Northland Pioneer College Manpower Planning Resource Document.

Alternatives for occupational curricula at Northland Pioneer College are discussed in relation to Navaho County economic resources. Approximately 85 percent of the occupations in Navaho County do not require the baccalaureate degree and thus fall within the realm of community college educational responsibility. Because of the sparse population, the limited resources, the extreme distances between communities, and a lack of a center of population, the following recommendations are made: (1) learning centers should be established in several communities; (2) a core curriculum of information necessary in a variety of occupations should be developed; (3) specialized education should be organized so it may be taught in concentrated sessions; (4) cooperative education and shared facilities with high schools should be exploited; (5) the availability of educational opportunities to the people must be placed in high priority. Programs in business, automotive, heavy equipment maintenance, construction trades, and health must be offered. These recommendations are based on existing information on occupations and manpower needs in the county, white and nonwhite (Indian) population distribution, and a previous aspiration study of high school students. (Author/MJK)