Effective Use of Workforce Advisory Committees

Institutions must establish an industry-based advisory committee for each workforce education program. Advisory committees may be organized by career cluster, as long as each program is reviewed, the committee has the necessary expertise, and ample time is allotted for each program.

The role of an advisory committee is to:

  1. help a college document the need for a workforce education program and
  2. ensure that the program has adequate resources and a well-designed curriculum to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for employment.

The advisory committee is one of the principal means of ensuring meaningful business and industry participation in program creation and revision.

Advisory committees perform the following functions:

  1. evaluating the goals and objectives of the program curriculum;
  2. establishing workplace competencies for the program occupation(s);
  3. suggesting program revisions as needed;
  4. evaluating the adequacy of existing college facilities and equipment;
  5. advising college personnel on the selection and acquisition of new equipment;
  6. identifying local business and industry leaders who will provide students with external learning experiences, employment, and placement opportunities;
  7. assisting in the professional development of the faculty;
  8. assisting in promoting and publicizing the program to the community and to business and industry; and
  9. representing the needs of students from special populations.

Advisory committees must be composed of persons who broadly represent the demographics, including ethnic and gender diversity, of the institution’s service area as well as the occupational field in all sectors of the business community within the institution’s service area. Members should be well informed about the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the occupation for which they are providing information and guidance.

Full-time faculty and staff of the college may not be members of the advisory committee, but they may serve in an ex-officio capacity. Part-time faculty who hold full-time positions within the career field may be members of the committee. Faculty and staff of senior institutions with program articulation agreements may be members of the committee.

Advisory committees of existing programs must meet in person a minimum of one time a year and should have a quorum present. Additionally, committee members should be kept apprised of the program’s performance throughout the year.

During the development of new programs, advisory committees must meet in person at least twice and communicate throughout the program development and approval process.

All meetings of an advisory committee must be recorded in official minutes. The minutes must include the following information:

  1. identification of committee members (name, title, and affiliation);
  2. indication of committee members' presence or absence from the meeting;
  3. the names and titles of others present at the meeting;
  4. the signature of the recorder; and
  5. evidence that industry partners have taken an active role in making decisions that affect the program as outlined in Section B.2.a above.

Minutes must be maintained by the institution and made available to Coordinating Board staff upon request. See Figure 3.1, Sample Advisory Committee Meeting Record Template, at the end of this chapter.

 

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