Shawnee Community College

The Challenge

Located in Ullin, Illinois, Shawnee Community College (SCC) recognized a regional demand for skilled welders. SCC aimed to develop a program that addressed regional demands while offering the flexibility needed to meet their students’ unique qualifications.

Many students around SCC have significant experience in welding, gained through life experiences in rural communities. Often, traditional college programs fail to recognize these skills, locking students into rigid academic structures. As Dr. April Teske, Vice President of Academic Affairs at SCC, explained, "Many people in our region have grown up with hands-on experience in trades. We want to use that experience to help our students succeed." To that end, SCC set out to create a Competency-Based Education (CBE) welding program that would allow students to demonstrate their existing knowledge, potentially accelerating their progress. However, the college lacked experience in developing CBE programs and needed the guidance of expert consultants and access to the right tools to systematically build an industry-aligned curriculum.

The WIDS Solution

Utilizing grant funding through the U.S. Department of Labor, SCC chose WIDS consulting services to guide them through the process and WIDS software to provide a framework for designing and documenting the CBE welding curriculum.

"We had new personnel—our welding faculty member was new to teaching and to curriculum development. We were all new to CBE. We needed experts to oversee and shepherd us through the process," said Dr. April Teske.

WIDS led SCC through the process of developing key welding competencies based on local workforce needs and then aligning them with industry standards set by the American Welding Society. Consultants also worked with the faculty to define performance standards for each competency. The standards included assessment strategies and criteria, providing students with a clear understanding of the skills required and the level of performance expected.

The Result

The partnership with WIDS was invaluable for SCC. According to Dr. April Teske,

"WIDS exponentially increased our capacity to accomplish this. We were learning a new thing and needed guidance. WIDS was hands-on with us when we needed it, but backed off when we got it and could do it on our own."

Through WIDS support and expertise, SCC successfully developed their CBE welding program – in less than 6 months. It is currently under review for approval with the Higher Learning Commission.

The CBE welding program at SCC will offer students a flexible skills-focused pathway to a viable career, addressing both educational and workforce needs in the local community.