Career Path Enhancement Project (CPE)

Funder: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Technology Opportunity Program
Amount: $411,567
Funding Period: 8/31/03-9/30/03

Funder: U.S. Department of Education, Community Technology Center Program
Amount: $225,168
Funding Period: 8/31/03-9/30/03

Mott Community College (MCC) and the University of Michigan-Flint (UMF) have established five Community Technology Centers to address the “digital divide” for low-income residents of Flint, Michigan. MCC’s centers are located at the Faith-based Economic Development Corporation, the Disability Network, and the Hispanic Technology Center. The two UM-Flint centers are located at the Oak Business Center and Northbank Center. These centers also provide residents an opportunity to learn about small business development. Four of these centers are within the Flint Enterprise Community. MCC and UMF are proposing the establishment of the Career Path Enhancement (CPE ) Project to help the CTCs improve in their current efforts to address the socioeconomic problems in the community through expanded use of networked technologies.

The total population of the Enterprise Community is 48,419 with median household incomes of $12,596 and per capita income of $5,990. The unemployment rate in the Enterprise Community is 29 percent, higher than the national average rate of 6.3 percent and the county rate of 12.8 percent. More than 40 percent of Enterprise Community residents live below the poverty level. The site at the Disability Network is just outside of the Enterprise Community and is equipped with fully accessible computers for individuals with a wide-range of disabilities.

The centers have on-site staff as well as volunteers. Technical support is provided by MCC and UM-Flint. Three of the centers provide direct access to MCC for registration purposes and for distance learning courses. These centers are key to efforts now underway in the community to address the economic shift occurring in the city. The primary base of jobs is moving away from almost sole reliance on the automotive industry to a regional job market in high-technology jobs in various sectors. The CTCs are addressing the skill gap that exists between those who are prepared to take advantage of these high-tech jobs and those who are not. Although, the CTCs are open to anyone interested in gaining greater access to computers and computer skills, the majority of those who use the CTCs see the centers as a place to improve their job skills or as a place to access business entrepreneurial skills.

Building on this foundation, the Career Path Enhancement (CPE) Project will expand the networked technology at the CTCs to achieve the following two measurable outcomes:

1) Expand the geographic area served by the CTCs and expand the hours the CTCS are available through networked technology, resulting in an increase of client visits and an increase in the number of end-users over the rates currently anticipated.
2) Add new strategies to the existing technologies and programs at the CTCs that insure that participants actually use the skills that they gain at the centers to obtain employment or start their business venture.

The CPE Project will implement several strategies utilizing networked technology to achieve these outcomes. Cohort Affinity Groups (CAGS) will be established that create support groups for CTC end-user who will communicate within and across the centers’ boundaries using technology. An eMentoring program will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of communication for those who want to be mentors and for those interested in being a mentee. CTC TVU, a partnership with the local public television station, will reach potential and current CTC users more effectively and help prepare for the shift from analog to digital. Access Technology in Your Palm will enhance communication and expand access through the use of handheld computers.