Dau Midwest Region signs Loi's with local colleges, universities, & business associations in support of Miami Valley Acquisition Consortium : DAU strategic partnerships - MVAC - Career Development

Program Manager, May-June, 2003

Providing a talented Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L) workforce to replace retiring personnel has become a crucial issue for the Department of Defense. To address that, the Defense Acquisition University Midwest Region (DAU-MW) joined with local colleges, universities, and business associations to develop the Miami Valley Acquisition Consortium (MVAC). The main goat of MVAC is to create the best-prepared acquisition workforce in Ohio. One of the major MVAC initiatives is to focus on increasing youth awareness about career alternatives and opportunities in acquisition and logistics. Full implementation of a program involving high school students, teachers, and counselors is targeted for 2004. Another goal of the MVAC is to provide current employees with additional training options. MVAC members are teaming to determine if DAU courses may be accepted for college credit. Team members are also discussing DAU, college, and university speaker-exchange programs.

The most immediate result of this unique effort is the development of several partnerships committed to sharing knoMedge, ideas, and best practices. Three of the partners--the University of Dayton, Wright State University, and Sinclair Community College--joined with Gerald Emke, Dean of DAU-MW, in a ceremonial signing of Letters of Intent (LOIs) on Feb. 28, 2003. Signatories of the LOis were: Peter G. Wagner, School of Business, University of Dayton; Dr. Richard E. Williams, Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Wright State University; and Daniel R. Ricica, Chairperson, Management, Marketing, Purchasing and Transportation, Sinclair Community College.

These LOIs establish a strategic partnership to meet current and emerging DoD AT&L workforce education and training needs. Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan, and Cuyahoga Community College have also signed LOIs with DAU-MW Partnership members will provide a coordinated effort to meet the goals of MVAC. For more information on this strategic alliance, contact Pam Oxendine, DAU-MW Professor, at Pam.Oxcndine@dau.mil.