KSA Analysis
Here’s what several cohort colleges have shared about their KSA experiences:
“Our industry partners reviewed our KSAs in detail, helping us identify new priorities and refine what mattered most. That feedback—and the trust it built—has been priceless.”
Jacqueline Clifford, Biotechnology Program Director, Metropolitan Community College (NE)
“Mapping KSAs to our existing and new courses has given us a clear line of sight between industry needs and classroom instruction — and industry is truly leading that effort.”
Kevin Osborne, Vice President and Adjunct Instructor, Forsyth Technical Community College (NC)
“Having sat on both sides of the table—first as an employer, and now as faculty—I see how BILT finally prompts the right questions. It turns industry’s long-standing priorities into action on campus. The KSA process made it clear our students need a broader skill base. That insight helped us refocus on workforce flexibility, which is essential in our rural region. Hearing multiple employers call for the same skills was a turning point—it gave us undeniable clarity about where to focus and confidence that our program changes truly matter.”
Richard Speakman, Faculty, Wor-Wic Community College (MD)
Tools to Support the KSA Process
Developing a KSA List for BILT Review
Understanding the competencies entry-level employees must have as they complete a program of study is paramount to assuring the program is current and relevant, particularly in emerging technology fields. CORD has developed two tools that help streamline the process of developing and prioritizing these Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs).
The BILT Bot is an AI-based tool that aids in the development of essential KSAs for today’s high tech and emerging industries. Through a few brief prompts, the tool produces lists of current and future-facing competencies important to entry-level technician roles. The BILT Bot asks clarifying questions to build a more precise list and provide options that support the development of KSAs for both new and existing programs.
Streamlining the KSA Prioritization Process
The BILT KSA App streamlines the process of prioritizing KSAs to ensure employers can provide feedback in an efficient manner. This web-based tool generates an electronic voting form based on your KSA list to facilitate real-time voting during a KSA Analysis meeting. The voting results are then discussed in a facilitated conversation with employers to ensure all feedback is considered and understood. The discussion notes are captured in the system, providing an archive of all BILT KSA activity for a college.
The KSA App facilitates the employer voting process to prioritize KSAs, houses KSA lists and voting results for each program, and archives KSA artifacts within a college’s account. This data can be presented as evidence that business partners are indeed co-leaders in the development of curricula, which is often required for accreditation.
To learn more about these tools, contact BILTtools@cord.org.
Pathways to Innovation is a project of the Center for Occupational Research and Development supported by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education Program [DUE 2039395]. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF.
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