Anne Arundel Community College Pilot Program Will Expand Nationwide

Sixteen TSA employees won accolades from the agency and Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) leaders at a ceremony Thursday saluting the workers' unique professional development achievement and an outstanding educational partnership.

TSA AACC Class Of 2010

The TSA Transportation Security Officers and employees, who are based at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, are among the first TSA workers in the country to complete all three courses in a pilot homeland security education program with AACC. The courses are part of AACC's Homeland Security Management associate degree program.

The 16 students were among 56 TSA employees at BWI who enrolled in one, two or all three of the classes in the pilot program since it began last year. They received Certificates of Achievement from TSA at the Associates Program Inaugural Achievement Ceremony July 7 at BWI, where TSA officials thanked AACC for its role and announced plans for a nationwide homeland security education program rollout.

"I'm happy to see this day arrive," said TSA Assistant Administrator for Human Capital Richard A. Whitford. "You know how crucial this initiative is to our entire community."

The instruction better equips TSOs and TSA employees to meet their homeland security mission and provides a career-enhancing incentive, Whitford said. The courses introduce concepts such as homeland security, intelligence analytics and security management.

AACC, which enrolled nearly 55,000 students in credit and noncredit courses in fiscal year 2009, had both the background and connection to a global training delivery system to make the TSA initiative a success. The college's award-winning Center for Workforce Solutions (CWS) provides customized, contract training to business, industry, government agencies and nonprofit organizations in the region. Its School of Business, Computing and Technical Studies is home to one of the first homeland security management associate degree programs in the country.

TSA contracted with AACC to deliver the courses as a pilot at BWI. For the pilot program, training was delivered by AACC at 11 airports in nine states. AACC also shared curriculum with other pilot program colleges.

As a result of the successful pilot, TSA decided to roll out the training nationwide. AACC and Global Corporate College are working with TSA in this first phase of the national rollout. This fall, the program will expand to 23 airports and in spring 2011 to more than 50 airports in 35 states. By fall 2012, the program will be in place at all 121 airport hubs in 50 states.

FMI: www.aacc.edu, www.tsa.gov