This equitable IT pathways initiative will build on existing college- and system-level priorities and initiatives to implement a variety of research-informed, equity-focused systems change…

This equitable IT pathways initiative will build on existing college- and system-level priorities and initiatives to implement a variety of research-informed, equity-focused systems change strategies to increase the capacity of connecticut state colleges and universities (cscu) community colleges to identify and close equity gaps while meeting the workforce needs of IT and tech-dependent employers and the skill development needs of marginalized and underrepresented students. Activities performed strategies addressing both core elements are: 1) provide comprehensive and personalized supports included guided pathways-style advising for non-credit students with clear articulation to credit programs; 2) implement corequisite supports in first-year mathematics and english classes; and 3) establish seamless pathways from non-credit programs to credit programs and embed credentials in credit-bearing programs. Strategies addressing the advancing equity core element are: 1) improve equity data collection, tracking, and reporting; 2) implement diverse faculty recruitment, onboarding, and retention best practices; and 3) recruit and support students from underrepresented groups. Strategies addressing the accelerated career pathways core element are: 1) offer online IT professional certification opportunities; 2) create and pilot an adult education on-ramp program; 3) expand demand-driven CIS training; and 4) engage industry to increase paid IT work-based learning opportunities. Deliverables #1 establish seamless non-credit-to-credit pathways for consortium college CIS programs, based on a review of all consortium college CIS programs (non-credit and credit); #2: pilot a set of best practices for recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retaining diverse teaching faculty in CIS programs (non-credit and credit); #3: implement statewide data system enhancements, focused initially on CIS programs, that allow for improved understanding of - and timely response to - structural inequities and gaps in student success #4: implement a corequisite support model for students in CIS credit programs to facilitate student completion of college-level math and english within the first year.; #5: pilot the provision of guided pathways-like advising for students in consortium college non-credit CIS programs. Intended beneficiary historically marginalized populations. Subrecipient activities 1) working in collaboration with the cscu associate vice president for digital learning, an expert in open educational resources (OER) will post all grant products to a public distribution platform, following all usdol ETA guidance and requirements. 2) a third-party evaluator will work with the project director - as well as other project staff, stakeholders, and students - to design and conduct a developmental evaluation to provide real-time feedback to inform the development of the intervention and potential adaptations.