* Review annual reports from relevant companies.

* Meet with local workforce boards.

* Meet with labor union representatives.

Phase 2 Create a strategy for reaching out to employers. Action steps include:

* Determine which employers in your area are the best prospects for outreach.

* Document what the bridge program will offer to employers.

* Document the advantages of employer participation from the employer's perspective. Employer benefits may include filling employee skill gaps, reducing recruitment costs, increasing retention, and improving quality and safety.

* Outline the advantages of labor union participation.

* Outline the specific roles of employers and labor unions (as appropriate) in the bridge program.

Phase 3 Develop a networking plan to reach employers in the industries of importance to the region. Action steps include:

* Ask bridge program partners, labor unions, and stakeholders for references and enlist them in making connections.

* Consult local Workforce Investment Board members and staff, as well as local chambers of commerce for suggestions of employers and employer groups.

* Determine the company or companies that would be the most logical starting point.

Phase 4 With the networking plan in place, begin the engagement at the CEO or senior executive level in companies where there is an entree. In some cases, it is necessary to get buy-in at this level early in the project. Action steps will be:

* Determine who should participate in the meeting. It is sometimes advantageous to include the lead institution's CEO.

* If a labor union is active in the company, determine the best approach for involving their leaders.

* Collect information and outcomes regarding previous interactions with the company.

* Be sure to have current information about the company to appear knowledgeable. Minimally, review the annual report and visit the company Web site.

Phase 5 Begin to work with others in the employer organization. Action steps may include:

* Meetings with human resources, training, and/or organizational development managers to learn more about how the bridge program will fit into their training and development strategy.

* Meetings with supervisors and frontline staff from hiring departments to gather information about skill needs and gaps among current employees.

* Identification of a single point of contact in both the lead institution and employer organization to ensure good coordination and efficiency. (It is also advisable to engage a "back-up" person in case the designated person leaves the company or is moved to a different job.)

* Establishment of meeting formats, length, and follow-up protocol.

Worksheet 8: Employer Meetings Discussion Guide, p. 37, is designed for meetings with individual employers and may be useful at either Phase 4 or Phase 5. If appropriate, it can be easily adapted for use with a focus group of employers in a particular industry.

Phase 6 Employers should be involved in bridge program design and curriculum development (see "Designing the Program," pp. 16-27, and "Developing Program Curriculum," pp. 39-56).

One way to do this is to establish a curriculum advisory committee that includes program designers and employers. When these roles are clearly stated and represent the employers' perspective, the core team can then develop the curriculum. Action steps might include:

* Identify a number of employers who could participate in this phase to ensure a broad perspective.

* Engage employers in identifying specific entry-level requirements, technical and soft skills, and desired competencies for those who complete the program.

* Ask employers for copies of company manuals, forms, and procedures that could be incorporated into the curriculum.

* Form a curriculum advisory committee for getting employer input.

* If appropriate, contact labor union representtives for information about entry level competencies and skills gaps and include them in the advisory committee.

Phase 7 As the program is being developed, the employer should be invited to provide program review and feedback. This is essential to ensure that the end product is aligned with employer needs and expectations. Specific action steps include:

* Develop milestone points to obtain employer feedback.

* Develop a clear format for getting the employer feedback. (If the program has an advisory committee, this is an appropriate vehicle.)

Phase 8 Once the program is in the implementation phase, the lead institution needs to maintain regular communication and follow-up with the involved employers. A program advisory committee is one vehicle to get input on changing employer demand and to ensure that the curriculum continues to meet employer needs. It also helps the program build employer relationships that can lead to further involvement in program delivery. All communications should be short, to the point, and in language that will resonate with employers. Specific actions might include:

* Establish clear internal protocol for communication to ensure that all contacts with the employer are centralized and thoughtful.

* Develop a schedule for regular communication (such as advisory committee meetings).

While some programs may initially involve just one employer, where possible bridge program designers should identify and work with multiple employers in designing a bridge program and placing graduates. It may make the early development more complex, but it also brings more options and greater flexibility in the long run. Finally, the lead institution should make a point of meaningfully recognizing the individuals within the employer companies who help develop and implement the bridge program.

Develop the Employer Role

Employers will play specific roles in the implementation of a successful bridge program. These roles can include providing opportunities for student field trips, job shadowing and internships, and appearing as a guest speaker ("Job and College Exposure," p. 53, provides a more detailed discussion from the student learning perspective). Most of these options bring benefits to the employer as well as to the program, as highlighted below.

Field trips to worksites provide opportunities for employers to "market" their business to potential new hires.

Job shadowing can be used as a developmental opportunity for incumbent employees, who may be asked to give a detailed narrative about the individual job or how the business functions as a whole.

Internships are attractive to employers because they allow them to assess potential employees before hiring them.

Appearing as a guest speaker provides an opportunity for an employer to inform potential employees of business expectations. Managers may also want to use this as an opportunity for an employee to develop new skills in speaking and representing the company.

Support and encouragement for employees who are program graduates can be an important factor in participating in the next level of education or training and ultimately the transition to the next step in their career ladder.

While these kinds of collaborations may require additional effort and coordination, the payoff is great. Employer participation on an advisory committee can help facilitate their involvement. These activities allow the employer to have ownership in the program and its outcomes, and employer involvement makes the bridge from school to work easier for the program participant.

Sustain Employer Involvement

There are several key elements in keeping employers engaged:

* Balancing employer and program needs. Most employers are not accustomed to seeking hiring and employee-development assistance with an educational institution and/or nonprofit provider. Their needs are not the same as the needs of the program provider; employers are generally seeking expertise, quick turnaround, and very direct assistance in solving their workforce issues.

* Providing regular opportunities for input and feedback. This can be formal, informal, quantifiable and/or qualitative. An advisory committee is one potential vehicle.

* Keeping communication short and to the point. Employers believe that "time is money."

* Involving the employer in various aspects of the curriculum.

* Following up in a timely manner on internship and job placements to find out what is working and to correct what is not. It may also help to establish a process for recommending job applicants, such as a commitment by the employer to interview candidates from the program. Providing the employer with qualified entry-level employees and upgrading incumbent workers' job skills will be key to sustaining employer involvement.

* Providing timely recognition to individuals within the engaged companies, getting media coverage ensuring that the right people are credited and that the employer(s) has given permission, and identifying and pursuing award opportunities.

Developing Program Curriculum

While bridge program curricula cannot be purchased "off the shelf," the core team will probably be able to identify existing curriculum models and materials upon which to build. This section describes the process of developing curricula for bridge programs. It begins with a discussion of principles of bridge program instruction and presents sample bridge curricula to give a sense of the final product. It then details the steps of developing a bridge curriculum. This section concludes with a discussion of topics related to creating an effective learning environment for bridge training, including career exploration, and a discussion of types of assessments.

Understand the Principles of Bridge Instruction

Bridge programs should be designed to emphasize the following instructional principles.

* Competency-based curricula

* Teaching in context

* Learning by doing or "project learning"

* Teacher as learning coach

Competency-based curricula. Bridge curricula are defined in the terms of the competencies or knowledge and skills students should be able to demonstrate once they have completed the course. A competency is defined as "demonstrated ability to perform a task successfully." Mastery of competencies is more important than coverage of subject matter. The competencies that provide the learning objectives for bridge programs are based on the requirements of entry and success at the next levels of education and employment. Examples of competency statements include:

* Demonstrate basic workplace math skills.

* Describe general workplace safety.

* Identify and match appropriate social skills with multiple workplace settings.

In all cases, these statements contain a verb that indicates a demonstrated ability as well as workplace context and reference to a basic skill. When writing competencies for bridge programs, it is important to remember to include each of these elements.

Teaching in context. Research in cognitive science indicates that adults learn basic skills faster and more effectively when they are taught in the context of preparation for employment or some other meaningful activity. (8) Studies of efforts to prepare low-skilled adults for jobs that pay more than subsistence wages find that teaching adults basic skills in the context of training for jobs leads to better job outcomes than does focusing only on basic skills or providing job-placement assistance without any education or training. (9)

In bridge programs, the teaching of basic skills is integrated with instruction in job skills or exploration of college and careers. So, for example, students might improve their reading comprehension, vocabulary, and study skills in the context of exploring career options and charting their desired career paths. Or, in a field-specific bridge program in manufacturing, students learn about fractions in the context of solving problems that a machinist or other manufacturing worker might face. Organizing teaching around problems, situations, or tasks of interest to students motivates them to learn and shows them they can learn. For native speakers who have received substandard education in elementary and secondary schools, or for immigrants who must overcome language barriers, this approach engenders the confidence and self-esteem that are critical to success both in securing a good job and pursuing further education and training.

Learning by doing or project learning. Following the principle of teaching in context, bridge programs are structured so that students learn by doing through a process that enables them to comprehend new skills and concepts, apply them to different situations or problems, draw conclusions and make clearly substantiated judgments based on evidence, and solve problems by taking ideas from various places and coming up with something new. So, for example, to learn fractions, students might learn the new concept and operation (comprehension), apply it in a variety of relevant word problems (analysis and applications), make up hands-on problems in student teams for the class to solve (application), comment on each other's work (evaluation), and design a class problem for other classes to solve (synthesis). To learn to write better essays, students are taught and given the chance to practice the different essay parts (comprehension), read student partners' essays and make suggestions for improvement on each essay part (analysis), incorporate those suggestions into a rewritten draft (application and synthesis), and evaluate the whole revision (evaluation).

Lesson plans are structured in a way to guide students through this process so they increasingly become accustomed to thinking critically and independently. Units consist of a series of "mini-projects" culminating in larger projects with meaningful outcomes or products. Examples of the products of bridge program projects include:

* A resume developed by the student that required new vocabulary and the ability to write sentences

* A career-path plan developed by the student that required research, summarizing, interviewing, computer, and essay-writing skills

* A piece of furniture that is built using students' new blueprint- reading and measuring skills

* A spreadsheet that tracks the work hours and patient contacts of nurses in the ward of a local hospital

Guiding students in this way helps them become self-directed learners and critical thinkers, qualities that are highly valued in today's workplace.

Teacher as learning coach. Teaching in a contextual, project-oriented way requires teachers to abandon the conventional "talk and chalk" methods. The role of the teacher in the bridge program is more as a learning coach than a purveyor of knowledge and skills. This creates a teacher-learner relationship that resembles the relationship between a team leader and team member in the workplace. Moreover, it respects and capitalizes on the extensive practical knowledge and experience that adults bring to the learning situation. (See "Staffing," pp. 76-80, for suggestions on selecting instructors qualified for this teaching approach.)

Review Sample Bridge Curricula

The following sections describe examples of curricula for actual bridge programs, including their overall structure and sample course outlines. The "career" bridge program piloted at West Side Technical Institute, part of the City Colleges of Chicago, consisted of two levels, Career Bridge I and Career Bridge II; the former corresponds to the lower-level bridge program and the latter corresponds to the higher-level bridge program, as described in "Identifying Bridge Program Models," pp. 7-10.

The Manufacturing Technology Bridge developed by Instituto del Progreso Latino is an example of a field-specific higher-level bridge program. These curriculum examples are briefly described in this section; the following section, "Develop the Bridge Curricula," pp. 44-51, outlines the six-step curriculum development process.

Lower-Level and Higher-Level Bridge Program Examples: West Side Tech Career Bridge I and II

The West Side Technical Institute Career Bridge was a two-level bridge program designed to help applicants scoring below 9.0 on the TABE to build their basic skills to the point where they could access career-path employment and be eligible for and succeed in college-level career programs. Career Bridge I (an example of the lower-level bridge model) was designed to prepare students who tested between 4.0 and 5.9 on the TABE to acquire skills needed to advance to better-paying jobs and prepare for further education; Career Bridge II (an example of the higher-level bridge model) was designed to prepare students who tested between 6.0 and 8.9 on the TABE to explore the occupational training programs at West Side Technical Institute and the career paths to which they lead, and to enter and succeed in a student's program of choice. **

Figure 8, p. 42, shows the structure of the West Side Tech Career Bridge programs. Each program level consisted of three courses: math, communication, and test-taking. The curricula for both Career Bridge programs were intended to be offered on a fairly intensive schedule, each running four hours per day, four days a week for 10 weeks. The two Career Bridge levels were designed so that when offered together, they could be customized to fit individual students' skill profiles. For example, students with low skills in math but higher language skills could be scheduled to take both levels of math, one level of communication, and test-taking. Thus, the length of stay within the program when both bridges were offered together could be significantly shortened.

[FIGURE 8 OMITTED]

In addition to incorporating key bridge features already described, the West Side Tech curriculum also incorporated GED instruction.

The following are summary descriptions of each course-type in the curriculum.

Career Bridge 1 (lower-level bridge): Communication 1

The Communication 1 course focused on word and sentence skills and introductions to multi-paragraph forms. The course emphasized vocabulary, punctuation, and work with the various tenses in the context of speaking, reading, and writing about personal goals and job skills. Through integrated reading and writing exercises and peer editing techniques, students learned how to recognize and build paragraph structures. The final products of the course included a completed job application, resume, simple cover letter, and a multi-paragraph theme where students described who they were in the past, their current values, and what they want in their future. Students also learned basic computer skills, as all these products must be entered and saved on a computer. In addition, students completed an in-class mock interview presenting these materials to either a prospective employer or a mock interviewer.

Career Bridge II (higher-level bridge): Communication 2

The Communication 2 course focused on paragraph and essay forms and group research skills. Students in this course charted their short- and long-term personal, work, and community goals. They worked in career interest groups to do research in newspapers, in the library, and over the phone to find out the specific employment and training information they needed to develop career plans. Students also interviewed employers and student and faculty representatives from community college career programs to determine what training they would need for the careers they decided to pursue. The final products of this course included a report, presentation, and formal essay on the career path each student chose, as well as a completed (reworked) resume, cover letter, and follow-up letter created and saved on a computer. Exercises on vocabulary and punctuation were also offered as needed.

Career Bridges I and II: Math 1 and 2

The math courses were presented in a modular fashion so instructors could target skills needed by a particular class. Modules were defined by specific themes, and each theme came with recommended materials and hands-on classroom activities that instructors could choose from to teach specific skills. Also included were lab projects that allowed students to apply the skills they were learning to problems drawn from the workplace.

Career Bridges I and II: Test-Taking Strategies

The test-taking course was comprised of a set of strategies for working with TABE test materials. Students studied question and answer types, rated test questions in terms of how sure they were of their answers, ranked the likelihood of various test answers, and gave the reasons why they got specific answers right or wrong. Once students mastered test-taking strategies, they were asked to make up TABE tests for each other. The class analyzed and evaluated each mock TABE test. Students also devised techniques for completing tests quickly and checking their work when they have extra testing time. Similar strategies can also be used for preparation for the GED and other standardized tests.

Field-Specific Bridge Programs

Both lower-level and higher-level bridge programs can be field-specific, that is, designed to prepare students for positions in a particular occupation or set of related occupations. The curriculum for the Manufacturing Technology Bridge program (an example of a field-specific higher-level bridge program developed by the Instituto del Progreso Latino in Chicago) includes job-related conversation, technical vocabulary, job-related reading, and words and phrases that assist workers in resolving problems on the job. The curriculum is delivered in an intensive, five-days-per week/five to six hours per day format for 16 weeks to accommodate the needs of individuals who are either working or available for job shadowing or a paid internship during second or third shift. Figure 9: Structure and Flow of Field-Specific Higher-Level Bridge Curriculum, p. 43, shows the organization of the course.

[FIGURE 9 OMITTED]

Employability Skills Curriculum

Because bridge program students often have little or no successful work history, it is especially important to incorporate employability skills into the curriculum. The Adult Learning Resource Center in Des Plaines, Illinois, developed a 16-week course to address this need. *** Detailed in figure 10: Employability Skills for Adults, pp. 46-48, the course is divided into four phases to correspond with the classroom, field studies, job shadowing, and internship components. Competencies fall into five key areas of workplace literacy: self-awareness and advocacy; communication; social and interpersonal; career awareness, development and exploration; and workplace culture. (10) This curriculum can be adapted and integrated into either the lower-level or the higher-level bridge program type.

Develop the Bridge Curricula

This section presents a step-by-step guide for developing a bridge program curriculum. Ideally, a team of program developers will carry out this process. It is important that the program is jointly designed and developed by instructors with expertise in vocational content and those with expertise in basic skills, including ESL if appropriate. Employers and, as appropriate, labor union representatives, should be involved as well (see worksheet 2, p. 20, and "Building and Sustaining Employer Relationships," pp. 34-38). The products of this process will include a curriculum summary describing each course and showing the relationships among them and, for each course, an outline syllabus and daily lesson plans. The main steps in developing bridge curricula are:

Step 1: Identify the competencies needed by the target population to enter the next level of employment and education in the target sector

Step 2: Organize competencies into courses or instructional modules

Step 3: For each course, draft a summary and syllabus

Step 4: For each course, draft a course outline or schedule

Step 5: For each course, draft daily lesson plans (this step may be further informed as the schedule (Step 6) is developed).

Step 6: Determine a schedule for the full set of modules or courses (in some circumstances, this may also be Step 1)

Step 1. Identify the competencies needed to advance This step builds on the process of determining the bridge program model as described in "Designing the Program," pp. 16-27; worksheet 3, p. 21, and worksheet 6, p. 25, can be modified as the program detail is developed. Once the program designers determine the jobs or higher education level that the bridge program will prepare the target audience for, the next step is to identify the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that the target audience will need to enter and succeed in those jobs. Often this will involve preparing the target audience for further education or training that in turn leads to the target jobs. So the competencies identified should include those needed for the target jobs as well as for any intermediate training.

There are well-established methodologies for analyzing the skills and knowledge needed for particular jobs, such as DACUM and WorkKeys profiles. (11) These tools are generally useful, although some can be expensive to implement. Even if these more formal methodologies are used to identify work competencies, curriculum development teams should interview workers in these jobs to see how they got them and what they think are the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in them. Employers should also be interviewed to find out what they look for in a successful applicant. If, for example, employers require applicants to take some sort of test or assessment and go through an interview process, the required competencies ought to include being able to pass the sort of test actually given and to interview effectively.

Just as important, bridge program designers should identify the competencies that the target audience will need to advance to the next level of education or training. Here again, it is essential to identify the specific entry requirements and the process by which applicants are screened and to interview faculty and staff at the next level to identify the requirements for success in their programs. Ideally, faculty from the next level of education or training will work with the bridge designers to identify competencies required both for their programs and for the jobs to which these programs lead. Where applicable, union representatives should be interviewd about entry-level qualifications for both training programs and jobs.

Other sources include existing technical or professional advisory boards. Also, skill standards developed by some state workforce or economic development agencies can be useful in gaining an understanding of the necessary education and training requirements and basic skill levels required to perform specific jobs.

Step 2. Organize competencies into courses or instructional modules

Identify the competencies that students will be expected to master as part of each course. Specify the requirements for entry into the course as well as the assessment methods and tools that will be used to determine whether applicants meet these requirements. For example, the Workforce Education Division of The Center: Resources for Teaching and Learning in Illinois developed this list of course competencies for a new hire training program at a local company:

1. Read a production outline

2. Read product sheets

3. Summarize facts from a product sheet

4. Read bar and line production and quality charts

5. Write a memo that lists key facts

6. Listen and take notes at a staff meeting

7. Use notes to write a summary of a staff meeting

8. Take a phone message

9. Skim and scan newsletter

10. Read Employee Stock Option Purchase and Savings Plan

Step 3. For each course, draft a summary and syllabus

List the competencies that students will be expected to master through the course, and designate and describe the final products. Sequence units in a developmentally appropriate manner and assign a theme to each unit that matches with specific competencies that will be learned in the course of studying that theme. Write a syllabus that lists the specific assignments that will go along with that theme. Figure 11, p. 49, shows a syllabus for one week of a communications course in a lower-level bridge program, the West Side Tech Career Bridge I.

Review relevant resources for use in the course. This can be done alongside the sequencing activities to suggest interesting or useful ways to structure the competencies. Use tables of contents of promising books to get ideas about how to order and group necessary competencies and search resources for innovative ideas for classroom projects.

Brainstorm projects that could result from work completed as a result of learning the competency sequences. Projects can be completed by individuals or by teams of students with similar career or job interests. A project could also have specific presentation requirements and could require computer-skills learning as a part of the process. Clearly state how each assignment will help prepare students for their final projects.

As another example, figure 12, p. 49, presents an excerpt from Week 3 of the mathematics course of the West Side Tech Career Bridge program. The math course is an eight-week, four-days-per-week, two-hours-per-day course (total of 64 hours). This particular unit teaches math concepts drawing on problems and materials from jobs in manufacturing. Figure 13, p. 50, shows the syllabus for the test-taking strategies course.

Step 4. For each course, draft a course outline or schedule

Create a grid for each day of the week and write the theme and competency or competencies that will be the focus of each week. Use one row for the day of the week the course will be taught, one for basic classroom activities, and one for homework. Think through how the skill competency

will be contextualized and how critical skill sequences will be played out during the week. Design homework that follows up on classroom activities and prepares for the activities the next day.

Step 5. For each course, draft daily lesson plans

For each day on the curriculum outline, write a daily lesson plan. The daily plan should state the week, day, theme, and competency that have been assigned for that week. The classroom objectives and materials can be listed at the top of each page. Activities can be described step by step. Writing lesson plans can be a good way for teachers to get creative and specific about what they are trying out in their classes.

Teachers who develop complete lesson plans can use them later as the basis for identifying what did and did not work in the classroom, and for communicating new ideas about a potential new approach. Courses that are taught multiple times can allow teachers to collect their proven best practices in a growing and changing curriculum file that can, in turn, be used to help orient and train new teachers.

Step 6. Determine a schedule for the full set of courses or modules

Work with all partners to determine the number of courses in the program and the number of hours per week per course. Also decide which course will take place on which days per week. Create a table that clearly presents the program schedule with all courses integrated. Note that the course schedules may be constrained by the academic calendar of the providing institution or by funding requirements. For these reasons, some program designers may need to develop the course schedule prior to undertaking Steps 1 through 5.

Increasingly colleges and other educational institutions are experimenting with ways of breaking down courses into modules or "chunks" that can be offered in an accelerated manner or according to the schedules of students. This approach should be considered when developing the schedule. Some programs have also found that student mastery and retention increases when classes are broken up into shorter credit-hour segments.

Enrich the Learning Experience

Career Exploration

Career planning is a fundamental element of bridge programs. Often, people at this academic level have never had the chance to step back and consider a career plan. This can be a powerful motivator for program participants. Adults with little prior attachment to the paid labor force and those working in low-wage jobs often have less access to career exploration and planning services than those from more affluent backgrounds. As a result, they may have:

* Limited knowledge of the range of careers available

* Less contact with or knowledge of the labor market

* A limited knowledge of career paths, including the qualifications necessary to advance

* Lack of job satisfaction, often leading to problems with job retention

* Few opportunities for employment leading to family-supporting wages

* Barriers to employment such as low literacy, learning disabilities, and low skills requiring an employment plan that incorporates education, training, and support services

Career exploration and planning help students gain a more realistic picture of how to secure a job and advance in a career, and thus a greater commitment to a particular job and greater individual willingness to undertake ongoing education and training. Lack of career-planning information and skills is a fundamental barrier to envisioning a meaningful series of steps to move from low-paying jobs to better employment.

However, simply transferring employment materials designed for other populations, such as teens in high school or adults with a lot of work experience, may not be effective in meeting the career-development needs of low-skilled adults. Career-development materials must take into account their resources, life circumstances, and experiences to be effective.

There are many appropriate career indexes available. Some are available online and are free of charge, such as America's Job Bank, and others may be purchased. One tool, Career Coach, provides free online career planning and is the only tool that specifically addresses the needs of adults with lower literacy levels. **** This Web-based career development tool takes users through a process of expanding their knowledge of different careers, narrowing down a career choice, exploring and choosing the right education and training, and building skills on the job. The tool, available in both English and Spanish, is written for those below an eighth-grade reading level, supports users through a step-by-step process, and is available free over the Internet to anyone who wishes to use it. Importantly for working adults who may also be parents, it also allows users to develop, save, and refine their career exploration work, returning to their saved information as time allows. The Career Coach is an ideal tool for bridge programs in a community college, community-based organization, or workplace setting.

Importantly for bridge program designers, Career Coach can be incorporated into both the lower- and higher-level bridge curricula in a variety of ways, such as in a writing assignment or a class presentation on potential careers.

Cohorts and Peer Mentors

Bridge program participants can benefit from a variety of support structures that can be built into the program delivery model. Some bridge program providers believe that students have greatest success when they are able to go through programs as a cohort. Being in a cohort encourages students to help one another and engenders esprit de corps. Organizing students into cohorts means, however, that all students have to attend at the same time. Cohorts also may make it difficult to serve students with a wide range of needs. As a result, some bridge programs are designed to be self-paced, with instruction provided by teachers/tutors and computers. Some programs are using peer mentors very successfully. Bridge program designers should weigh the benefits of different ways of organizing bridge training and, over time, experiment with various approaches to see what works best.

Job and College Exposure

Bridge programs should expose students to employment and postsecondary education as much as possible. The following are some activities that provide such exposure ("Building and Sustaining Employer Relationships," pp. 34-38, provides more detail on the employer role in providing such exposure).

Field trips to worksites can help students get a clearer picture of their post-bridge options. These trips can be linked to classroom exercises where students prepare interview questions about career opportunities and business practices. Students can also be required to write reports on these trips based on the information they learn.

Job shadowing offers a non-threatening, substantive opportunity for individuals with little or no previous work experience to observe and learn about a particular job. Typically, the students identify positions in which they are interested and spend time with an incumbent worker observing how the work is done. It is often a good idea to have the student develop a list of questions prior to the activity and to report back in a written assignment or class presentation. It is also helpful to prepare the worker who is being shadowed; this can make the experience more useful for both parties. Job shadowing can be enhanced when the student is paired with an employee who has had to overcome some of the same types of barriers the student faces.

Role model panels are made up of small groups of employed bridge program completers who return to report on their experiences at work. Such panels can give current students insight into the kinds of life changes they can expect, the obstacles they are likely to face, and tips on how to deal with them. Role model panels are highly effective because students identify strongly with the panel members.

Internships or work experience provide students with the opportunity to try out work behaviors such as teamwork and reliability that they are learning in class, while getting assistance from bridge program staff with work behavior issues that may arise. Although paid internships are preferable, unpaid internships should be considered when paid positions are difficult to obtain. Another option is providing internal internships at the lead institution for those students who need more time to develop workplace skills. Student interns should have a class assignment (written report and/or class presentation) in which they reflect on what they have learned through the internship or work experience.

The relationships between the program, the employer, and the student need to be charted in an internship agreement. Such an agreement should reflect all the specifics of the internship program, including work expectations and evaluation procedures.

A fully detailed internship agreement should incorporate the expectations of each party regarding:

* Tasks and responsibilities

* Job goals and expected outcomes

* Number of hours and length of time of the internship

* Attendance/promptness expectations on the job and consequences for violations of these expectations

* Communication pattern between the program and the employer

* Intervals for employer/supervisor evaluations

* Conditions for permanent employment opportunities

Bridge students need exposure to college and can get a flavor for college-level study touring a college campus and visiting a class, or, even better, from a college-level faculty member teaching a class or seminar for bridge students on introductory topics. Bridge students should also meet with college counselors and financial aid staff. The goal should be to ensure that bridge students who are interested in progressing academically have applied for admission and for financial aid before they complete the bridge.

Bridge program coordinators may decide to have students document their work and achievements in a portfolio. Portfolios are compilations of materials created by the student, such as final projects, transcripts, and certificates.

They give students confidence in interviews, as they help students present themselves in a structured manner using tangible displays of their accomplishments and skills.

Computer Skills Through Course Content

Since computer use is a must in today's knowledge economy jobs, bridge programs can provide an important job skill for participants by integrating computer use into the curriculum. Following are ways that programs can integrate computer use into course content:

Lower-Level Bridge:

* Writing a resume (product: resume on disk)

* Using computers at home and on the job

Higher-Level Bridge:

* Computer applications (word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software) taught in the context of exploring careers and postsecondary training options and preparing a career plan

* Using the Internet to research career information, including using resources such as Women Employed Institute's Web-based Career Coach

* Computer applications taught using problems, tools, materials, and situations taken from state-of-the-art workplaces in the given field (for field-specific bridge programs)

Computerized Instruction to Complement Bridge Instruction

Basic skills, GED, and vocational computer software can sometimes improve the effectiveness of bridge programs.

Basic skills software can help strengthen math, reading, and writing skills. Teachers can assign lessons in specific programs as homework to help students meet program competencies or use portions of these programs as teaching materials. Software selected should be able to introduce concepts in small increments, allow for plenty of interaction, give good explanations to right and wrong answers, and have a user-friendly student tracking system. Computer labs should have the personnel necessary to help students learn computer skills and to answer questions that arise, and teachers should have good relationships with the personnel so all work can be monitored carefully.

GED skills can be targeted objectives of bridge programs, and GED software can be used as required supplements. Certainly the math, reading, writing, and technical skills taught in the bridge program can strengthen students' ability to prepare for the GED. Test-taking courses can teach GED test-taking skills for the various skill areas, and GED software can supplement course work. Bridge programs that serve students older than 16 with this approach should be sure to give students a GED practice test, meet with students to help them interpret their scores and create study strategies, and give specific GED software assignments. As always, it is critical that the software is able to track student progress and that teachers require updates on this progress frequently.

An effective GED software program will provide readings, test materials, and feedback on right and wrong answers, and will introduce concepts, provide opportunities for interaction while the concepts are being learned, and enable students to build their skills and knowledge incrementally.

Vocational software comes in a wide variety of types, and each should be evaluated in relation to the primary course materials and carefully integrated with coursework. Some software provides a good introduction to a field, some can be used for research purposes, and some can help students practice vocation-specific skills.

Develop Student Assessment

Assessment is a key component of any bridge program. Ideally, an assessment will:

* Help determine the placement level of a student within a program

* Determine the student's career and advancement interests or goals

* Determine the student's support service needs

* Determine the student's strengths and weaknesses

* Inform curriculum and instruction

* Measure student learning gains

Pre- and Post-Testing

Assessment testing should occur prior to entry (placement or pre-testing) and upon completion of the program (exit or post-testing). Program designers will need to determine the type of assessment instruments the bridge program will use. Practices to test basic literacy as well as those used as a gateway for college entry vary among states and between specific institutions within states.

Standardized instruments such as the TABE, BEST-Literacy, BEST-Plus, Accuplacer, and COMPASS tests can be effective and appropriate. The same test is often used for both placement and exit testing to determine level gains. Any instrument that is selected should align with the course content to afford more accurate placement of students into the program. The assessment process and tools also need to align with the requirements of the funding source(s). In addition, the program could offer a test that measures the specific competencies taught in the bridge program.

Since many bridge program students have negative histories with assessment and testing, it is also important to integrate assessment (testing) into the curriculum. Exemplary bridge programs intersperse assessments throughout the program so that students develop test-taking skills and become comfortable with the idea of assessment (see figure 13, p. 50, for a sample test-taking syllabus). For higher-level bridge programs, it is important to prepare students for the college entrance exam. One useful resource is the COMPASS practice test on the American College Testing (ACT) Web site (http://.www.act.org/compass/index.html).

Student Career Goals

The core team will have gathered information about the career and advancement goals of potential students during the program development phase ("Designing the Program," pp. 16-27). "Career Exploration," p. 51, describes a free career-exploration tool that students can use either prior to program entry or as part of the bridge program curriculum. In addition, bridge program participants should take a short questionnaire at the beginning and end of the program, to ensure that the program remains relevant to students' career and advancement goals.

Student Support Service Needs

The focus groups described in "Targeting Student Services," pp. 56-63, will provide a general idea of student support service needs. However, the person responsible for intake will also need to determine the specific needs of the individuals enrolling in the program. An outside referring agency or the program itself may do this. Necessary adjustments should be made during the program depending on the needs of enrolled students. Some programs have found that a staff member dedicated to student support is a critical program component.

Targeting Student Services

A host of barriers may confront students, including childcare responsibilities, tuition costs, lack of knowledge about financial aid, lack of transportation, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, lack of family commitment or support, fear and anxiety, substance abuse, and domestic violence.

Student services are the linchpin that holds together a successful bridge program. Without them, the barriers can make program completion impossible. Student services can address these barriers and make it possible for learners to succeed. It is important to think about the target population and how to make services as accessible as possible given their needs and circumstances. This section will help determine the target population's needs in order to maximize the effectiveness of your support services.

Student services generally consist of:

* Career counseling, including aptitude assessment, career exploration, and career and educational plan development

* Academic guidance, including orientation to the institution or organization, the program, and available services; advising in course planning and selection; and transfer counseling

* Academic support, such as tutoring, help developing effective study skills, and time-management coaching

* Personal guidance, including crisis intervention, personal counseling (mental health and life skills). and peer mentoring 

* Supplemental resources such as subsidies or vouchers for child care, transportation, books and supplies (12)

Prioritize and Adapt Services for Target Population

While there is a vast menu of student services, every program and every student population is different. With limited resources for these services, it is important to prioritize services that are most important to the target population and the program. It is also important to consider ways of delivering these services that specifically meet the needs of the target population. A number of factors can lead to different priorities and different strategies for delivering student services, including student characteristics, local geography, and infrastructure. Some priorities may be obvious. For example, if the program is located in an area that is geographically spread out without public transportation, transportation subsidies are probably important. If the target population includes a number of parents, child care will likely be a priority.

However, there are less obvious student-service needs that may be particular to the target population and area. There may also be ways to better structure and deliver services to meet students' needs. By holding focus groups, the program designers will learn about the primary barriers targeted students may face in accessing and persisting in the program. Focus groups will help identify the most effective services and how best to target them so they ultimately contribute to better retention and completion outcomes.

Ideally, program designers will be able to hold focus groups with the three populations described below. Local foundations may be able to provide funds for the costs associated with focus groups, which may include a facilitator and participant stipends. If multiple focus groups prove too costly, one can be sufficient or program designers can use the instruments below to develop surveys or questions for one-on-one interviews. Suggestions on how to prioritize are discussed below.

To the extent possible, select focus-group participants based on the population the bridge program will target. For example, if the program will serve adults with children, the focus group should be made up of adults with children. If the target population is ESL or low-literacy students, the focus group should reflect this as well.

It is helpful to hold a separate focus group with each of the following:

Potential students are individuals who have never been to postsecondary education or training but are seriously considering it. These individuals will help program designers understand how to get people started in the program.

Former students are those who were enrolled in a program but have not completed it or a degree because they have had to take time off for some reason. These individuals will help identify the major precipitating factors that lead students to take time off and potentially not return. Targeting services to alleviate these factors can help keep students in the program.

Current students who match the target population demographics will inform program designers about what has helped them succeed. It may be that certain services, if marketed better, could help more students. It may also be that students have developed informal services--such as peer mentoring--that could be explicitly systematized in the program model.

Tip: If holding only one focus group, it is likely that the former students will provide the information that is most useful in identifying priority services.

Worksheets 9-11, pp. 58-63, will help in conducting focus groups. There is a separate worksheet for each category of students: potential, former, and current. Using these guides with groups of eight to 12 participants, the focus group will take between one and a half and two hours.

Focus groups will yield a wealth of information for the core team to consider. It is important that as many members of the team as possible observe the focus groups. Former students in particular can offer a wealth of information about how services can be made more accessible or targeted in meeting their needs.

Placing Students in Jobs and College

Bridge programs prepare students to advance both educationally and in their careers. Some programs may emphasize one aspect more than the other, but ideally the program leads to both job and educational advancement. This section focuses on placement of students into a job or a college track. (Internships are a related option discussed in "Building and Sustaining Employer Relationships," pp. 34-38, and "Job and College Exposure," p. 53.)

Job Placement

Bridge program participants generally will need activities that connect them to potential jobs both during the bridge program and upon its conclusion. In-program activities like internships and job shadowing, described elsewhere in this guide, build students' workplace competencies and expose them to places they might want to work and employers who might want to hire them. Job placement then becomes a natural extension of the bridge program. Committing program resources to job placement, for instance by designating a placement coordinator, is an important program-development step (see "Staffing," pp. 76-80).

Bridge programs should create clear policies to structure follow-up activities with employers, designating exactly what needs to happen before, during, and after a placement; how long post-placement activities need to continue; and what aspects of the whole process must be tracked. With a fully articulated placement system, the bridge program will be able to measure results and, subsequently, hone placement and post-placement efforts.

Program graduates who move into and are successfully performing on their jobs may be ready to advance to the next step in their career paths with the necessary education or training. But they may not have the confidence, resources, or information to take that step. Programs may help these graduates make the transition by periodically following up with them to not only determine how they are doing, but also to encourage those who are ready to consider additional training and to provide assistance in identifying and accessing opportunities.

College Placement

As noted above, a bridge program ideally leads to both job and educational advancement. "Developing Program Curriculum," pp. 39-56, describes how to design the curriculum to consciously lead to the next educational level. Besides curriculum articulation, there are other concrete steps that can make the educational transition seamless for students:

* Arrange for students to apply for college financial aid while still enrolled in the bridge program.

* Work with student support services to have students arrange for necessary support services, such as child care assistance, for which they are eligible.

* Take a campus tour during class time.

* Enroll students in the next level of classes before the bridge program ends. (Program designers may need to work with the college credit department to provide more flexible scheduling that meets students' needs.)

* Invite program graduates who have continued to credit programs to speak to the class about how the program prepared them to succeed in college.

* Continue to monitor the bridge program graduates' success at the next level, looking at the areas in which they are succeeding and at those in which they are not, to continually revise the curriculum to achieve the best results for the students. (See "Bridge Program Evaluation and Continuous Improvement," pp. 83-88.)

Cabrillo College in California developed the Watsonville Digital Bridge Academy based on an in-depth analysis of the needs of their target population, the majority of whom are first-generation American, limited-English-speaking Latinos. The resulting curriculum includes an initial two-week immersion class designed to help students learn new behaviors, become aware of their potential, and become motivated to learn, and an Academic Acceleration semester that includes a primary research project on a social justice issue, which serves as an important motivator for students. To develop the curriculum, program designers researched best practices for learning and conducted in-depth interviews of service providers.

Community colleges in a number of states may have access to Community College Strategic Planner (CCSP), a Web-based tool developed by CCbenefits, which is designed to assist community colleges in making strategic planning decisions that respond to growing industries and occupations and characteristics of their future student body. Employers in an employer focus group can then verify this information. Contact CCbenefits at www.ccbenefits.com or 208-882-3567.

The Adult Education Program within the Arkansas Department of Workforce Education created the WAGE (Workforce Alliance for Growth in the Economy) workplace literacy program several years ago to contextualize adult basic education curricula to specific job skills and competencies based on Literacy Task Analyses. LTAs involve observing workers engaged in specific jobs to determine the particular skills needed for the identified positions. Southeast Arkansas (SEARK) College and the Southern Good Faith Fund used this model to develop the WAGE Pathways Bridge Program curricula, which are designed to help prepare people for certain Certificate of Proficiency college credit programs at SEARK College, and they continue to conduct Literacy Task Analyses to keep the curricula current.

The key program partners in the SEARK College Career Pathways Pilot Project are the Southern Good Faith Fund (SGFF) and Southeast Arkansas (SEARK) College. SEARK College provides most of the academic instruction, while SGFF coordinates a comprehensive student support services system. Together SEARK College and SGFF have developed a replicable strategy for improving adult enrollment and completion of college credentials. The Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges (AATYC) supports any necessary institutional change at the college and replication of the program at other two-year colleges. The Arkansas Department of Workforce Education supported the development of the six contextualized WAGE Pathways Bridge Program curricula.

As part of the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) Demonstration Project, the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges has developed Guidelines for Quality Integration Programs for colleges, including:

* Efforts begin with faculty most optimistic and enthusiastic about integrated learning.

* Faculty members are cross-educated about the culture, norms, and values of their respective disciplines.

* Curriculum is built between Adult Education and Professional and Technical faculty members.

* Outcomes are tracked in parallel (i.e., gains in ESL levels and certificate graduation in professional and technical elements) to demonstrate actual impact of the integration project.

* One point of contact is provided for student

The Center of Excellence in Skilled Trades and Industries in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, partners with employers, unions, training providers, and community-based organizations to design and deliver pre-employment certificate programs to address skills shortages identified by local employers and labor unions. In developing a pre-employment certificate, the center establishes a steering committee for the trade or industry that is jointly composed of employers and labor to design a program to meet the target industry's skills shortage. The steering committee helps to assess the specific skills required for the identified job openings and assists in overseeing the curriculum development and instruction. The committee reviews the curriculum and approves the pre-employment certificate as a qualification for hiring.

The initial impetus for Portland and Mt. Hood community colleges' Career Pathways Vocational Training for Non-Native English Speakers came when Kaiser-Permanente and then three other medical facilities approached Mt. Hood Community College because they were having trouble filling pharmacy packager jobs. PCC/MHCC interviewed employers to identify entry-level requirements, including skill levels, as well as state requirements in order to develop the curriculum and to establish parameters for internships and jobs. This program has expanded from one department and one occupation to more than 60 employers and several occupations. PCC/MHCC continues to adapt the programming to meet the current needs of employers.

Instituto del Progreso Latino designed the Manufacturing Technology Bridge based on the Transformations program that was developed by the Consortium on Occupational Research and Development in Waco, Texas, for use in training displaced manufacturing workers for more skilled jobs. Instituto worked closely with a group of Chicago-area manufacturers and with faculty from the Manufacturing Technology certificate programs at Richard J. Daley College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago, to ensure that program graduates meet the qualifications sought by employers and are qualified to enter the college program so they can advance to even better jobs.

The College Gateway program at Skyline and Canada community colleges prepares under- and unemployed adults and transitioning foster youth for education programs in allied health and bioscience. The Gateway Program consists of 12 to 14 weeks of intensive contextualized basic skills preparation in English and Math, along with life counseling and career planning. In the Career Preparation course, students explore the career planning process and gather information about their interests, personality type, and values. The information helps students determine their career options, make decisions and plans, write resumes, and prepare for interviews. Students create, present to the class, and submit a final career-related project.

The Career Coach:

* Expands the career knowledge of users

* Provides step-by-step support for incremental career planning

* Shows how to accumulate career assets

* Encourages more education, but also provides ways for those who cannot go to school to advance

* Shows that people from similar backgrounds have been successful in careers

* Is accessible to people with low literacy levels and includes information in a variety of modalities--visual, auditory, and through stories

* Provides a step-by-step planning function that can be used in short increments, for example, after children are asleep or at a school, library, or community technology center

* Can be used with little supervision, when career counselor-to-student ratios are stretched thin

* Allows users to organize and store necessary information

The Career Coach is available for free at www.womenemployed.org. For more information or a demonstration, call 312-782-3902.

The Essential Skills Program (ESP) at the Community College of Denver uses paid internships to achieve its goal of preparing low-income individuals for jobs in high-demand occupations. The program emphasizes building student skills in the transactional environment of the world of work. Students begin internships in their chosen field, one of six occupational tracks, in the second month of the program. They are in class two days a week, with contextualized instruction specialized to the selected field, and serve their internships three days a week. Internships are credit-bearing and count toward a degree if the student stays in the same vocational area.

Students in the Access College Education (ACE) program at Portland Community College develop research, writing, and computer skills in the context of career exploration. For example, for one math exercise, students calculated what they would need to earn to become completely self-supporting, an exercise that was very motivating for students. The information gathered in this and other similar life-related tasks culminated in student-generated PowerPoint presentations, many of which included percentages, pie charts, and graphs.

The Greater Cincinnati Health Professions Academy's "multi-entry, multi-exit" system enables applicants to enter specific programs at different levels based on their interest and capacity and supports them in advancing towards their healthcare career goals. The Academy program assesses skill levels as well as individual issues that may present barriers to participating and succeeding in the program. The Academy employs two Career Coaches to guide students through the program. They begin with vocational, educational, and personal assessments to help place the students in appropriate programs and determine their need for support services. The Career Coaches then provide career guidance and planning, life-skills training, placement assistance, and retention support for a full year after employment.

The Child Development Associate program at Tacoma Community College prepares people with very low basic skills to secure the Child Development Associate (CDA), an industry-recognized credential, and to enter a one-year paraeducator certificate program or a two-year associate of applied science (AAS) degree program. The CDA is a national accreditation and targets a high-demand occupation--there are not enough certified child-development associates in Tacoma to meet the need. This program has an active advisory board, which includes representatives from large human service agencies, a private-sector child care center, and the public schools. Board members assist in recruiting students from among their own employees and help place students who need new jobs.

Worksheet 1: Questions to Consider in Identifying Target Population

1. What are the basic literacy (reading, writing, math) levels of the target population?

2. Does the target population include non-native speakers of English? What is the range of ESL fluency in the population? Is the target population literate in its native language?

3. Do the targeted individuals have basic computer skills (word processing, Internet)?

4. What are their near- and long-term occupational goals? Have they had the chance to explore careers, receive career counseling, or develop a career plan?

5. What are their near- and long-term educational goals?

6. What types of occupations have they worked in? What is the nature of their work experience (short or long job attachment, full- or part-time work, etc.)?

7. What barriers do they face to program participation (e.g., child care, domestic violence, substance abuse) and what support service needs do they have?

Tips:

* If there is wide variation in the basic skill levels of the target population, consider offering both the lower-level and higher-level bridge programs. Dividing students into groups at similar skill levels will make instruction more manageable.

* If the target population has similar employment or career goals--for example, as would be the case with individuals who applied for a training program in a specific field but lacked the basic skills required to enter the program--consider a field-specific bridge.

* If the target population wants to enter college-level occupational training but has varied career goals, consider a higher-level bridge program with multiple career tracks, to provide exposure to postsecondary education in a range of fields.

Worksheet 2: Questions to Consider in Identifying Job and Education Requirements

Use responses to the following questions to complete worksheet 3: Mapping Job Levels and Existing Education and Training Programs, p. 21.

1) What industries are of economic importance to the region?

* Which are the largest industrial sectors in the region (e.g. healthcare, manufacturing, retail)?

* What jobs in these industries pay $9 to $12 per hour at the entry level plus full benefits?

* Is building a workforce for these jobs a priority for the region?

* What are the potential target occupations for workers without extensive education or skills (i.e., for workers with less than an associate degree)?

2) What are the characteristics of the targeted jobs/occupations?

* What are these jobs and what are the next steps up the job ladder?

* What wages and benefits do the jobs at each level offer?

* What is the current and projected demand for these jobs among local employers?

* What employers in the area hire for these jobs?

3) How do employers secure their workforce?

* From what sources and with what methods do local employers hire for such jobs?

* Do local employers have difficulty hiring for any of these jobs? If so, why?

* Do local employers have trouble retaining or advancing workers in these jobs? If so, why?

4) What are the requirements of the targeted occupations?

* What qualifications do local employers seek in applicants for the jobs at each level?

* Do employers in the region use common assessment tools or skill certifications in hiring?

* What professional certification or licensing standards exist for the targeted jobs?

* What screening criteria do employers use (e.g., educational credentials, work experience, drug testing, criminal background)?

5) What education or training programs in the area prepare adults for the jobs identified?

* Which institutions or organizations provide these programs? What types of programs are provided (certificate, degree)?

* What curriculum and support services (including job placement and follow-up) do these programs provide? How long is each program (number of hours per week and number of weeks)?

6) What are the requirements for entry into each of these programs?

* What competencies must students have to enter the program?

* What assessment tests and other methods are used to screen applicants?

* Are there any additional eligibility requirements such as those imposed by specific funding sources?

Tips:

* Potential sources of information for local labor market demand and projections include:

* The "business and industry" contract training division at a community college

* Faculty in occupational degree programs at community colleges or technical schools

* Community-based organizations with strong ties to local employers

* Universities

* One-stop career centers

* State departments of labor and employment security

* State and local workforce boards

* Local economic development groups and commissions

* Chambers of commerce, employer or trade associations

* As helpful as labor market statistics can be in gauging overall employment and projected demand in particular job types, data analysis cannot substitute for reaching out to employers to discuss their hiring needs and challenges. (Worksheet 8: Employer Meetings Discussion Guide on p. 37 provides sample questions.)

* Consider whether there are opportunities for attaching academic credit or arranging for articulation with postsecondary credentials at a community or technical college.

* Determine whether anyone in the region has conducted a formal analysis of the skill requirements of the target jobs using ACT WorkKeys, DACUM, literacy task analysis, or some other methodology. Usually staff members of community college business and industry customized training divisions are familiar with such tools. Also, find out if the state workforce or economic development agency has developed skill standards for occupations in the target industry.

Worksheet 3: Mapping Job Levels and Existing Education and
Training Programs

TARGETS OCCUPATION(S):

JOB LEVELS

CHARACTERISTICS               REQUIREMENTS

Position:                     Qualifications:

Wages:                        Assessment Tools:

Benefits:                     Certification/Licensing:

Demand:

Career Path/Next Job Level:

Position:                     Qualifications:

Wages:                        Assessment Tools:

Benefits:                     Certification/Licensing:

Demand:                       Screenings:

Career Path/Next Job Level:

Position:                     Qualifications:

Wages:                        Assessment Tools:

Benefits:                     Certification/Licensing:

Demand:                       Screenings:

Career Path/Next Job Level:

EXISTING EDUCATION AND
TRAINING PROGRAMS

PROVIDER(S)              CONTENT *                ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Name:                    Curriculum:              Competencies:

Type:                    Services:                Assessments/Test:

                         Length:                  Program Eligibility:

Name:                    Curriculum:              Competencies:

Type:                    Services:                Assessments/Test:

                         Length:                  Program Eligibility:

Name:                    Curriculum:              Competencies:

Type:                    Services:                Assessments/Test:

                         Length:                  Program Eligibility:

Worksheet 4: Questions to Consider in Conducting a Gap Analysis

1) Employer Demand and Existing Capacity:

* Are existing programs meeting the demand from employers in the region in terms of both quantity and quality?

* Is there sufficient demand from employers to warrant the building of bridge or feeder programs into the existing education and training programs?

* Are existing programs operating at or near capacity? If not, how many additional students could each accommodate?

2) Recruitment:

* What is the demographic profile of students in each program (e.g., age, educational level, race/ethnicity, parental status, work experience)?

* How are students recruited for these programs and from what sources?

3) Retention and Outcomes:

* How many students complete each program every year?

* Do the programs have trouble retaining students? If so, why?

* What data are available on the job and further education outcomes of each program? Which programs are most effective in preparing students for employment and further learning in the target sector?

4) Bridge Opportunities:

* What are the most common reasons that applicants are rejected from existing programs?

* Are there remedial programs for individuals who do not qualify for the programs? If so, whom do they serve, what instruction and support do they provide, and how effective are they?

* Given the above responses, what are the opportunities for bridge program development?

Tips:

* If the lead institution is a community college, examine the extent to which students in adult education (ABE, ESL, or GED) or developmental education programs advance to college-level occupational programs in the target field and the extent to which adults trying to enter college-level occupational programs are successful or unsuccessful.

* If the lead institution is a community organization, examine the extent to which clients with low literacy skills enter job training and other occupational education programs within the organization or with other education and training providers.

* If the lead institution is an employer, think about the sorts of qualifications more applicants should exhibit for the jobs in question. What are the most common deficiencies in applicants for these jobs? Do entry requirements clearly relate to what is required for success on the job? How prepared are current employees for their jobs, and what improvement in skills or work behaviors do they need?

Worksheet 5: Questions to Consider in Developing Program Components

1) What will be the level of the bridge program? What if any sector(s) are targeted?

* Should the bridge program be designed with multiple levels?

* Will the bridge program be field-specific?

2) What will be the entry requirements and recruitment sources?

* What basic skill levels are required for program entry at each level?

* What are the screening and assessment tools?

* What are the recruitment sources?

3) What are the targeted education and employment goals?

* What skill levels will program graduates attain (literacy and other competencies)?

* What is the next level of education for which program graduates will be qualified?

* What is the employment goal (targeted occupations)?

* Who are the targeted employers?

4) What will be the basic curricula and support services components?

* What competencies do students need to succeed at the next job and education level?

* Based on these competencies, what are the essential curriculum elements?

* What existing courses or programs address these competency areas? What types of new courses will need to be developed?

* What program length (number of hours and number of weeks), schedule (days, evenings), and location are best suited to the target population?

* What will be some unique features of the program (e.g., internships, cohorts)?

* What support services, for example counseling, case management, child care, transportation, job-placement assistance, will be needed to ensure that members of the target population are able to complete bridge training and advance to the next levels of education and employment? ("Targeting Student Services," pp. 56-63, will help answer this question.)

Tips:

* Use worksheet 6, p. 25, to help summarize the major features of the bridge program design at each level. Responses to the questions in worksheets 1 through 5 will aid in completing the worksheet.

* Examine how existing programs and services can be modified or repackaged to provide the instruction and support needed by the target population to advance to the targeted further education and jobs.What new or additional program elements are needed?

* More guidance on developing or adapting bridge curriculum materials is provided in "Developing Program Curriculum," pp. 39-56, and more guidance on student support services is provided in "Targeting Student Services," pp. 56-63.

Worksheet 6: Bridge Program Components Summary Sheet

BRIDGE PROGRAM LEVEL     STUDENT ENTRY AND
AND TARGET SECTOR(S)     RECRUITMENT

Level:                   Basic Skills Level:

Target Sector(s):        Screening and
                         Pre-assessment
                         Instruments:

                         Recruitment Sources:

Level:                   Basic Skills Level:

Target Sector(s):        Screening and
                         Pre-assessment
                         Instruments:

                         Recruitment Sources:

TARGET EDUCATION AND     CURRICULA AND SUPPORT
EMPLOYMENT GOALS         SERVICES COMPONENTS *

Exit Competencies:       Curriculum:
                         * Courses (existing and
                           new):

Education Goals:         * Length and Schedule:

Employment Goal:         * Features:

Target Employers:        * Credit

                         Support Services:

Exit Competencies:       Curriculum:
                         * Courses (existing and
                           new):

Education Goals:         * Length and Schedule:

Employment Goal:         * Features:

Target Employers:        * Credit:

                         Support Services:

* At this point, simply list the basic curricula and support services
components; more details on curriculum development and identifying
needed student support services are provided later in this chapter.

                 Worksheet 7: Partner Role Identification

        ROLES                                    PARTNER(S) RESPONSIBLE

Program Development

  Coordination

  Partnership development and management

  Identification of target population

  Identification of targeted jobs and
  skill requirements

  Identification of next step education and
  training programs

  Program design and planning

  Curriculum development

  Fundraising

  Recruitment of staff and instructors

  Training of staff and instructors

  Equipment, supplies, and facilities

  Monitor and track program outcomes

Program Delivery

  Marketing and recruitment

  Intake, assessment, screening, and counseling

  Program orientation

  Instruction: basic skills and
  technical skills

  Certifications and degrees

  Tutoring and other academic support

  Case management

  Support services

  Career exposure and planning

  College exposure and planning

  Job, internship, and college placement

Worksheet 8: Employer Meetings Discussion Guide

Below is a set of topics to discuss during start-up meetings with potential employer partners. The topics discussed will vary based on knowledge of the company, type of bridge program under development, and previous relationships with the company. The completed worksheet 2: Questions to Consider in Identifying Job and Education Requirements, p. 20, will provide answers to some of these questions.

Background

A. Information about the lead institution

B. Summary of previous relationships with the employer

C. Overview of how/why you chose to meet with this employer now

Tip: Consider sending this information before the actual meeting along with a detailed agenda. Be ready to give an overview of the information to reinforce it and focus the conversation.

Bridge Program Basics

A. Brief overview of bridge program basics (a handout may be helpful)

B. Brief overview of the bridge program you are developing:

1. Target occupations

2. Target audience (The target audience is important to the provider. Employers tend to care most about who they see at their door when they are hiring--make this a program that will help employers meet their bottom line, not a social service program.)

3. Timeframe/schedule

4. Expected outcomes

C. Benefits to the employer (To the degree possible, anticipate what the benefits will be. These can be clarified as you learn more about the employer.)

1. The bridge program will help develop a qualified workforce.

2. The program curriculum will reflect the employer's needs.

3. The bridge program can assist in promoting the company to a new population of potential workers.

4. The program would be available to the employer's entry-level workers.

5. The program could help the employer lower costs of recruitment and reduce turnover.

Employer Information

A. Baseline information about the company

1. Number of employees, types of positions, number of company locations, etc.

2. The company's goals for the next one to three years

3. Challenges the company faces in meeting its goals

B. Human resources information and challenges

1. Does the company have the skilled workforce it needs to meet its goals? What gaps exist? Are there plans to address those gaps?

2. What are the problems with finding and training entry-level workers?

3. Has the company identified career pathways for entry-level workers? (If not, this might be a useful exercise to engage in with the employer.)

4. Is the company open to working with an external provider such as your institution?

5. Is the company willing to provide release time or on-the-clock time for participation of incumbent workers and new hires?

6. Does the company have a labor union and what roles might it play?

Options for Employer Roles

A. Specific information on the role the employer (and, if appropriate, the labor union) might play in bridge program development and implementation

1. Program development

* Clarification on hiring issues

* Descriptions of required skills and educational levels, advancement opportunities, and salary levels for entry-level positions

* Input into curriculum development

2. Program delivery

* Presentations to bridge program participants

* Service on advisory committee

* Providing tours of facilities, job shadowing, or mentoring

* Providing internship or work experience opportunities

* Priority interviewing for program graduates

B. Exploration of areas that are of most interest to the employer

* Strengths of employer organization

* Motivation for involvement, e.g., gain new employees, educate current workforce, improve public relations 

C. Feedback and input on curricular directions and program design

* Eligibility of incumbent employees for the program

* Other potential employer partners (be aware that the employer may be sensitive about having partners who are direct competitors)

* Potential funding through the Workforce Investment Act Summary and Next Steps

A. Summarize the program under consideration and the employer's response to it

B. Together, determine what needs to be done, by whom, by when

C. Agree on a next meeting time and who needs to be at the next meeting

Worksheet 9: Student Service Focus Group Discussion Guide Potential Students

A. Introduction

1. Staff/organization introductions

2. Explanation of focus groups

* Focus groups are a technique used in business to find out what consumers want and need.

* Since students are consumers of education or training, our goal is to find out what you need to be successful in our program.

* First, we will talk about your life and your daily experiences, and then we want to find out more about your educational goals and needs.

3. Purpose of this focus group

4. Participant introductions

Ask each participant to share:

* Name

* Basic family information (kids, ages, etc.)

* Current job, if employed

* Career goal

B. Discussion

1. A day in your life

The purpose of this section is to get an accurate picture of the daily responsibilities of your potential students. Having a good sense of what they are balancing, what kinds of things can interfere with their day, and what kind of support networks they have will help you identify places where your program can offer support.

* What is your morning like? What time does it start? What does it take to get everyone out the door?

* What is your day like?

* What time do you get home in the evening? What needs to get done? When do you go to sleep?

* What are your child-care arrangements during the day? What happens if your child is sick?

* What makes you feel like you have had a successful day?

* What kinds of things throw your day off?

* When these things happen, what is your backup? Do you feel like you have a network of support? What does that network look like?

2. Reasons for seeking education and training

The purpose of this section is to find out what students' motivations are for seeking education and training. Understanding these motivations is helpful because program staff can reinforce these throughout the program, while helping students find other motivations for staying in school. These questions will also help you determine whether participants generally have people in their lives who will reinforce their motivation or work against it.

* When you finished high school, did you seek out further education and training immediately or wait? If you waited, tell us about some reasons for waiting.

* Now that you've started thinking about continuing your education or improving your skills, we'd like to get a good understanding of what is motivating you to do this.

* Task: Please take a moment to think about your top three or four reasons for continuing your education or building your skills. Write them down.

* Have participants share their reasons and discuss.

* If you decide to continue your education, how do you think people in your life will respond? Are they supportive? If so, how are they supportive? If not, what makes you feel they will be unsupportive?

* Let's talk about specific people and how they might or might not support you:

* Spouse 

* Extended family--parents, siblings, aunts, uncles

* Kids

* Employer

3. The path to further education and training

The purpose of this section is to help illuminate students' prior knowledge of the process of getting started in college or a training program. This will help you determine how much initial outreach, orientation, and assistance you will need to provide.

* What colleges or job-training programs are available in your area?

* Do you know anyone who has taken part in any of these? Who--relatives, friends, coworkers?

* Have you talked to them about how to get started? Could you talk to them about how to get started? If not, do you know of anyone you could go to for advice?

* What are the basic things that someone has to do to apply to and get into college or a job-training program?

* What is the first thing you would do?

* Where would you go and who would you talk to?

* If someone you know wanted to go to college or get job training, what would you advise them to do?

* Have any of you ever started the process of applying to college or registering for a job-training program but had to stop? Tell us about that. What happened?

* Take a moment to think about the following sentence: "I want to get started in college, but there are just a few things I need to do, or things that need to happen, or things I need to get into place before I can get started." What are those things?

* Task: Please take a moment to think about this and write down what is getting in the way of getting started.

* Have participants share their reasons and discuss.

4. Expectations of college or job training

This section will help you learn about students' notions of what college or training will be like. If common misperceptions arise, you will be able to address these with incoming students. If common fears arise, you will also be better able to preempt these concerns when students begin a program.

* When you picture yourself in college or a job-training program, what do you imagine it will be like?

* What will it be like to be in a classroom? Do you think you will enjoy that experience? Why or why not?

* What about homework? How much time do you think you will spend on homework?

* Do you picture college as a social experience? Do you see it as a place to make friends?

* What excites you the most about the thought of going to college or job training?

* What worries you the most? Do you have any concerns? What are those concerns?

5. Wrap-up

* If you go to college or a job-training program, how do you picture your life in 10 years? What are your hopes? What would success look like to you? Describe the life you want to have.

Worksheet 10: Student Service Focus Group Discussion Guide Former Students

A. Introduction

1. Staff/organization introductions

2. Explanation of focus groups

* A focus group is a technique used in business to find out what consumers want and need.

* Since students are consumers of education, our goal is to find out what you need to be successful in school.

* First, we will talk about your life and your daily experiences, and then we want to find out more about your educational goals and needs.

3. Purpose of this focus group

4. Participant introductions

Ask each participant to share:

* Name

* Basic family information (kids, ages, etc.)

* Current job, if employed

* When they were in school and what program they were in

B. Discussion

1. A day in your life

The purpose of this section is to get an accurate picture of the daily responsibilities of students. Having a good sense of what they are balancing, what kinds of things can interfere with their day, and what kind of support networks they have will help you identify places where your program can offer support. Note that for former students, you may want to ask them to think back to when they were in school or training when they answer the following questions.

* What is your morning like? What time does it start? What does it take to get everyone out the door?

* What is your day like?

* What time do you get home in the evening? What needs to get done? When do you go to sleep?

* What are your child-care arrangements during the day? What happens if your child is sick?

* What makes you feel like you have had a successful day?

* What kinds of things throw your day off?

* When these things happen, what is your back-up? Do you feel like you have a network of support? What does that network look like?

2. Reasons for going to seeking education or training

The purpose of this section is to find out what students' motivations are for seeking education and training. Understanding these motivations is helpful because program staff can reinforce these throughout the program, while helping students find other motivations for staying in school. These questions will also help you determine whether participants generally have people in their lives who will reinforce their motivation or work against it.

* When you finished high school, did you apply to college or job training immediately or wait? If you waited, tell us about some reasons for waiting.

* We want to understand your motivations for continuing your education. When you decided to go to college or enter a job-training program, what were your reasons?

* Task: Please take a moment to think about your top three or four reasons for continuing your education. Write them down.

* Have participants share their reasons and discuss.

* When you decided to enroll in college/job training, how did people in your life react? Were they supportive? If so, how were they supportive? Talk about specific things they did.

* If not, in what ways were they unsupportive? Talk about specific things they did.

* Probe specific people:

* Spouse

* Extended family--parents, siblings, aunts, uncles

* Kids

* Employer

3. Expectations of college/job training

This section will help you learn about what students expected and how that differed from their experience. If common misperceptions arise, you will be able to address these with incoming students. If common fears arise, you will also be better able to preempt these concerns when students begin a program.

* When you started college or job training, did you know what you wanted your career to be? How did you figure that out?

* If you didn't know what you wanted your career to be, how did you pick your major or program of study?

* How did you figure out which classes to take?

* Did you feel like the classes you were taking were moving you toward your goal? Why or why not?

* Think back to how you pictured college or job training before you started. What were your greatest fears? What excited you the most?

* Once you were there, was it what you expected it to be? How was it different?

Probes:

* Classes

* Homework

* Difficulty of work

* Schedule

* Social life/sense of community

4. Reasons for leaving/taking time off

The purpose of this section is to understand why students leave their programs. By identifying these factors, you can use your services to target these events before they become a barrier to persistence.

* We would like to understand what kinds of things make it difficult for students to continue in a program or force them to take time off. Please take a moment to think about your reasons for taking time off from or leaving your program.

* Task: Please write your reasons down.

* Have participants share their reasons and discuss.

* Were there any resources or people at the college or program you were in who could have helped you with these things?

* Probe specific services depending on the barriers that were raised. Example: You mentioned that you left your program because you were failing a class. Did your program have tutoring services available? Were you able to take advantage of that service? What would have made it easier for you to use the tutors that were available? Your goal here is to find out if the service existed, and if it did, why it did not work (e.g., too far away, or hours weren't convenient, or didn't know about it). This may help you adapt your services to particular needs. Specific services to probe include:

* Financial aid and financial-aid counseling

* Academic advising

* Tutoring

* Mentoring

* Career counseling

* Job placement

* Personal counseling

* Child care

* Student support groups/clubs

* Do you plan to re-enroll in your program or a different program? If so, what needs to happen before that is possible for you?

5. Wrap-up

* If you go back to college or a job-training program, how do you picture your life in 10 years? What are your hopes? What would success look like to you? Describe the life you want to have.

Worksheet 11: Student Service Focus Group Discussion Guide Current Students

A. Introduction

1. Staff/organization introductions

2. Explanation of focus groups

* A focus group is a technique used in business to find out what consumers want and need.

* Since students are consumers of education and training, our goal is to find out what you need to be successful in school.

* First, we will talk about your life and your daily experiences, and then we want to find out more about your educational goals and needs.

3. Purpose of this focus group

4. Participant introductions

Ask each participant to share:

* Name

* Basic family information (kids, ages, etc.)

* Current job if employed

* What education or training program they are currently in and career goal

B. Discussion

1. A day in your life

The purpose of this section is to get an accurate picture of the daily responsibilities of students. Having a good sense of what they are balancing, what kinds of things can interfere with their day, and what kind of support networks they have will help you identify places where your program can offer support.

* What is your morning like? What time does it start? What does it take to get everyone out the door?

* What is your day like?

* What time do you get home in the evening? What needs to get done? When do you go to sleep?

* What are your child care arrangements during the day? What happens if your child is sick?

* What makes you feel like you have had a successful day?

* What kinds of things throw your day off?

* When these things happen, what is your back up? Do you feel like you have a network of support? What does that network look like?

2. Reasons for seeking education and training

The purpose of this section is to find out what students' motivations are for seeking education and training. Understanding these motivations is helpful because program staff can reinforce these throughout the program, while helping students find other motivations for staying in school. These questions will also help you determine if participants generally have people in their life who will reinforce their motivation or work against it.

* When you finished high school, did you apply to college or job training immediately or wait? If you waited, tell us about some reasons for waiting.

* We want to understand your motivations for continuing your education. When you decided to go to college or enter a job training program, what were your reasons?

* Task: Please take a moment to think about your top three or four reasons for continuing your education. Write them down.

* Have participants share their reasons and discuss.

* When you decided to enroll in college/job training, how did people in your life react?

* Were they supportive? If so, how were they supportive? Talk about specific things they did.

* If not, in what ways were they unsupportive? Talk about specific things they did.

* Probe specific people:

* Spouse

* Extended family--parents, siblings, aunts, uncles

* Kids

* Employer

3. Expectations of college/job training

This section will help you learn about what students expected from college or job training and how that differed from their experience. If common misperceptions arise, you will be able to address these with incoming students. If common fears arise, you will also be better able to preempt these concerns when students begin a program.

* When you started college or job training, did you know what you wanted your career to be? How did you figure that out?

* If you didn't know what you wanted your career to be, how did you pick your major or program of study?

* How did you figure out which classes to take?

* Did you feel like the classes you were taking were moving you toward your goal? Why or why not?

* Think back to how you pictured college or job training before you started.

* What were your greatest fears? What excited you the most?

* Once you were there, was it what you expected it to be? How was it different?

Probes:

* Classes

* Homework

* Difficulty of work

* Schedule

* Social life/sense of community

4. Knowledge/use of student services

The purpose of this section is to help you learn about students' knowledge of available services, their experiences with those services, and how the services can be adapted to better fit their needs. You may also learn about informal supports that students provide for each other that can be systematized.

* Have you ever had to miss a class? What caused you to have to miss a class? Did you share the reasons with anyone at your school?

* Have you ever had to drop a class? What caused you to have to drop a class? Was there anyone at the college or in the program who could have helped you stay in the class? Did you seek their help? What happened?

* Have you ever had to leave in the middle of a term? What caused you to have to leave? Was there anyone at the college or in the program who could have helped you stay? Did you seek their help? What happened?

* What kinds of services did/does your college or program offer? Did/do you ever use them? How were they useful? How could they be improved?

Probes:

* Financial aid and financial aid counseling

* Academic advising

* Tutoring

* Mentoring

* Career counseling

* Job placement

* Personal counseling

* Child care

* Student support groups/clubs

5. Wrap-up

* How do you picture your life in 10 years? What are your hopes? What would success look like to you? Describe the life you want to have.

      Figure 10: Employability Skills for Adults
       Sequence of Introduction of Competencies

          PHASE I:
          COMMITMENT TO WORK

          CLASSROOM

WEEK 1    1. Identify and describe expectations
             and implications of program
             participation at each stage of
             project.

          2. Identify, describe, and
             demonstrate an understanding
             of individual learning strengths
             and challenges.

          5. Identify, describe, and prioritize
             short and long term goals.

WEEK 2    3. Identify, describe, develop, and
             implement individual compensation
             strategies needed to meet learning
             challenges.

          4. Describe and demonstrate effective
             approaches to decision making
             through anticipating problem
             areas and identifying solutions.

          6. Identify, describe, and demonstrate
             an understanding of individual
             strengths, skills, and interests as
             they relate to life and job goals.

WEEK 3    18. Identify and describe the
              necessary job skills, qualifications,
              and outlook of various jobs.

          23. Identify and describe the elements
              of succeeding on the job and
              job retention strategies.

          20. Identify and describe the
              characteristics an employer seeks
              in a prospective employee.

WEEK 4    7. Identify, describe, and demonstrate
             effective oral and written
             communication strategies.

          11. Identify, describe, and demonstrate
              effective approaches to interacting
              with supervisors and co-workers.

          14. Identify and demonstrate
              effective approaches to
              conflict resolution.

WEEK 9    24. Identify and describe where and
              how to gather and exchange
              information at the workplace.

          8. Give and receive oral
             instructions and job information.

          9. Respond appropriately to
             written materials, including
             general directions, procedures,
             forms and charts.

WEEK 10   27. Identify and describe general
              workplace safety.

          10. Demonstrate basic workplace
              math skills.

WEEK 11   28. Identify and describe general
              employee rights and
              responsibilities.

          29. Identify and describe
              examples of cultural diversity in
              the workplace and their impact
              on today's workforce.

WEEK 12   21. Develop and write a job history
              and/or r,sum,.

          22. Demonstrate effective
              approaches to job
              interview situations.

          PHASE II:
          EMP.SKILLS AND COMPENSATIONS

          FIELD STUDIES

WEEK 5    12. Identify and demonstrate
              strategies for self-correcting
              mistakes.

          13. Identify and demonstrate
              strategies for handling
              criticism.

          15. Describe and demonstrate
              the steps in teaching others
              new skills.

WEEK 6    16. Identify and demonstrate
              how to join or initiate
              a group task appropriately.

          17. Identify and match appropriate
              social skills with multiple
              workplace settings.

WEEK 7    19. Identify and describe effective
              approaches to conducting
              a job search.

WEEK 8    25. Describe the functions
              of the workplace "chain of
              command" and working as a
              team member.

          26. Identify and describe how
              individual jobs are related
              within various workplaces and
              they collectively impact the
              workplace's mission.

WEEK 13       Integration and application
              of all competencies within
              internship.

WEEK 13       Integration and application
              of all competencies within
              internship.

WEEK 15       Integration and application
              of all competencies within
              internship.

WEEK 16       Integration and application
              of all competencies
              within internship.

Figure 10 (Cont.): Competencies for Instructional and Work-based Experience Components

Self-Awareness and Advocacy competencies enable learners with special needs to make informed decisions, set goals, and take responsibility for their own decisions and advocacy:

1. Identify and describe expectations and implications of program participation at each stage of project.

2. Identify, describe, and demonstrate an understanding of individual learning strengths and challenges.

3. Identify, describe, develop, and implement individual compensation strategies needed to meet learning challenges.

4. Describe and demonstrate effective approaches to decision-making through anticipating problem areas and identifying solutions.

5. Identify, describe, and prioritize short- and long-term goals.

6. Identify, describe, and demonstrate an understanding of individual strengths, skills, and interests as they relate to life and job goals.

Communication competencies include the ability to use oral and written information on the job:

7. Identify, describe, and demonstrate effective oral and written communication strategies.

8. Give and receive oral instructions and job information.

9. Respond appropriately to written materials, including general directions, procedures, forms, and charts.

10. Demonstrate basic workplace math skills.

Social and Interpersonal competencies enable learners to interact with others in a workplace setting and participate as members of a team:

11. Identify, describe, and demonstrate effective approaches to interacting with supervisors and co-workers.

12. Identify and demonstrate strategies for self-correcting mistakes.

13. Identify and demonstrate strategies for handling criticism.

14. Identify and demonstrate effective approaches to conflict resolution.

15. Describe and demonstrate the steps in teaching others new skills.

16. Identify and demonstrate how to join or initiate a group task appropriately.

17. Identify and match appropriate social skills with multiple workplace settings.

Career Awareness, Development, and Exploration competencies develop an understanding of learners' place in the world of work through the identification of their own strengths and challenges and consideration of how these relate to identified job goals:

18. Identify and describe the necessary job skills, qualifications, and outlook of various jobs.

19. Identify and describe effective approaches to conducting a job search.

20. Identify and describe the characteristics an employer seeks in a prospective employee.

21. Develop and write a job history and/or resume.

22. Demonstrate effective approaches to job interview situations.

23 . Identify and describe the elements of succeeding on the job and job-retention strategies.

Workplace Culture competencies develop learners' understanding of their roles within specific workplaces and awareness of the appropriate behavior in a given workplace situation:

24. Identify and describe where and how to gather and exchange information at the workplace.

25. Describe the functions of the workplace "chain of command" and working as a team member.

26. Identify and describe how individual jobs are related within various workplaces and how they collectively impact the workplace's mission.

27. Identify and describe general workplace safety.

28. Identify and describe general employee rights and responsibilities.

29. Identify and describe examples of cultural diversity in the workplace and their impact on today's workforce.

Specific Job Skills will be added to the curriculum based on each program's needs and resources.

Developed by the Adult Learning Resource Center (Des Plaines, IL), www.thecenterweb.org

Figure 11: Excerpt from Syllabus for Communication Course

WEEK 1 THEME: JOB SKILLS
COMPETENCY: ESSAY STRUCTURE EXERCISES FOR STUDENTS

Monday                                Tuesday

Classroom activities:                 * Introduce basic essay
                                        structure (teacher).
  * Read summaries aloud.             * Write a simple
  * Job skills exercise.                introduction.

Homework:                             * Complete job skills
  * Write a paragraph on                checklist.
    your strongest every-
    day skills.

Wednesday                             Thursday

* Determine best job skills.          * Vocabulary contest and
* Write a simple                        last vocabulary list.
  conclusion.                         * Complete writing
                                        paragraph set.

* Complete the conclusion.            * Vocabulary words
* Write 1-2 paragraphs that             exercise due Monday.
  describe best job skills.

Figure 12: Excerpt from Syllabus for Math Bridge Course

WEEK 3: MORE DECIMALS, CALCULATORS

A) Introduce scientific calculators

(TI-30xa or TI-30x-IIs recommended) (Developer's comment: TABE does not allow use of calculator, but industry requires speed, and that means using calculators.)

Scientific calculators vs. plain calculators: Hierarchy of operations use the equals key to bypass hierarchy

Multiple memories The fraction key (A-b/c) Fraction-decimal conversion key (F-D)

B) Continue Arithmetic with 3-place decimals. Do calculations manually and verify answers with calculator.

1) Add and subtract with 3-place decimals.

2) Round 3-place decimals to nearest 2-place and 1-place decimal.

3) Understand rules for multiplying decimals.

4) Understand rules for long division with decimals.

5) Estimating answers in decimal problems.

Source: Adapted by Stephanie Sommers from a course designed by Ray Prendergast, October 2000, for the Instituto del Progreso Latino Manufacturing Technology Bridge program.

Figure 13: Syllabus for Test-Taking Strategies Course

INTRODUCE THE PURPOSES OF THE COURSE

Present and explain the following set of course objectives to the class:

To understand and be able to identify direct and indirect comprehension questions on a TABE test.

To understand and use the appropriate strategies for answering TABE questions.

To be able to gauge your level of understanding for each TABE question in a test-taking situation.

To understand and use strategies for finding the best answer.

To practice taking and analyzing the results of TABE tests.

I. DETERMINE TEST-TAKING PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

* Write about a difficult test-taking experience

* Do an introduction exercise

* Write tips for test takers

* Apply tips to a test-taking situation

II. BECOME GOOD AT DIRECT COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

* Recognize different types of comprehension questions

* Identify and answer comprehension questions on a TABE test

* Create a comprehension question protocol

* Write comprehension questions

III. ANALYZE ANSWERS

* Evaluate knowledge levels on past tests and define test anxiety

* Analyze responses to TABE test questions and answers

* Create answering protocols

IV. TAKE TABE TESTS

Source: Stephanie Sommers.

** The West Side Tech Career Bridges were designed using a developmental learning framework appropriate for native and advanced ESL students. In the West Side Tech pilots, about two-thirds of the students were immigrants from Mexico while one-third were native English speakers. Although all were seeking to enter college-level training in career fields, about 40 percent did not have a high school diploma or GED. West Side Tech also conducted a successful pilot of the career bridge with a smaller group of young people from the Chicago Job Corps program.

*** This curriculum was developed by the Adult Learning Resource Center/The Center (ALRC) specifically for adults with learning difficulties/learning disabilites; however, it may be used with adults needing employability skills training. Title change with permission from ALRC.

**** The Career Coach Web site is a partnership between Women Employed and One Economy Corporation. http://www.womenemployed.org.

Toni Henle, Women Employed Institute

Davis Jenkins, University of Illinois at Chicago Great Cities Institute

Whitney Smith, Chicago Jobs Council

Table 3: Sample Partners and Roles

ORGANIZATION                         POTENTIAL ROLES

Adult education programs             Techniques for teaching
(community colleges,                 lower-skill adults; Basic
community-based organizations,       literacy, math, and computer
public school system)                skills training; English as
                                     a Second Language (ESL);
                                     Assessment tools

Community-Based Organizations        Marketing and recruitment;
                                     Case management; Support
                                     services and support services
                                     navigation; Work readiness and
                                     job placement; Vocational and
                                     occupational skills; ESL and
                                     vocational ESL; Adult education
                                     (reading, writing, and math);
                                     Computer skills; Job training

Community Colleges

  * Career Services                  Orientation to postsecondary
                                     education; Interest and
                                     capacity assessments; Educational
                                     and career advising;
                                     Support service navigation

  * Continuing Education/            Sector-specific occupational
    Workforce Development            programs; Specific courses
                                     that may be adapted to the bridge
                                     program framework, e.g., computer
                                     applications, customer service
                                     basics

 * Corporate Training                Capacity to customize training
                                     for specific employers and
                                     industries; Employer connections;
                                     Adjunct faculty and trainers

  * Degree and Credit Departments    Associate and Applied Associate
                                     degree programs; Occupational
                                     certificates, licenses, and
                                     other industry-recognized
                                     credentials

  * Developmental Education          Basic literacy and math skills

  * Financial Aid                    Information and application
                                     assistance

Employer Associations                Program review and feedback;
(Chambers of Commerce) and           Industry and career ladder
Industry Associations                information; Skill information;
                                     Labor market data; Marketing;
                                     Employer recruitment and
                                     coordination

Employers                            Skills identification; Job
                                     advancement information and
                                     requirements; Program review
                                     and feedback; Jobs, internships,
                                     and project learning; Instructors,
                                     role models, mentors; Referrals
                                     to program; Training facilities,
                                     equipment; Workplace-based
                                     incumbent worker training;
                                     Funding (tuition reimbursement,
                                     etc.)

Labor Unions                         Identification of competencies
                                     and industry information;
                                     Employer outreach; Program review
                                     and feedback; Referrals to
                                     program; Skills training;
                                     Apprenticeships;
                                     Certifications; Funding

One-Stop Career Centers              Job search skills; Job
                                     information; Training vouchers

Social Service Agencies              Support services; Case management;
                                     Financial assistance (e.g., food
                                     stamps, dependent care,
                                     transportation); Referrals

State Agencies                       Labor market information and
                                     analysis; Economic and
                                     workforce trend analysis;
                                     Identification of target
                                     industries; Connection to
                                     employers; Resource
                                     development and allocation;
                                     Evaluation

Universities                         Labor market information and
                                     analysis; Curriculum and
                                     instructional design; Evaluation
                                     and continuous improvement

Workforce Boards                     Identifying sectors of
                                     importance to regional economy;
                                     Mapping job requirements and
                                     advancement paths; Planning and
                                     budgeting; Policy development

Workforce Intermediaries             Program design assistance; Best
                                     practice models; Advocacy;
                                     Resource development; Conducting
                                     focus groups; Evaluation