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¶ … Edison College and Habitat for Humanity

Edison State College opened for business in the fall of 1962. Since that time, the college has been providing southwest Florida with quality educational programs. Associate degrees in Arts and Science as well as Baccalaureate degrees along with various certificate programs are offered at Edison. One of the main things that Edison College is interested in is the concept o workforce education (Edison State College, 2009). A major goal of the college is to provide the best possible education to those who desire to be productive members of the community. In order to do this, the college must assess the needs of the community and its students in order to properly supply those who attend as well as their surrounding community with the necessary resources for development. These resources are supplied by means of their outstanding program for workforce development.

For purposes of this paper, a working definition of workforce education must first be identified. What does the program require as a measure of success? What are specific goals of the program, both long and short-term? These aspects must be identified and all those involved in the program in any manner should be aware of these requirements. It must be made certain that each action is made up of quantifiable and controllable features. If the development or procedures cannot be measured there will be a significant amount of difficulty in identifying the programs strengths and weaknesses. Workforce education, therefore, consists of learned skills that are work-related and that are taught in a hands-on capacity as well as in a traditional classroom.

These educational experiences are designed to ensure that the student learns everything that he or she needs to know when it comes to a particular field of study, so that the student is already well-prepared to enter the workforce from the first day after graduation. Since the first junior college was founded, the stated mission has extended from a specific focal point on college transfer to include practical and occupational education. Basic skills training and workforce development are at the core of this education. According to Kenneth P. Walker, District President of Edison Community College: "At each stage, we have adapted, added, or merged our programs and services to meet the changing needs of our communities. As our institutions go about identifying community needs today, our surveys and focus groups show that in addition to the increasing need for basic skills and short-cycle training and certification, many of our constituents are interested in earning baccalaureate degrees" (2001).

A community college mission that comprises openness to the stress and challenges of the economy helps to assist in reshaping that college's identity both in the present and in the future, and this has long been the focus of Edison College. For those people who are interested in getting into the workforce, it is important that they focus on a particular career. One of the best of these careers is to give back to others, and this is where workforce education (often also known as vocational training) comes in. Since Edison College is not that large it sometimes gets overlooked in favor of nearby universities, but more people are turning to community colleges today because of the affordability that they offer and because of the workforce education programs that they can go through. They want and need to get into (or in some cases back into) the workforce quickly, and workforce education is generally a good way to go about doing that for many people.

For Edison College, the workforce development issue is vocational training with regard to the construction trade and specifically with regard to Habitat for Humanity. This is the way that the college reaches out to the community, because many people can be helped by the Habitat for Humanity organization and therefore by the college's workforce education program. The need for this type of program was determined through the use of strategic planning, and working with other, similar organizations in the future is in the master plan of the college, as well. The strategic plan for the workforce education program entailed going out into the community to determine what the needs were as well as looking at other areas of concern that have been seen in research and in community commentary.

Other schools and what they were offering were also examined, because Edison College desired to fill a community need that had not yet been fully addressed by any other school or company. This is why the school decided that partnering up with Habitat for Humanity would be a good option for the individuals who were in the school's construction program. Another reason that this was found to be so valuable was that it fit in very well with the economic development planning initiatives that belonged to the community as a whole. The community was already planning to look for ways to build new homes and partner with Habitat for Humanity and other companies so that they would be able to improve the community. That provided a wonderful opportunity for Habitat for Humanity, for Edison College's workforce education program, and for the community as a whole.

The community plans were reviewed, what other colleges were doing was reviewed, the needs of the people in the community were reviewed, and it was determined that Edison College could best help move the community and all of its citizens forward by focusing on a construction program. While the building market might be a bit low in some areas of the country there is always a need where Habitat for Humanity is concerned. There is also a need for people who can build homes and repair damaged ones. Especially in Florida, a state that is often hit by hurricanes, rebuilding and replacing damaged homes is common. Edison College can capitalize on what is needed by the community and what is needed by Habitat for Humanity and similar organizations with its workforce education program in construction, while also providing a lot of help for citizens who need education and jobs.

The school also determined that it would be advisable to address cooperative instructional techniques for this particular workforce program. In order to see why, it is important to understand cooperative instructional techniques and also to understand how the college arrived at its decision to design its workforce programs. Cooperative instructional techniques have been around for some time and they have been used more widely in recent years as certain topics lend themselves to this type of learning more so than basic and traditional classroom instruction (Johnson, Maruyama, Johnson, Nelson, & Skon, 1981).

Many studies have been done on this issue in order to determine whether cooperative instruction is better for all types of courses and learning or whether it only works well on some occasions (Johnson, Maruyama, Johnson, Nelson, & Skon, 1981). Other studies have indicated that students who worked together in small groups and actively involved themselves in the knowledge of construction tended to learn better than those who simply remained in standard classroom instruction where a teacher explained to them what it is that they need to be doing and then they go and practice it (Dietz, 1993).

Even though cooperative learning has been studied for more than 100 years there is little known about group examinations as a subset of that (Courtney, Courtney, & Nicholson, 1994). Naturally, one of the main controversies about this issue is the fairness (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991). When all members receive the same reward for the work that they have done it is possible that some in the group will feel they were treated unfairly because others in the group failed to do as much work as they needed to (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991). One study that looked at teachers also compared various components about staff development to determine whether this had any effect on cooperative learning (Jones, 1991).

The 300 plus studies that have been conducted since 1960 may sound very significant, but that is actually a relatively small number, and when one takes into consideration that fact that almost all of those studies dealt with a specific aspect of cooperative learning instead of a generalization, the idea of studying cooperative learning in general seems to be very remote (Allsopp, Santos, & Linn, 2000; Biondich, 2002). Part of this is the difficulty of such a study, since studies are often conducted based on the size of the group, the geographical location, and other convenience factors.

The feasibility of this is naturally a concern, but it appears that this issue is one that deserves further study (Bryk & Raudenbush, 1992). This opinion is based on the number of studies that have already been done, the way that they have been broken down to deal with specific groups in the past, and the fact that the previous decade saw an interest in this type of issue where college students are concerned strongly rekindled. Because this kind of working, learning, and grading system has a lot of interest and a lot of merit for the type of work that Edison College is doing, it works very well when it comes to workforce education and the Habitat for Humanity program.

In order to come to the decision that this would be the best way to address a workforce education program at Edison College, though, there were many things that had to be considered. A panel of experts was formed to study the impact that this program could have, how it would work and be used, and whether there would be instructors available and students interested in it. If these things would not all come together, there was little point in trying to continue with the program. The experts talked with people in the community, took surveys of existing students, and talked with Habitat for Humanity and other organizations. They also implemented a DACUM process through which the panel of experts was located and the study into whether the workforce education program in construction would be beneficial was carried out. What type of licensing was needed for the instructors was addressed as well as what type of licensing the students would be able to attain upon completion of the program and how the school could meet those licensing requirements.

It was seen that there was little point in allowing students to go through a workforce education program if they were not able to obtain a license, degree, or certificate that would make them more employable in the future. This would not benefit the students, the instructors, the college, or the community in any way. While Habitat for Humanity does not require licensed volunteers, the students who attend the workforce education program at Edison College are looking for paying jobs when they graduate and do not plan to work fulltime as volunteers in most cases. Becoming more employable is their goal. The experiential learning that comes about from the cooperative educational model discussed previously is important to these students, and they will also receive credit for volunteer hours with Habitat for Humanity and be tracked by the State Department of Labor.

For many years, cities and towns all across the country have been growing at a rapid rate, and this is the case with the area around Edison College, as well. This is true of the larger metropolitan areas, but also true of the smaller cities. Because of this rate of growth, the cities have spread out much more than they really expected to have to. This has caused a great deal of urban sprawl, and the amount of people moving to the suburbs often causes people to relocate away from the downtown area. These people want to be close to the shops and other things that the downtown area provides, but they do not want to live in the tightly-grouped mass of people that is often found there. At least, it was found there in years past.

Now, however, building new homes in these and other areas has become a serious consideration, and many of these new homes are designed for lower-income people. That is where Habitat for Humanity comes in, and where Edison College can partner with both Habitat for Humanity and any revitalization efforts that are taking place. It is important to remember that not everyone who attends Edison College will be staying in that area, so being able to get involved in Habitat for Humanity and in revitalization projects all across the country will be something that those who are learning the construction trade there will want to accomplish. It can help make these people much more employable in the future and move their careers forward no matter where they choose to live.

They can also partner up with similar organizations to build clinics and other much-needed buildings. The healthcare field is growing rapidly to meet the needs of a changing population, and that means that more than just homes are required. Clinics, hospitals, and urgent care offices are required in many places, and there is a need for people to build them and people to work in them. As long as there are volunteers and as long as people remain interested in training for these fields, Edison College can help to ensure future growth and development in both of those areas.

As for projects that these individuals can get involved with, the revitalization of downtown areas is one of the best, and Habitat for Humanity is one of many organizations that people who learn the construction trade at Edison College can get involved in. It teaches them a valuable skill and will help them to build homes with Habitat for Humanity and other partner organizations. There are many construction companies in the area of Edison College as well, but most of them are not interested in partnerships whereby they take on people who have not yet learned a trade. In other words, they would have no problem hiring graduates from the construction program at Edison College but they have little interest in hiring those people who are still in school there and who are trying to get some on-the-job experience. This is why Habitat for Humanity is such a good choice -- it requires people to give of themselves, it teaches them valuable skills, and it is always in need of more people to help build homes for the needy in various communities.

As far as licenses, certifications, and other issues, Habitat for Humanity uses licensed contractors to supervise the work that's being done. This is very important, because these people can make sure that the volunteers are doing things correctly and that the home will pass the needed inspections. When a student successfully completes a set number of volunteer hours as well as classroom instruction, a certificate from the college can be issued. Future employers of that student will see that the individual has completed the Edison College course, which includes hands-on experience in the real world instead of only instruction in the classroom. This will make the graduates from Edison College highly employable in today's competitive job market and allow them to move into a career that they can enjoy and that they can do well in, both now and in the future.

In order for those students to succeed, however, they will need to meet required benchmarks. Just showing up to volunteer for a set number of hours will not be enough, and they must be tested on what they are capable of doing. Only students who can pass their examinations in the classroom and who are judged by their supervisors -- who are licensed contractors -- to be competent will be able to advance and to graduate with certification. To assess whether the program is a success how many students enroll, how well they perform, and what percentage of them graduate will be necessary. It will also be important to pay attention to trends that involve how the students feel about the work that they are doing, how many of them get jobs in their field, for what wages, and how quickly. Do these same students stay with that line of work? For how long? These are all issues that will be addressed and considered in order to determine the overall success of the workforce education program at Edison College.

In areas of Florida there is a definite partnership between the public and private investors, as downtown revitalization efforts have created over $1 billion in investments for small businesses (Faia, 2002; Blackburn, 2002). That is one great possibility for Edison College and the Habitat for Humanity program, since large amounts of capital are needed to make building homes for people a reality. Edison College and its construction/trade school program is committed to this, as is the Habitat for Humanity organization. But it cannot be done without the help of partners who are willing to give of their time and talents.

This is very important, because all of the small businesses and the new residents that come into a downtown area often do very well, and building homes in that area can help a town to prosper once again -- as well as helping the people in Habitat for Humanity housing gain jobs to ensure that they can keep their homes. Sometimes people do not even realize that the businesses that they see in the downtown have been in the town for a long time until homes start being built around them.

They have not been noticed largely because they were in downtown, but when downtown areas are begin to grow and prosper because people are moving back in, more of the downtown businesses are getting the business that they want and need in order to remain successful (Jeter, 2002). This also makes them very convenient to the people who are moving into Habitat for Humanity homes in those areas, and the develops and others who have partnered with Edison College and Habitat for Humanity would see benefit from this, as well, because they would get a good return on their investment.

When private money becomes part of the urban development of downtown areas this helps out many people in different ways, and individuals, unions, faith-based organizations, and others can all help to partner up with the College. There is an almost unlimited number of people and organizations that could be asked to help with this project, giving Edison College plenty of opportunity to provide help for the Habitat for Humanity organization and giving the people who attend that college to learn construction the much-needed skills and volunteer/work experience that can help them to succeed. The college clearly must begin asking for help from these organizations, though, because most of them will not simply come forward with offers of assistance. This is especially true in an economy that is already troubled, but it can also be seen in better, more prosperous time. Some organizations, companies, and individuals do not help because they do not have the funds. Others do not help because they simply do not know how.

When they see how much they can make at these investments, it is very beneficial for them, but also for the people who do actually do need the assistance of organizations like Habitat for Humanity (Hollis, 2003; Barna, 2002).

Some revitalization projects are more popular than others, but many of them become so popular because they can actually pay for themselves in the long run (Badshah, 1997; Frank & Judd, 1999). This makes the investors who get involved in these projects happy because they know they will easily be getting their money back. Often, investors get their money back over time, or they would not invest in the first place. However, getting money back faster and being assured of getting that money made many people much more likely to invest. This partnership between public and the private investors is what every downtown revitalization project needs (Sweet, 1998; Webb, 2000). When these individuals partner up with places like Edison College as well, everyone benefits.