This project proposes to explore the development of a Bachelor of Applied Technology (B.A.T.) degree at a new free-standing institution to be housed at the community college, but governed by its own Board of Trustees comprising members from the college, the Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, sponsoring school districts, employers, and the community. The program increases the number and diversity of students in the field who have higher technical degrees, making them more marketable to potential employers and meeting the needs of business and industry for more highly skilled and well-prepared technicians.
The project includes the following ATE program improvement components: improving articulation between programs at secondary schools and two-year colleges, providing pathways from two-year colleges to four-year college or university programs, developing lifelong career and educational pathways for technicians to support the changing workplace, and addressing the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for the evolving, converging, and emerging technical workplace. The college is developing a 2+2+2 career pathway, integrating industry standards and workplace competencies into the curriculum, as well as adapting educational materials and courses developed elsewhere. The program increases high school students' interest in their freshman and sophomore year through a series of informational sessions, provides junior and senior high school students with courses and externships, enrolls high school graduates in a Computer Specialist A.A.S. degree, and, finally, offers the third and fourth years of a Bachelor of Applied Technology degree at a new free-standing institution housed at the college. The B.A.T. curriculum does not duplicate previous coursework and includes specialized training in service management and experiential learning through internships at local companies.
