Putting the BEST foot forward

For Josh Brown, 18, trying to figure out how to pay for trade school and get his GED was causing some restless nights.

"I wouldn't be able to afford it," Brown said. "I was stressing. I thought I'd have to flip burgers to put myself through college."

Brown, of Coeur d'Alene, said he knew the job market was tough and he needed "at least a GED or high school diploma to get a job."

Exploring all his options, Brown discovered a new pilot program that kicked off this fall at North Idaho College. Through the Idaho Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program, Brown and five other students - the first five in this type of program in Idaho - will learn a trade while attaining their GED. For Brown, a crucial component of the new program is that the first semester is paid for by NIC. After the first semester, students should have their GED which will make them eligible for financial aid, a Pell Grant, and/or scholarships rather than a loan.

So, Brown learns a trade, gets his GED and is put in a position to be able to pay his own way through school after one semester.

And, if they happen to be hired while in the program: "That's a success too," said Rex Fairfield, NIC director of Adult Basic Education (ABE) and GED programs. "The whole goal is to get them employed.

"Better yet, is if we've got an employer who wants to hire and provide them with the rest of their education. We've provided them with the skills they need to get a job."

Fairfield and Mike Mires, dean of professional, technical and workforce education, are heading up the I-BEST pilot program, which is the first of its kind in Idaho. The Washington state program has earned the support of President Barack Obama, who pointed specifically to the program in his April 24, 2009 remarks on higher education. In his speech at the White House, Obama said his goal was to have America regain the lead of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

"And to help us achieve that goal, we are investing $2.5 billion to identify and support innovative initiatives that have a record of success in boosting enrollment and graduation rates, initiatives like the I-BEST program in Washington state that combines basic and career skills classes to ensure that students not only complete college, but are competitive in the workforce from the moment they graduate," Obama said.

Brown said the machinist training he is receiving this fall - the NIC program will offer welding training in the spring semester - is preparing him to hit the ground running.

"It's the same exact program as the machinist program and this school has the best machinist program around," Brown said. "They teach you stuff you can put on your resume."

Unique to the I-BEST program is a mentoring component. An ABE/GED instructor attends all classes with the students. Many of the program candidates are at a disadvantage in the higher education setting since their class work has been limited. The ABE/GED instructor provides consistency and develops relationships with the students as they acclimate to more rigorous academics.

At the end of the semester, with GED in hand, the students can then make their own choice with Pell Grant or financial aid money now available to them: continue with trade school, join the workforce or attain an academic degree. Fairfield said the I-BEST pilot program continues to be monitored by both NIC and the state for effectiveness and delivery.

"The goal, if this is successful, is to replicate it across the state," Fairfield said. "We'll see at the end of the semester by measuring GED attainment, certification, work, or if they go into the next portion of the program."

So far, Fairfield said, the program is projected to more than double next semester from six participants to as many as 15.

"This is a whole new concept," Fairfield said. "It's totally different than what people have had available to them in the past. North Idaho College's Professional-Technical and ABE/GED programs are proactively addressing the needs of our students and business community."

The NIC Adult Education Center can be reached at (208) 665-5099.