Welcome to Workforce 3 One U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration May 12, 2015 Presented by: Division of Youth Services – YouthBuild U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

2# Enter your location in the Chat window – lower left of screen

Jenn Smith YouthBuild National Director, Division of Youth Services U.S. Department of Labor/ETA/OWI 3

4# 1.Participants will receive recommendations to ensure follow-up and placement retention strategies are part of the YouthBuild program model. 2.Participants will be able to learn about promising strategies for continued engagement.

Content available to participants at registration via webcast Overview of the content Discussion #5

Participate in open discussion with facilitators and peers. Phones will be un- muted. Be courteous. Reduce extraneous noise for the best audio quality by muting your phone, if you are not speaking. Choose the breakout room based on the number shown on your screen. #6

Phoebe Reeves-Murray YouthBuild USA staff and DOL YouthBuild Technical Assistance Coach 7#

Do all staff in your program know what to do to help students have a successful placement? YesNo 8#

Align and engage ALL STAFF with placement and follow-up activities Determine staff needs (managing caseloads of students in multiple stages – active program, transition and follow-up) Use of staff meetings for planning, reflection and benchmarking #9

Schedule for career and post-secondary development activities (start at mental toughness and continue through placement) Integrate career and post-secondary development into all program components and start on day one #10

Use IDP and case conferencing consistently IDPs are a perfect tool for youth to take an active role with all staff in making, reviewing, and revising their own placement and retention plans #11

Do you think that your program has a comprehensive placement plan in place? YesNo 12#

Budget and plan for retention well before exit Consider:  Staffing  Incentives for sustained contact  Ongoing professional development  Necessary employer/education partner supports #13

Review caseload  Ensure youth have deliverables to meet/achieve during the retention period  Establish a strong set of follow-up and retention services  Implement a specific calendar for staff/youth/partner follow-up contacts and expectations for them #14

#15 Patricia Bravo DOL YouthBuild Technical Assistance Coach

Elements of such a culture are: Program Design Priorities of Program Director Daily Rituals Alumni Visits Guest Speakers College/Career Posters on Walls Achievement Certificates and other Examples of Participant Success on Walls Messaging of Recruitment Materials #16 Create a Program Culture Focused on Placement!

Elements of such a culture are: Regular Alumni Events Alumni as Guest Speakers Achievement Certificates and other Examples of Alumni Success on Walls Begin alumni programming the moment young people join the program, not just before they leave Messaging during program year: “Once in YouthBuild, Always in YouthBuild!” #17 Create a Program Culture Focused on Retention!

#18 Mary McRae DOL YouthBuild Technical Assistance Coach

o Strong intake process Know your young people inside and out o Embedded career readiness culture and practice Career assessment during Mental Toughness Career awareness Job Shadows and internships for each person Opportunity for “first” jobs for those who have never worked Engagement and presence with American Job Centers, WIBs #19

Create “professional” atmosphere within program Youth and staff alike “dress for success” Connection between educational goals and career goals #20

o Starts on first day of enrollment Create professional accounts (used daily by staff and youth alike) and other means to stay connected with youth outside of YouthBuild time o Relationship, Relationship, Relationship! Youth must feel connected to staff and staff must stay connected with youth after “graduation/exit” #21

o Creation of a Job Club model o Creation of Peer to Peer mentoring model As youth move from placement to retention they mentor someone coming into placement. #22

Graduation is a programmatic event –Celebration of completing entire program –Program usually has graduation criteria –Also has come to mean ending

EXIT is a DOL event Exit is official end of active core programming into the placement and retention period of YouthBuild program Exit is NOT the end of entire program Exit is done in the quarter before placement Should be based on Program’s Exit Policy

DO you have distinctions between Graduation and Exit? REMEMBER – Graduation and Exit do not have to be the same time For Example: Consider having Graduation after 3 rd quarter of retention – when young person meets ALL their goals

The following slides present ideas for preparation for placement that can be done now as well for thinking about future cohorts.

What is it? –Paid part-time/full time job –Remember – Placement in employment cannot be subsidized employment (i.e. WIA/WIOA summer job) PLACEMENT Preparation (PRIOR TO EXIT) Includes but not limited to: Summer job enrollment/slots through WIA/WIOA Job shadow Internship (paid or unpaid) Determine if youth needs “first job” or has work experience Resume, cover letter Mock Interviews Dress For Success Filling out Job Applications

What Is it? –Part-time/full time college –PLACEMENT Preparation (PRIOR TO EXIT) Includes but not limited to: –College visits –Completed/Submitted college application –Completion of FAFSA –COMPASS/Accuplacer PLACEMENT PREPARATION (PRIOR TO EXIT) For summer: –Consider summer “bridge” program to increase opportunity for passing pre-college testing to avoid “remediation courses” (This potentially could be considered placement depending on design) –WIA/WIOA summer employer enrollment/slots – may be able to combine with “bridge” program – (This cannot be considered placement since it is subsidized employment)

What is it? –Must have an Industry Recognized Credential at completion of training i.e. Certified Nursing Assistant, Welding Placement Preparation (PRIOR TO EXIT) Includes but not limited to: –Job shadows –Tours where jobs occur (i.e. hospital, nursing home, auto body shop) –Application –FAFSA (if need for proprietary school)

AmeriCorps –If already in AmeriCorps during active/core programming period, AmeriCorps placement post exit must be different type of placement (i.e. post exit placement at YMCA afterschool program) –Preparation for Placement: Based on IDP/Career Plans, have young person research and interview at different opportunities. Job Corps –Not all Job Corps centers are alike nor have same offerings –Preparation for Placement: Bring in speaker from Regional Job Corps Office to talk about options Military –Some branches require college credits for GED recipients –Preparation for Placement: Bring in recruiters to talk about options

Develop a follow-up and retention plan for your participants Involve all your staff in maintaining contact with all participants Maintain updated and current contact information Follow-up early and often in each follow-up quarter Enter follow-up data in a timely manner Check your data for accuracy Watch the webcast for more strategies – https:// #31

Participate in open discussion with facilitators and peers. Phones will be un-muted. Be courteous. Reduce extraneous noise for the best audio quality by muting your phone, if you are not speaking. Choose the breakout room based on the number shown on your screen. It may take a few minutes for the room number to appear on your screen. 32#

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34# What was discussed during the session? What questions consistently surfaced?

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Construction (Registered Apprenticeship) June 2 at 2:00 PM (EDT) Organizational Capacity July 7 at 2:00 PM (EDT) 36#

Jenn Smith YouthBuild National Director U.S. Department of Labor Phoebe Reeves-Murray Associate Director, Technical Assistance YouthBuild USA 37#

Patricia Bravo U.S. Department of Labor, YouthBuild TA Coach Mary McRae U.S. Department of Labor, YouthBuild TA Coach 38#

Thank You! Find resources for workforce system success at: 39#