Promoting Job Readiness through Experiential Learning in Information Technology Education

The Information Technology (IT) sector in Washington State has grown by nearly 34% over the past 10-years, and this upward trend is expected to continue. Due to this rapid growth, IT employers in Washington State are struggling to meet the demand for new employees who possess the relevant education, skills, and experience. IT job seekers need not only an associate degree, but also prior work experience and industry-recognized certifications.

To meet the needs of local industry, Renton Technical College (RTC) will promote job readiness through experiential learning in IT education. This project will provide an accessible, supportive academic pathway to high-wage, high-demand IT technician careers. The project will provide experiential learning through both work-based, lab-based, and industry-networking learning opportunities.

The primary goal of this project is to create an IT experiential learning center for students to gain hands-on experience by running advanced IT simulations using current industry technology. Faculty will work with industry advisory boards to review proposed curriculum, develop internships, and teach skills and abilities that prepare students for careers in the rapidly changing IT industry.

Students will be prepared to take industry-recognized certification exams specific to their career paths, providing them with concrete qualifications for the profession. To support the immigrant and refugee populations served by RTC, the project will utilize a co-teaching model wherein an English language instructor provides additional classroom support in select IT courses.

The evaluation plan will make use of both formative and summative components to assess the fidelity and effectiveness of the program. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.