Equipment, Facilities, and Resources Review

Adequate equipment, tools, and facilities are necessary for an effective vocational education program. One of the most important functions of an occupational advisory committee is to make suggestions about the equipment and facilities required providing students with a sound learning environment.

This function can be divided into three parts:

• Review and evaluation of available facilities and equipment;
• Survey of businesses and industries to identify procedures, equipment and materials used, including the task inventory and analysis and committee members' professional experience; and
• Establishment of a plan for acquiring needed equipment.

Equipment procurement activities that an advisory committee might conduct are:

• Assist program personnel in conducting surveys to determine types of equipment graduates will be expected to use in industry.
• Recommend facility or equipment modifications and improvements to bring training up to current standards of the workplace;
• Assist administrators and instructors in locating sources of donated or low-cost instructional supplies or equipment;
• Secure private funding to assist instructors in attending professional or industrial meetings; and
• Obtain current industrial publications and visual aids for the school.