Southeast Community College positions students for success in today’s world by emphasizing opportunities for developing the talents and qualifications employers are struggling to find. Academic programs in high-demand fields are supplemented with modernized facilities, employer partnerships and support systems to fulfill SCC’s promise to create a “pathway to possible” for every student.
The widening skills gap is among the top concerns for employers
Competition for jobs will become increasingly fierce, making SCC’s promise more important than ever. The Nebraska Department of Labor’s 2018 Lincoln Area Skills Gap Report notes that there will be more people entering the workforce than there will be job openings in the next decade. And yet, more than 70% of Lincoln employers are concerned about finding qualified workers due to the rising skills gap.
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SCC’s Workforce Leadership Teams have identified a particular lack of skilled workers in the manufacturing, health care, construction, electronic and transportation industries. These business-led advisory groups play an essential role in helping the college understand and prepare for employer needs. The Workforce Leadership Teams are just one example of SCC’s innovation in bringing students and employers together.
SCC students learn job-readiness skills
Caleb Herwick, dean of construction, manufacturing, engineering and technology, highlighted the college’s partnership with Duncan Aviation. Duncan employees virtually attend for-credit courses in SCC’s Electronics System Technology program without leaving their place of work.
“Beyond the convenience offered to both employers and employees, this initiative diversifies the classroom population,” Herwick said. “Traditional students learn the fundamentals of electronics alongside those who are already working in the field but need additional training to advance to higher-paying positions.”
Similarly, SCC’s goal to establish earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship programs in high-wage, high-demand fields such as welding and health sciences can be a boon to learners who cannot afford to take time away from the workplace.
SCC is poised to expand such synchronous offerings and meet new and evolving skills gaps through its ongoing efforts to modernize its campuses. “Over the past several years, the SCC Lincoln campus has been transforming its facilities to expand its capacity to produce a skilled workforce,” said Marguerite Himmelberg, director of the Office of Work-Based Learning.
State-of-the-art facilities boost learning opportunities
New buildings feature specialized lab facilities and instructional spaces and include the infrastructure to maximize partnerships with employers. Himmelberg referenced the additions of the Great Plains Culinary Institute and the 81,000-square-foot Health Sciences building that houses 16 on-demand health programs.
Construction is underway for the Sandhills Global Technology Center to house the expanded needs of computer science, electronics, biotechnology and architectural programs. Planning has begun for a new welding technology center with facilities at the Lincoln and Beatrice campuses. In addition to modernizing its educational centers, SCC has renovated its Student and Academic Support Center and its first on-campus residence hall is nearing completion.
It is an approach that considers the whole student, encompassing their education, work and support needs. Joel Michaelis, Ed.D, SCC’s vice president of instruction, notes the remarkable growth SCC has achieved in its infrastructure and programming. “It has been a significant investment, but an essential one.”
For more information about SCC, please visit southeast.edu.
