STAKEHOLDER GOALS AND DESIRED STUDENT OUTCOMES FOR A COMMUNITY COLLEGE WELDER TRAINING PROGRAM

This qualitative case study explored stakeholders’ subjective goals and outcome expectations for a community college welder training program in southern California to improve alignment for student success and employer benefit, thereby mitigating the shortage of skilled welding professionals. This study builds on the historical foundation for career technical education (CTE), the philosophical concept of pragmatism, and the theoretical framework of experiential learning theory to explore the higher education environment related to CTE and the research site. Twelve welding students participated in focus groups, and four welding faculty, two employer representatives, and one senior administrator participated in individual interviews. Additionally, institutional documentation was explored. Due to the distinct lack of scholarly literature on community college skilled trades training programs, this inaugural study contributes significantly to the body of knowledge available to policy makers and practitioners in higher education.

Global findings included welder (anti)culture and stigma. General findings included the importance of developing a variety of soft and hard skills, welder identity, and workplace roles. These findings reveal many important implications for policy, practice, and future research and a conclusion that education leaders must listen to welding students. College administrators and faculty should increase agency for welding students to create their own destinies, work to reduce the deficit mindset in academia toward career-oriented subjects, increase collaboration between colleges and employers, effectively facilitate student employment in the field, and support research in community college skilled trades training programs.