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Franklin County Community College Network

WHY IT STARTED

The Franklin County Community College Network (FCCCN) believes that economic development is based on preparing an educated workforce equipped with the skills required to compete in the 21st century global market. It was founded in 2005 by several community leaders who, recognizing that education can be a path out of poverty, decided to establish a community college-like presence in Franklin County. Through community forums and gatherings, a strategic alliance developed among leaders in business, economic development, education, social services, and health care to address the training and educational needs of Franklin County’s residents.

WHO IS INVOLVED

The core partners of the network include Franklin County Adult Education, Central Maine Community College, the University of Maine at Farmington, the Franklin Community Health Network, Greater Franklin County Development Corporation, the Department of Labor’s WorkReady™ program, and the Franklin County public schools.

The network partners are all familiar with the expertise that each brings to the network. Members of the network espouse these values: maintaining a high level of trust; tapping each partner’s passion and expertise; remaining mission-focused; and building a “flat” network with minimal hierarchy.

HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER

People can come and go in this network and be connected both formally and informally. The core partners meet quarterly to identify needs and establish projects; workgroups come together to focus on student services/support, marketing, and resource development. At other times, someone may step forward to take on a role that is needed for a specific project.

The network sees itself as building pathways for Franklin County’s residents, with core partners in the role of surveyor. Betty Gensel, the Network Liaison, spends her time weaving together relationships, information, and logistical planning. There is no “bricks and mortar” component with the network’s name on it. Education/training happens at businesses, public schools, hospitals, churches, CareerCenters – wherever makes the most sense for people to gather. For instance, the nine fall 2010 course offerings range from college writing at two regional high schools, to algebra and business mathematics at the Foster Technical Center, to a basic business course taught at the Franklin Memorial Hospital.

CHALLENGES

Network partners have identified the following as keys to their success in educating the workforce in Franklin County:

• Lowering the cost of education;
• Establishing educational sites in local communities so distance in rural Franklin County won’t be a barrier to anyone getting an education;
• Developing a culture where post-secondary education is valued.

Financial help is offered to individuals through a scholarship program that is funded through the Maine Community Foundation and managed by the FCCCN’s scholarship committee; special attention is given to select nontraditional students who would otherwise not be able to pay. Partners work together to address the potential barrier that distance might represent for attendance by offering courses in multiple and varied locations around Franklin County.

Changing the culture of the community to one that values higher level education is the most difficult challenge to overcome. However, change is beginning to occur: the Network Liaison cites the example of a mother and daughter who are attending training together. In addition, businesses have stepped forward to ask for and support training in the workplace. For example, when the Cianbro Corporation needed welders in the area, an old shoe factory was used as the training space and Cianbro donated the welding equipment, so that over 60 people were trained for potential positions.

PROGRESS TOWARDS GOAL

The FCCCN has many accomplishments to its credit. Since fall 2005, 680 students have been trained through this network; during the same time period, matriculation rates have increased from 21% to 75%. In the spring of 2010, 100 classes were offered across Franklin County. Multiple methods are used to get the word out to residents about the opportunities available to them through the network: CareerCenters, businesses who communicate to their employees, newspaper articles, or announcements in churches. The local movie theatre even posts an advertisement on its screen for movie goers.

One of the biggest changes the network has seen is in the way individuals and organizations work together. There is now more collaboration, with multiple organizations bringing their own resources to the educational effort. In fact, Central Maine Community College has dedicated a student services representative, Bryan Wallace, to focus solely on Franklin County. This collaboration is also expanding to include other community networks. For example, a partnership with the Franklin County Tourism Network has meant that customer service courses are now offered through the FCCCN.

The FCCCN, which has become the “go-to place” for expanding educational opportunities for Franklin County residents, hopes to build on its successes and expand its involvement with businesses to meet their needs more closely. In addition, network partners are currently working with educators to build “stackable” certificate programs where an individual can take multiple courses of increasing difficulty and earn a credential that could lead to a career.