FY 2022 - FY 2025 strategic plan / Technical College System of Georgia.

STRAT P by
Strategic Plan FY 2022 - FY 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Message from the Commissioner ..................................................................................1 Executive summary ........................................................................................................2 Mission and vision ..........................................................................................................3 Strategic plan goals FY22-25 .........................................................................................4
Goal #1: Increase enrollment globally and in strategic areas ...........................5 Goal #2: Recruit and retain well-qualified faculty & staff .................................7 Goal #3: Create more partnerships with business and industry .......................9 Goal #4: Improve retention and graduation rates ..........................................11 Goal #5: Increase innovation and research opportunities ..............................13 Conclusion .....................................................................................................................15 Appendix .....................................................................................................................16

MESSAGE FROM THE COMMISSIONER
The Technical College System of Georgia's (TCSG) FY22-FY25 Strategic Plan creates a path forward for the system and TCSG's 22 colleges as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on the future. The pandemic's impact on the nation was unprecedented and, as a result, two-year college enrollment declined all across America. However, it also provided us the opportunity to innovate and explore more ways to deliver a high-quality education to our students. It also strengthened our resolve to continue delivering on our mission to provide business and industry with a highly skilled workforce to help them compete in the 21st century. Our strategic plan outlines our goals for the next few years and describes how we are going to meet these goals. TCSG's overarching objective is to close the middle-skills gap in Georgia by graduating more students, putting more people to work, and providing business and industry with the talent they need, when they need it. TCSG is committed to expanding opportunity and equity to ALL Georgians--from our metro regions to rural communities--wherever they may live. As industry grows and more companies call Georgia home, our strategic plan is designed to support the workforce needs of a growing economy. Governor Brian Kemp and the legislature continue to support TCSG through funding allocations that make it possible for our colleges to educate and train students for success in high-demand career fields and we remain laser-focused on increasing the number of students graduating from one of these programs. We are also grateful for The State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia for providing us with the support and guidance to help us fulfill our mission. Georgia continues to be the top state in the nation to do business, in part, because of our highly skilled workforce. While we are happy to receive these accolades, we are not resting on our laurels. With a focus on the future, TCSG will innovate and create programs that meet tomorrow's business and industry needs. With your support, the future is bright for TCSG and for the state of Georgia!
Sincerely,
Greg Dozier Commissioner
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Through its 22 colleges and 88 campuses, the Technical College of Georgia's (TCSG) primary objective is to close the middle-skills gap in Georgia. Middle skill jobs are those jobs that require a worker to have more education or training than a high school diploma, but not a four-year degree. According to the National Skills Coalition, 54% of jobs in Georgia require this type of training; however, 42% of Georgians have this training, creating a 12% gap for these middle skill jobs.
In fall 2021, TCSG Commissioner Greg Dozier assembled senior leadership in a three day planning session called Strategic Operations or "StratOp" to evaluate TCSG's role in closing the skills gap in Georgia and to develop a plan on how to move forward with strategic impact. After much discussion, the team decided on five GOALS for the system and its colleges to focus on to close the middle skills gap in Georgia.
Within each GOAL is a list of strategies designed to help close the skills gap in Georgia. When implemented, the strategies will help reduce the skilled worker labor gap by enrolling, retaining, and graduating more students with necessary training and education for critical high-demand professions.
The five GOALS are:
1. Increase enrollment globally and in strategic areas 2. Recruit and retain well-qualified faculty & staff 3. Create more partnerships with business and industry 4. Improve retention and graduation rates 5. Increase innovation and research opportunities
The GOALS include the high-demand career areas and programs that Governor Kemp and the General Assembly support in the approved FY2023 State budget allocations. The state of Georgia funding in FY2023 includes monies for Commercial Truck Driver (CDL) training and equipment, healthcare initiatives, advanced manufacturing, aviation training, apprenticeships, and funding for IT-cybersecurity training.
Completion of the identified GOALS should lead towards improving retention, graduation rates, and overall enrollment. Each of TCSG's 22 colleges presented enrollment plans to senior leadership to establish priorities for the next few years. The primary objective across the system is to graduate students and aid them in obtaining a career in their chosen field of study, thus closing the skills gap in Georgia.
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MISSION AND VISION
Agency Mission: The mission of the Technical College System of Georgia is to build a well-educated, globally competitive workforce through technical education, adult education, and customized training for Georgia's businesses and industries.
Agency Vision: The Technical College System of Georgia will enhance the economic well-being of Georgia citizens by providing state-of-the-art technical education that prepares students to seamlessly transition into Georgia's workforce.
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GOALS TO CLOSE THE MIDDLE-SKILLS GAP IN GEORGIA
1 Increase enrollment globally and in strategic areas
2 Recruit and retain well-qualified faculty and staff
3 Create more partnerships with business and industry
4 Improve retention and graduation rates
5 Increase innovation and research opportunities
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1 Increase enrollment globally and in strategic areas

Since the COVID pandemic in 2020, enrollment in two-year colleges across America has declined, including at the 22 colleges of TCSG. Prior to the COVID pandemic, TCSG was growing enrollment. In AY18, TCSG enrollment was 136,157; in AY19, enrollment increased to 140,840 students; and in AY20, the enrollment increased to 143,750 students. Since COVID-19, there has been a decline in enrollment in both AY21 and AY22.

Enrollment Trend

AY 2020 143,750

AY 2019 140,840

AY 2018 136,157

AY 2021 133,144

AY 2022 131,158

Enrollment: Increase credit

As we emerge from the pandemic, TCSG and its colleges are developing methods to increase enrollment across credit and non-credit

enrollment from 131,158 in AY22 to 134,500 in AY23

programs. Increased enrollment will result

in more students graduating, creating a

larger workforce for business and

industry. In turn, this will help close

the skills gap in Georgia, with a

focus on high-demand career

fields. TCSG has developed the

following strategies on the

next page to increase enrollment globally and in strategic areas.

Credit Hours: Increase credit hours from 1,772,147 in AY22
to 1,800,000 in AY23

Full-Time Equivalent: Increase full-time equivalent from 59,071 in
AY22 to 60,000 in AY23
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1 Increase enrollment globally and in strategic areas
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
1. Focus on Strategic Program Areas: Working with the 22 colleges, TCSG will develop strategies and identify resources to increase annual enrollment in strategic program areas including nursing, manufacturing, computer technologies, CDL, and aviation.
2. Enrollment Growth Plans: The 22 colleges will develop and implement enrollment growth plans.
3. Short-term Certificate Programs: TCSG will develop course delivery systems designed around short certificate programs with the intent of moving individuals quickly into the workforce.
4. Articulation Agreements: The 22 colleges of TCSG will market articulation agreement opportunties to those students interested in starting their college career at a TCSG college, then transferring to a four-year university. Currently the TCSG/USG articulation agreement includes 28 general education courses that articulate statewide. TCSG will also market the eight K-12 articulation agreements available statewide. The TCSG division of academic affairs maintains a listing of current articulation agreements on their intranet: https://intranet.tcsg.edu/teched/academic-affairs/articulation-agreements/.
5. Grants: TCSG will utilize funding from grants to increase instructional capacity in nursing, manufacturing, and commercial truck driving.
6. Harness Emerging Technologies: TCSG will work with corporate and education partners to develop programs that support emerging technologies in areas such as eMobility; and fully integrate with system initiatives, including eCampus and work done under the Strengthening Community Colleges grant, to provide instructional opportunities to students across the state using distance education and augmented/virtual reality.
7. Adult Education: TCSG will increase the number of students transitioning from Adult Education through robust Integrated Education and Training offerings and through targeted marketing and engagement campaigns (i.e. Keep Going).
8. Leverage Foundation resources: The TCSG Foundation provides critical funding for students who are unable to afford tuition. The Foundation will continue to find generous donors to expand tuition support for those in need including helping enroll children who are in the foster care system. Foundation resources will also support strategic needs and our strategic programs.
9. Campus safety: TCSG's primary concern is the safety of all students, faculty, and staff and will continue to ensure our colleges remain a safe and healthy environment for learning.
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2 Recruit and retain well-qualified faculty and staff

One of TCSG's greatest assets is committed, passionate, and well-qualified faculty and staff at the colleges and system office. Like many organizations, TCSG faces the challenges of managing approaching retirements, recruiting and retaining a qualified, diverse, multi-generational workforce, and accomplishing these responsibilities with limited resources in a competitive environment.

TCSG colleges face competition for talent; not only from other educational entities, but also from the industries we are serving. Industrial technologies (i.e- trades, technical programs), nursing, and other health technologies continue to be the most difficult instructor positions to fill. Individuals qualified in these areas are able to earn more working within the industry itself, rather than in education. At the same time, other educational entities offer higher salaries than many of our technical colleges.

As with other industries, the "Great Resignation" has affected TCSG colleges. In 2015, there was a 13.4% turnover rate. Since then, the turnover rate has increased each year and today stands at 17.9%. The competitive labor market and changing workforce trends impact the ability to hire and retain well-qualified faculty and staff. TCSG has developed the following strategies on the next page to recruit and retain wellqualified faculty and staff.

The 22 colleges will work towards reducing the
turnover rate from 17.9% in FY22 to 13.9% in FY25
Senior Leadership Academy
TCSG will launch a new Leadership Academy in January 2023

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2

Recruit and retain well-qualified faculty and staff
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

1. Surveys: TCSG will gather and review data from new exit and climate surveys to determine opportunities for increased engagement, improved communication, and other enhancements to the employee experience. A new exit survey was developed and launched at the System Office and all technical colleges in July 2022. Work continues on the development of an annual climate survey to be available for use at the colleges in early 2023. Consistent use of exit surveys and climate surveys will provide the colleges with feedback to help gain understanding of issues that may impede success. Leadership's timely response to employee feedback leads to higher morale and increased retention rates. At the System level, the Human Resources leadership will aggregate the College and System information to identify issues that are systemic and identify corrections through changes to policy and procedure, or through additional professional development.
2. Update TCSG job classification system: In coordination with our partner agencies, the TCSG HR leadership and College HR leadership will review the TCSG job classification plan to incorporate qualifications that will include graduates from TCSG-affiliated colleges. HR leaders will update job qualifications for the addition of technical college credentials for appropriate jobs. Enhancement to the plan will include career paths for those in a job family with this option. An updated job series will include a job progression that has entry-level, mid-career, and senior-level positions. The first series of jobs will be available for use in fall 2022.
3. Enhance professional development offerings: Professional development options are under review throughout the System. Current structures, including the Peer Group System, the Instructor Training Institute, the Instructor Faculty Consortium Committees, and the Georgia Virtual Technical Connection, are under review to look for opportunities for enhancement to increase availability and access to developmental content for faculty and staff. In January 2023, a revised leadership academy will relaunch with the addition of general, professional development for faculty and staff, updated with fresh, comprehensive content, and supported by strategic partnerships.
4. Leverage Foundation resources: Through donations made to the TCSG Foundation, funding can support the hiring of new faculty and staff where current resources are limited. This includes high demand areas like nursing, CDL, and manufacturing.
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3 Create more partnerships with business and industry

Access to a skilled workforce is critical in a business's decision to relocate or

expand. Because our colleges are uniquely qualified in delivering workforce

training, they are a vital partner with community leaders from economic

development and local governments in attracting new companies to their

areas. The increased wages of our technical education graduates,

economic development trainees, and adult education graduates

positively influence the state's wealth and workforce capital every year.

Registered Apprentices: Increase the number of Registered Apprentices

TCSG and its colleges work hand-in-hand with business and

served through the TCSG Office of Workforce Development

industry representatives to ensure our graduates are

from 937 in AY22 to 1,937 in AY25

qualified for the jobs in the local community. In partnership

with industry, TCSG colleges develop curriculum that is

responsive to changing industry needs. The in-field job

placement rate of 86.8% is possible because of the

strong relationships with local businesses. That

said, room for improvement exists as employers

continue to feel the talent crunch and many

lack an awareness of the breadth of services

Employers: Increase the number of

and opportunities for talent recruitment and development that exist within

employers engaged in RAPs through the TCSG OWD from 165 in AY22 to 265 AY25

TCSG institutions.

TCSG has developed the

following strategies on the next

page to create additional

partnerships and increase

workforce development

opportunities with business and industry in Georgia.

College Participation: All 22 TCSG institutions participate in at least three different RAP
training programs in diverse industries by AY24

Increase the number of employers utilizing Career Services departments
and resources to recruit talent by 25% at each college by FY23

Increase the number of course offerings with employer-based learning opportunities by 10% by AY24

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3 Create more partnerships with business and industry
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
1. Increase Registered Apprenticeships: The Georgia Senate bill SB379 committed $1.2 million to implement a program to incentivize employers around the state to engage in Registered Apprenticeships (RAPs). TCSG also received $4.2 million in State Fiscal Recovery Funds/Negative Economic Impact to support Registered Apprenticeships by funding the Apprenticeships for Economic Recovery (AER) program. TCSG will leverage all current funding opportunities to promote and expand RAPs by developing a comprehensive outreach plan. TCSG will also implement a robust apprenticeship tracking system.
2. Review and Improve Career Services: Colleges will improve service delivery to both students seeking jobs and employers seeking skilled applicants. Each TCSG college has a Career Services department, which functions to provide students access to resources for building job search portfolios, and provides a platform through which employers can list job opportunities within their area. TCSG will undertake a survey of the colleges in an effort to understand how to improve Career Services for students and the experience of recruiting students for employers.
3. Create Marketing Collateral: TCSG will create marketing collateral for colleges to use to highlight the benefits to employers of TCSG training opportunities for talent recruitment and development. TCSG will create a portfolio of customized marketing materials that the colleges can use in outreach to employers and disseminate RAP marketing materials to promote all three funding initiatives and the benefits of RAPs.
4. Increase employer engagement: TCSG will roll out an Employer Engagement Inventory tool to each college. TCSG will compile these results to identify strong performers and then glean "best practices" from them to share broadly with system colleges. TCSG Economic Development and OWD will work in tandem to coordinate outreach to industry groups/councils, chambers of commerce, etc. to raise awareness of and recruit participation in local college program advisory committees. TCSG will also implement a course identifier system to allow for tracking enrollment in courses with employer-based learning opportunities.
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4 Improve retention and graduation rates

TCSG and its colleges continue to look for new and exciting tools to encourage students to finish their educational journey and receive their certificate, diploma, or degree. The more TCSG can keep students enrolled, the better the chance for these students to complete their program of study. As a result, our graduation rates will increase, providing business and industry with a larger workforce.

TCSG strives to have more high school students enroll in a TCSG college directly after high school. The Dual Enrollment program provides high school students an opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school. The Dual Achievement Program (established by SB204) offers qualified students a recognized and alternate path to high school graduation. They earn a high school diploma and two technical certificates of credit along a specific career path approved to meet high school graduation requirements. The 22 colleges will improve retention and graduation rates, in part, by getting more high school students to matriculate into a credit program after graduation.

Increase conversion of applicant to enrolled by 5% by fall 2023 across the system

*Increase summer 2023 transient student enrollment by 20%
over 2022 summer enrollment
* A transient student is one who takes a summer class that will transfer to their home institution
DUAL ACHIEVEMENT
Enroll 1,000 Dual Achievement students per term beginning fall 2024
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4 Improve retention and graduation rates
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
1. Implement TargetX at all colleges: The implementation of the recruitment, admissions, and retention software TargetX, will improve college enrollment and retention initiatives. The software will be utilized to target:
a. Beginning/new students b. Transfer students and transient students c. Target high school students taking YouScience test d. Dual Enrollment students e. Adult Education students f. Re-admit students
2. Schedule classes for flexibility and student success
a. TCSG colleges will expand core class offerings, including longer hours and/or weekends.
b. TCSG will develop a statewide database of Non-Credit to Credit options and increase number of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Credits awarded each year.
c. TCSG will optimize using DegreeWorks to award students their Technical Certificate of Completion (TCC) as they are completed instead of waiting for final graduation from the program they are embedded.
3. YouScience: YouScience is a tool utilized by many high schools throughout Georgia to assess the aptitude and career interests of students. High School Counselors administer the tool to students as early as 7th or 8th grades. Results from the analysis of their answers, can show students if they have both the aptitude and/or interest to enter into a STEM related program. As part of the data share agreement, TCSG is able to obtain these students' contact information by high school. The System Office will begin importing these leads into college Target X CRM systems in fall 2022. Colleges will be able to directly market programs of interest to these students and show them the benefits of TCSG pathways. This should lead to an increase in matriculation of traditional high school students to TCSG colleges.
4. Dual Enrollment Conversion: Georgia's Dual Enrollment Program provides students enrolled at an eligible public or private high school or home study program in Georgia the opportunity to earn high school and college credit at a participating eligible postsecondary institution in Georgia. It offers students the opportunity to experience college courses and begin their college academic career while still in high school. TCSG will focus on converting more Dual Enrollment students into a TCSG college student after high school graduation.
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5 Increase innovation and research opportunities

Research and innovation not only helps to close the skills gap in Georgia, but keeps

the gap from widening as new demands emerge. TCSG focuses on facilitating

strategic partnerships with other higher education institutions and employers to

pursue funding opportunities to further innovative activities. These partner-

ships and pursuits have led to over $26 million (Appendix 1) in funding for

TCSG's colleges in the past two years. TCSG is a founding partner in the

National Science Foundation (NSF) funded National Research Institute

for Artificial Intelligence in Adult Learning and Online Education

(AI-ALOE). Through a US DOL Strengthening Community Colleges

Grant, TCSG has launched a micro-credentialing initiative to

create industry recognized non-credit and credit credentials

focused on meeting the workforce demands of Georgia's

employers. Utilizing the Governor's Emergency Education

Relief (GEER) funds, TCSG built an eCampus platform

that leverages the instructional capacity of its colleges

to create opportunities for students to enroll in high demand programs regardless of where they live via an on-line network. Building on these successes,

Apply for at least six major grants during each fiscal year

TCSG is expanding its focus to areas of critical

importance to Georgia's workforce needs,

by applying for funding to support

current workforce demands and to

support research and development

of programming for future

workforce needs. The TCSG

innovation team has multiple

research and grant funding

thrusts focused on

advanced manufact-

uring, mechatronics,

microelectronics, semiconductors, nanotechnolo-

Deploy a model to implement programs for future workforce needs by FY24

gies, and

automation.

Establish an Applied Research Institute within TCSG by 2024
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5

Increase innovation and research opportunities
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

1. Seek third-party funding: In addition to ongoing grant initiatives (see Appendix 1), TCSG will apply for six major grants per Fiscal Year. Staff members will be in place to support System grants and will continue to apply for new grants. Ideally, TCSG will receive each of these grants, but even unsuccessful grants are useful in developing or cementing partnerships and organizing thoughts for future opportunities. TCSG will utilize grant, research, and partnership funds to procure necessary staff to deliver the following:

a. Data integration of all TCSG systems b. Grant administration software c. Catalog the current state of workforce pipelines

2. Develop Programs and Curricula to meet emerging needs: Programs and curricula will be ready in anticipation of new technologies and available when industry partners
makes a request. TCSG and its Colleges will work towards being proactive for when
new technology and enterprise partners move into the state of Georgia.

3. Establish an Applied Research Institute: As a national leader in technical education, TCSG can further opportunities for its faculty and students by establishing an undergraduate applied research practice in partnership with notable research universities. Private and publicly funded research activities, utilizing the expertise of TCSG's faculty, staff, and students to solve some of Georgia employers most challenging problems will strengthen workforce partnerships and expand economic develop opportunities across the state.

4. Georgia Quick Start: As the nation's number one workforce training program, Georgia Quick Start will continue to utilize innovations in workforce training to support
business and industry expanding or relocating to Georgia.

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CONCLUSION
The need for a new strategic plan for FY2022-2025 came about as result of a leadership change at the helm of TCSG, the impact of the pandemic of COVID-19 on higher education, and date reporting requirements of the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB). Strategic goals and initiatives in the FY2022-FY2025 plan are the result of a TCSG senior leadership meeting of key administrators, and a StratOp consultant under the leadership of Commissioner Greg Dozier.
The TCSG strategic plan FY2022-FY2025 is a guidebook for the 22 colleges, college boards, business partners, and Georgia citizens to use for closing the skills gap in Georgia. We believe that implementing the goals of this plan will help create a stronger Georgia economy and a better standard of living for its citizens.
Because our colleges are uniquely qualified in delivering workforce training, they are a vital partner with community leaders from economic development, local governments, and area businesses for attracting new companies to their areas. Current students may have opportunities to complete apprenticeships with TCSG business partners, which will provide these companies another source for hiring qualified workers.
Measurement of the successes and failures during the FY2022- FY2025 strategic plan period is essential for accountability. As completion of the strategies within the plan occurs, TCSG staff will compile results and will identify the strong performers to cull out as best practices. Plan results will be readily available to share with the TCSG Board and local college boards. Analytics from studies will be available in a transparent dashboard for other interested parties.
Completing the goals in the FY2022-FY2025 TCSG strategic plan will require efforts from every sector of the technical colleges, their partners, and area communities. We believe that each college within TCSG has unique capabilities to train the citizens of Georgia for careers that will provide them an improved chance at a successful life. To close the skills gap in Georgia, TCSG colleges and central office will work together towards achieving the five goals set forth in this plan.
Use the QR code to learn about program offerings at TCSG colleges.
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APPENDIX

Appendix 1

TCSG-ITDR Grant Activity FY2020- FY2022 GrantGrantorAmount

eCampus

Governor's Emergency

$10,400,000

Education Relief Fund

CDL Expansion

Governor's Emergency



$8,317,500

Education Relief Fund

Strengthening Community

US Department of Labor

$4,850,000

Colleges- Microcredentials

1AI Institute for Adult Learning

National Science Foundation (NSF)

$1,721,197

and Online Education (ALOE Institute)

CNA Training for Dual Enrollment

Governor's Emergency

$843,000

StudentsEducation Relief Fund

Build Back Better Regional Challenge

US Department of Commerce

$500,000

Phase I-Advanced Manufacturing

Tutoring for eCampus

AT&T



$25,000

Semiconductor Curriculum Development

US Department of Education

$2,600

TOTAL RECEIVED FROM GRANT APPLICATIONS



$26,659,297

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