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Integration of the Bridge Model at Henry Ford Community College
The Advanced Manufacturing Technology Curriculum Employers are reviewing the Bridge modules and requesting new programs with the College to deliver all or portions of the Bridge Curriculum for the purposes of the development of new kinds of entry level manufacturing technician. These fall into two categories or areas. One deals with plant and manufacturing maintenance, the other deals with a fabricator position that combines electrical and mechanical work skills. Both are evolving job classifications that meet the technological and human resource needs of local automotive suppliers. As there continues to be an extreme shortage of available technicians and skilled trades in the regional labor market, new educational and work pathways such as the two mentioned above are evolving. Advanced technology employers are also reviewing the curriculum modules themselves for their own internal use as a staff development tool. Interestingly, firms which support high tech manufacturing see the use of this curriculum as an orientation to manufacturing needed by other professional areas, such as human resource development. The Curriculum Model: A Curricular Model for Occupational Orientation and Learning Skills Development in Multiple Occupational Areas The model lends itself to replication within other technology based occupational areas. Employers are very interested in the career path exposure dimension of the curriculum. They also see the need for new employees to understand the culture and changes occurring in their industries or service areas. For example, with the restructuring within health care organizations the personal development, organizational and career development components of the Bridge are being utilized in a new work technology area, medical billing technician. The Bridge’s structural link to the local community is also seen as a major asset as many service organizations seek to replicate the demographic context of the larger community within which they exist. The Collaborative Dimension of the Bridge Another opportunity for further development of the Bridge is in community college areas which seek to enhance the general educational dimension of occupational education areas. Often faced with adding another credit course to already over-taxed associate degree occupational programs, the Bridge offers an interdisciplinary orientation that makes leads to the development of additional applied general education courses or skill sets. This initiative will ultimately be lead by occupational faculty working in concert with academic faculty of the community college. Bridge programs are being seen as a catalyst for this kind of collaborative development. The voice of the employer is also central to a Bridge program and in this light the relationships with employers that create a Bridge program are being seen as future credit program development linkages.
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