At a Glance
The director of Greene County Career & Technology Center (GCCTC) implements several outreach strategies to increase participation in the Local Advisory Committee.
Description
When Mark Krupa first became director of GCCTC in 2016, he set a goal to improve the image of career and technical education among local businesses, community members and superintendents of participating school districts. He wanted stakeholders to realize and appreciate the value that GCCTC and its students bring to the community and the workforce.
To help reach this goal, Mr. Krupa set out to increase membership on the Local Advisory Committee from six participants to 24 employers and three sending school district superintendents. (The Committee also includes students and parents.) He realized he needed to bring more people into the fold of the CTC and educate them about the value of career and technical education.
To grow membership, Mr. Krupa first established a strong working relationship with one well-respected and influential community member. This individual is now President of the First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Greene County. This member proved instrumental in recommending and recruiting other members to the Committee, and as a result, Committee membership began to grow.
When recruiting new employers to the Committee, Mr. Krupa communicated three main points: 1) the purpose of the Committee, 2) the importance of their involvement in the
Committee as it relates to students and the CTC, and 3) the expected time commitment participation would require.
Mr. Krupa recommends that CTC directors who want to increase participation on their Local Advisory Committee make the effort to get to know a respected business leader in the community. One way to do this is to identify common strengths and needs between the CTC and the individuals business. Inform this leader (and other influential community stakeholders) of the value of career and technical education and ask for their support in helping to build up the Local Advisory Committee.
The greatest challenge to maintaining a strong Local Advisory Committee is sustaining membership. To do this, Mr. Krupa schedules a consistent program of activities. In addition, he and the Committee set annual goals, and he reports back to members on progress toward meeting those goals.
Impact
Students and the community benefit from the work and influence of the robust Local Advisory Committee. Students have received work opportunities, such as summer job placements with the county government. GCCTC has received grants from community-based organizations and local businesses, as well as donations. Most importantly to GCCTC, the work of the Local Advisory Committee is helping to dramatically change the perceptions of the CTC and its students and the value they add to workforce development and the sending school districts.
Contact
Greene County Career & Technology Center
http://www.greenectc.org/
Mark Krupa, Administrative Director
krupam@greenectc.org