The Workforce Achievement Center
Dean of Integrated Communication, Director of Credit for Prior Learning, Executive Director of Advancement and Corporate Engagement, Dean for the School of Business and IT, Career Services Director, faculty representation from the following programs: Business Management, Marketing & Sales, Chemistry, and Business
Project Purpose
Create a successful Workforce Achievement Center brand and infrastructure to leverage credit for prior learning and provide short-term, stackable credentials, and more flexible learning environments to equip learners with competencies needed to thrive in a competitive landscape.
The Center will:
- Increase the availability of essential skills offerings needed to thrive in a competitive workforce landscape. This includes evaluating content partners (EDTOGO) to expand offerings and opportunities for additional revenue.
- Identify and remove barriers to provide learners with upward economic mobility.
- Explore clear and flexible learning pathways that can build to a degree.
- Partner with employers and other funding sources to create a sustainable and cost-effective program.
Deliverables
Outcomes:
- Increase completion of short-term, flexible and stackable credentials by creating pathways for learners entering or re-entering the workforce.
- Increase completion for adult and part-time learners.
- Increase the number of business and industry partners.
- Create internal processes that support program goals.
Deliverables:
- Engage Partners - Identify criteria/domains for determining the engagement of external partners and assist in developing a means to strategically evaluate external partners (capacity and interest in engaging with the College).
- Strengthen Partner Relationships - Identify and focus on creating relationships with partners that would benefit from both credit (academic) and non-credit (Workforce Achievement Center) offerings. Visit industry partners to explore programming needs and promote the Center.
- Develop stackable credential pathways - Deliver at least two learning paths (stackable credentials) that demonstrate how a learner can begin to earn a degree through skill acquisition in phases.
- Identify Internal Partners - Determine internal partners after programs are identified to facilitate the launch of programs (e.g. dean, faculty, enrollment/student services, IT, etc.)
- Create Marketing/Branding/Story - Explore options for promoting The Workforce Achievement Center and M State stackable credentials, along with promotional tools and marketing collateral, in preparation for a fall 2025 launch. Leverage communication system capabilities to present opportunities for additional learning and strengthen student relationships.
- Improve Processes - Collaborate with applicable departments to establish a scalable process for non-credit to credit registration, course completion and recognition.
- Credit for Prior Learning Enhancement - Complete credit for prior learning webpages with online intake form by July 25, 2025.
- Gather Stakeholder Input - Identify disciplines or programs that would benefit from symposiums to gather stakeholder input in further refining the Center programming.
- Host Symposiums - Plan and execute an AI Symposium fall 2025.
Project Scope
In Scope
Credit courses, non-credit courses, credit for prior learning, external/third party partnerships to fund students, training on all campuses, high school programming.
Out of Scope
Funding for space on any campus, hiring additional full-time staff.
Constraints
Financial, staying within capacity of the pilot programming.
Effectiveness Measures
Project Goals
Rebranding Workforce Development Solution and expanding offerings through the Workforce Achievement Center.
Key Performance Indicators/Metrics
Achieve benchmarks for program development, new branding and product launch for fall 2025. Resolve learner registration challenges relative to non-credit vs. credit.
Metric Review
Ongoing increase in learning engagement and contract training.
Results Reporting
Sales results spring 2026 and ongoing.
Constraints
Financial, staying within capacity of the pilot programming.
Financial Impact
To have a net positive financial gain for the institution by attracting new learners and increasing retention by bridging non-credit to credit stackable programs through credit for prior learning.
Future Direction
Phase II (spring 2026)
- Badging - Build out a badge tracking solution (Credly - Awaiting system-wide license currently in negotiation).
- Add offerings - Following initial launch determine next set of offerings, including ACE approved course and continue to add organically based on market intelligence.
