Skill Standards for 
Professional Technical Instructors

Recognizing the gap between the skills required by industry and the skills of the emerging workforce and those who provide its education and training, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges has approved a skill standards project for professional technical instructors. This project seeks to establish statewide the skill standards needed for two-year college vocational instructors consistent with the current and future needs of business and industry. This is a collaborative effort led by the two-year technical and community colleges in the state.

Renton Technical College

Renton Technical College is the lead college and will follow guidelines set by the National Skill Standards Board. In addition to targeted surveys to all the colleges, the process includes an intensive two-day focus group of professional technical faculty who will identify the functions, tasks, performance criteria and skills, and knowledge and abilities required for vocational college instructors to succeed in the educational workplace. A comprehensive validation process will also be conducted throughout the state.

Steering Committee

A Steering Committee comprised of several members of the Vocational Technical Council and representatives from industry and labor will provide oversight to the process. The project will strive to be inclusive with the two-year colleges in the state. Spectators will be invited to observe the process.

This is a one-year project with the second phase aiming toward reviewing state certification requirements for professional technical faculty at the college level.

Current Project Status

The original skill standards project for two-year college vocational instructors was split into two projects, one for professional-technical college faculty and one for customized trainers. A total of six focus groups were conducted to identify and validate the skill standards for professional-technical faculty and for customized trainers. Collectively this document is backed by 862 years in a variety of professional fields and 1,121 years of teaching and training experience. A total of 78 instructors/trainers identified and validated these standards. All 34 colleges participated in this project.

The book has a special dedication to Larry Tarrer from Spokane Community College and Jon Krug from Grays Harbor College.

Each group identified or validated the critical functions, key activities, and the technical necessary to perform these jobs well. Focus groups were conducted around the state at various colleges: several at Renton Technical College, South Puget Sound Community College, Spokane Community College, and North Seattle Community College.

Over 190 surveys were returned from professional-technical instructors from throughout the state of Washington about the use of SCANS skills needed to perform as a professional-technical instructor. Customized trainers from the region participated as well,, including large companies like Microsoft, Kaiser, The Boeing Company as well as independent industry trainers and consultants.

All of the data from the focus groups and surveys were analyzed, compiled, and presented to the Steering Committee in February 2000.

The book has 104 pages plus color picture dividers of professional-technical college faculty at work with students from various colleges. The document is now at the printers. It is anticipated that by June 20, 2000 the document will be available to the general public and available at all 34 community and technical colleges in the state of Washington, in addition to the Northwest Indian College. You may order it from the Center for Learning Connections at Highline Community College.

Spectators

One goal is to be as inclusive as possible. Spectators are invited to observe the process. We encourage administrators, four-year college university that have vocational teacher education programs, labor, apprenticeship personnel, and business and industry trainers to participate as silent observers. For further information, please contact Dr. Norma Goldstein at 425-235-2434 or ngoldstein@rtc.ctc.edu.