Program Revisions Prepare Learners for the Workforce

Colleges do not prepare learners to earn a credential for its own sake—they prepare learners to enter the workforce, often for specific occupations.

However, workforce needs can change swiftly, requiring colleges to revise educational opportunities to close the emerging gap in skills.

McHenry County College (MCC) in Illinois knows exactly how to swiftly revise programs to address occupational changes - with help from WIDS!

Occupations evolve

MCC knew this.  

To address their evolving workforce, MCC teamed up with WIDS to facilitate:

• An analysis of the target occupation itself
• An assessment the program and course outcomes
• An evaluation of gaps between the occupation and the curriculum

Analyze the occupation with area employers

MCC has a strong record of involving area employers in designing training for in-demand occupations. WIDS engaged MCC’s local employers in a virtual DACUM—a collaborative, critical analysis of an occupation that defines its:  

• Duties and tasks
• Knowledge and attitudes
• Tools and trends

The DACUM results established the scope of the occupation, which MCC would use as a baseline for revising its program and courses.

Show skill gaps with curriculum maps

Using our software mapping feature, MCC compared the DACUM duties to its program outcomes and the DACUM tasks to its courses.  The mapping feature highlighted where the occupation aligned to the curriculum and where the curriculum left gaps to improve.

This helped MCC confidently revise its programs and courses to address specific changes in occupations that had been validated by industry stakeholders.

Link credentials and jobs with WIDS Pathway

Using our software’s Pathway feature, MCC clearly documented how each revised credential would prepare prospective learners for a specific occupation and stack into a career. MCC also used the pathway to highlight the evidence-based rationale for revisions for its stakeholders.

When its workforce evolved, MCC responded swiftly.  With WIDS’ help, the college further aligned its programs and courses to the current training needs of its employers, preparing its learners to succeed in specific occupations and progress along a clearly defined career path.  

WIDS (Worldwide Instructional Design System) is a nonprofit organization that provides curriculum design software, consulting, and training services.