| As market forces continue to alter the traditional mission of higher education, one recurring theme in recent years has been the increasing demand by the private sector for colleges and universities to provide workforce development services. Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT) is the institute within the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) which--as a no-cost incentive to business and industry--recruits, screens, and trains employees for new and expanding companies. It has played a pivotal role in the recent economic successes in Alabama particularly in the area of automotive, aerospace, and steel industry "mega projects" which each bring with them over 1,000 jobs.;While Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff's (1998) Triple Helix Model of Innovation explains the dynamic relationship between the private sector, the university, and government for the purpose of economic development through knowledge creation and applied research, its application to workforce development has not been as thoroughly explored. Particularly in the case of "mega projects," AIDT' s unique approach to providing its wide array of customizable workforce development services to its business partners encompasses the four dimensions of the Triple Helix Model: strategic alliances, recursive processes, the creation of new organizations, and a two-way influence on the institution and its partners (Etzkowitz, 1997a).;In closing, this dissertation aims to shed further light on nontraditional institutions in higher education. It seeks to demonstrate not only how the Triple Helix Model of Innovation (Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff, 1998) is applicable outside the setting of a traditional research university, but also how the model can impact other endeavors besides economic development. Moreover, it looks to illustrate the cultural ramifications to higher education resulting from such a tightly-knit relationship with business and industry. Finally, this work should ultimately serve as a resource for higher education practitioners charged with economic and workforce development responsibilities. |
