Adult & Community Education MV
It has been a year of growth at ACE MV! Under new leadership the organization has transitioned to a new (old!) name, and continues to work towards increased access for Islanders to higher education, workforce training and professional development opportunities. A partnership with MVYouth has allowed ACE MV to begin to consider ways to build bridges between Island high schools and ongoing career navigation support. It is the goal of our organization to be able to serve post-secondary students who have opted for alternative pathways to 4-year college experiences, with workforce training, community college coursework and other professional development opportunities. In 2023 we continued to formalize partnerships with both Island high schools, and look forward to coordinating more programs and resources in 2024. ACE MV’s current Career Exploration programs include Early Childhood Education, offered in both English and Brazilian Portuguese; Language Interpreting and Translation; Small Business and Entrepreneurial Management, and Allied Health Care, in addition to workforce training programs in Electrical Coding, CSL prep training, and our School for Offseason Survival, offering classes and workshops in financial literacy, language and small business support. We look forward to developing more opportunities for career exploration and pathways support for young adults in 2024, and are grateful to MVYouth for continued partnership and shared commitment to serving Island learners of all ages.
Adult & Community Education MV
ACE MV is pleased to continue providing educational opportunities for our diverse Vineyard community. We focus on workforce training (licensures and certificates) as well as college credit access (certificates and degrees), bringing much-needed training and credentials to Martha's Vineyard. Because there is no college, university or technical school on the Island, and because our population of more than 20,000 need access to learning without the barriers of geography, MVCET partners with off-Island higher-education institutions and agencies to provide a wide variety of learning opportunities.
MVCET's current programs include Early Childhood Educator Training, wherein we are partnering with Cape Cod Community College to facilitate Child Growth and Development and other courses required to license new early childhood education teachers. This is in direct response to the Island's need to serve infants and toddlers with safe, qualified instructors. The program is entering its second semester and hosting additional courses through CCCC. Our electrician program currently has 41 individuals enrolled and is a partnership with Upper Cape Tech and an on-Island instruction for this 4-year commitment. We are also working with UCT to offer Nurse Aide Training which will result in a CNA certificate, which is a highly needed career on the Vineyard. Additionally, our Renewable Energy program through Bristol Community College trains Offshore Wind Turbine Technicians and is in its fourth cohort, with three graduates currently employed by General Electric and working on wind turbines. Our business courses continue throughout the year and this year include a Portuguese-Brazilian class for business owners to bridge communication gaps between customers, staff, and managers. Other courses include finance, business, computer software, and human resources. Finally, our trades and technical courses continue including ServSafe, Construction Supervisor License prep, and more.
All of our courses are designed to support Vineyard families as they improve their lives for themselves and their communities. We thank MVYouth for their support.
Adult & Community Education MV
ACE MV is the Island’s only adult education provider that offers workforce education in business, health care, technology, trades, renewable energy, and language. Building upon MVYouth's survey of needs of Island youth, ACE MV identified in 2019 that non-college-bound high school students did not have the support and guidance they needed to follow paths other than a four-year college. ACE MV partnered with MVRHS with the goal of creating a resource for Vineyard young adults to pursue technical careers and certifications, find local jobs, and learn the soft skills needed to be employed in these jobs. Thanks to the generosity of MVYouth, we hired a Career Navigation Specialist (Lisette Williams) in February 2021.
Lisette designed a career readiness needs assessment for MVRHS staff; coordinated two professional development trainings for the Guidance Department; co-taught free Career Readiness workshops, thanks to funding from MV Youth and Santander Bank; co-managed the Rural Scholars project with ACE MV Board Member Kim Garrison, a research study sponsored by the Dukes County Health Council where students from UMass Chan Medical School clarified the needs and obstacles faced by disconnected youth living on MV; and launched a career readiness needs assessment for stakeholders. In addition, Lisette is overseeing website updates that include a job portal and career resource section; researching high schools in MA that are approved to teach Career and Technical Education; and guiding MVRHS seniors through the MVYouth Workforce Development Scholarship application process.
Adult & Community Education MV
PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT: The planned program has three major goals: 1) hire a qualified Career Development Specialist; 2) design a website and phone app specifically for use by 16-25 year old youth to engage in local and regional career pathway planning; and 3) engage an expert trainer to deliver high-impact, alternative-thinking training sessions for all MVRHS guidance staff and the Career Development Specialist each year of the three-year grant period.
Fiscal responsibility for continued program operations will be gradually transferred back to ACE MV, MVRHS and the school district to sustain after the three-year funding period ends. MVYouth’s support in years two and three will be contingent on ACE MV making financial contributions and securing planned contributions from the school district and MVRHS, as outlined in their proposed budget, as well as providing evidence of the project’s successful operation and adequate achievements in an annual report.