NEW REPORT DETAILS TECHNICAL EDUCATION AT TWO-YEAR COLLEGES IN U.S.

April 13, 1995 -- A new report published by the National Science Foundation
offers new empirical data on the capabilities of two-year colleges to
educate students and train workers in scienceand engineering-based
technical fields.

The report, "Technical Education in 2-Year Colleges," is part of an ongoing
series of studies of undergraduate education published by NSF's Science
Resources Studies Division. It provides national estimates in areas such
as faculty, enrollments, and enrollment trends; numbers of technical
education programs; extent of linkages between those programs and local
business, industry, and schools; and relative emphases placed on teaching
fundamental science and mathematics as compared to applied methods.

The one-time report will help direct federal programs targeted at technical
education, such as NSFs Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program.

According to Bob Watson, NSF's division director for undergraduate
education, two-year colleges will play an increasingly important role in
meeting the needs of the high performance workplace of advanced
technologies. "If we want to improve the quality of our workforce, we must
pay attention to the quality of technical education at two-year
institutions," he said.

Dave Pierce, President of the American Association of Community Colleges,
agreed. "Eighty percent of the new jobs created between now and the year
2000 will require more than a high school diploma but less than a
four-year degree," said Pierce. "Two-year colleges respond to this gap,
and also play a critical role in the growing need for technical
education."

Key findings of the report include:

Unused capacity for linkages. Two-year colleges seem to have in place
considerable unused capacity for tech-prep, worker (re)training, and co-op
programs with high schools. Assuming that all divisions could have such
linkages, only 40 percent of the theoretical capacity for these
arrangements is being used.

Linkages with other schools. Sixty-two percent of two-year college
engineering technology divisions have "2-plus-2" arrangements to educate
students. Eighty-five percent of divisions provide for transfer credits to
four-year colleges.

Linkages with industry and business. An estimated 53 percent of two-year
college engineering technology divisions have arrangements to train
students in a work setting. Sixty- three percent of divisions have
agreements to train or retrain workers.

Commitment to technical education. Seventy percent of administrators state
that, within their colleges, the following goals in technical education
are very important: providing courses for transfer, remedial education,
and providing entrylevel skills for employment. Fifty-five percent are
highly committed to continuing education of persons employed in
sciencebased technical fields.

Involvement in technology education. An estimated 725 of the nation's 1,325
two-year colleges offer engineering technology courses. About 500 offer
science technology courses. Altogether, about 800 two-year colleges offer
either engineering technology or science technology or both.

For information on the report, contact Lawrence Burton at (703) 306-1774.
For information on the ATE Program, contact Liz Teles at (703) 306-1667.

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