Afterschool and Workforce Readiness Skills Cathy Stevens We also know that afterschool and expanded learning develop a lot of these skills but which ones do we do best? This is the slide about the research study that we did that already exists Maybe we should come up with three things networks can do to bring this conversation back to their states:   1. Find out who is developing "official" skills lists in your state like the ones for South Carolina and Indiana. 2. Identify afterschool and summer programs that are particularly good at developing the skills on that list. (Some states might have more than one list: a high school graduate list from Department of Education and a workforce list from state labor or economic development agency.) 3. Bring the program people and the workforce skills people together for a facilitated conversation that leads to ????? (Not sure what happens when you get these folks in the same room - what do you think would happen?)

Various Names for Skills When it comes to SKILLS development: We need to make sure we are all talking about the same thing and that you are using the term most recognized in YOUR state. Whatever is the term of the moment in your state as an The SEAD & “Soft Skills” Connection Supporting students’ social, emotional, and academic development “is both the compass and the guide” to success in K-12 education and the workforce, Deborah Moroney of the American Institutes for Research emphasized during a recent meeting of the National Commission. In other words, SEAD is critical for navigating through school and the workforce, and it helps with key decision making along the way.   The Commissioners also heard from Tim Kautz of Mathematica Policy Research, who presented economic research finding that social and emotional development matters just as much in employment as traditional measures of achievement in math and reading. Eric Spiegel, the former president and CEO of Siemens North America, shared his realization that “soft skills” like listening, leading teams, and thriving in multicultural environments are increasingly important in the workforce and may be harder to influence in employees than technical skills if the right foundation has not been established.   Communicating About SEAD As the Commission has listened to and learned from multiple individuals and groups dedicated to SEAD, a common challenge has been repeatedly raised—how to communicate the urgency and importance of supporting the whole student in a way that resonates with multiple audiences. The Commission is partnering with communications experts to help tackle this challenge by developing high-level messaging that will make a compelling case for supporting students’ comprehensive development. This messaging will transcend terminology; have broad appeal; and can be used by our partners, educators, community-based organizations, and others to make the case for SEAD.  

Inability of our systems to supply workers According to Asia Society: Policymakers and employers around the world are realizing the mismatch between the outcomes promoted by their education systems and the skills required for work and life in the 21st century. World Health Organization: Global health workforce shortage to reach 12.9 million in coming decades. Pittsburgh: Workforce shortage could hit 80,000 by 2025; College graduates and millennial unable to fill a gap left by a coming wave of retirements. We know from report after report that workforce supply is a growing issue in our country, and that finding workers with both the academic AND soft skills to fill those are jobs is a huge challenge. The term skills continues to come up over and over. More than ever, it is the SOFTer “non academic” skills that employers are demanding – collaboration, leadership, communications, etc So the question – what is afterschool’s role in fixing this challenge and what are we doing well already that we can share with others? The American economy and Americans thrive when U.S. workers have the levels of education and training needed to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow. Our country needs a world-class, skilled workforce to lead in global innovation, ensure future economic growth and drive job creation. Unfortunately, the U.S. skills gap is real and growing. According to a Business Roundtable/Change the Equation survey, 98 percent of CEOs report that finding candidates with the competencies and training to fill open positions is a problem, affecting all skill levels needed – from entry level to the highly technical.

Riley Institute Survey Highlights Administered to Afterschool Network Leads-unique panel of experts with connectivity to program directors, school districts, business/industry, departments of education, and policymakers 37 Network Leads participated Administered during summer of 2016 We also know that afterschool and expanded learning develop a lot of these skills but which ones do we do best? This is the slide about the research study that we did that already exists Emphasize that we selected the LEADS as the experts because of their critical vantage point. They are a body of experts capable of leading and connecting

Riley Institute Survey Highlights Questions asked about value of afterschool programs in preparing students for today and tomorrow’s workforce Survey utilized comprehensive skills list from the National Network of Business and Industry Associations along with additional skills from other nationally-regarded organizations including: Asia Society Indiana Skills List Profile of the South Carolina Graduate California Department of Education We also know that afterschool and expanded learning develop a lot of these skills but which ones do we do best? This is the slide about the research study that we did that already exists Organizations that Provide Skill Lists Asia Society Indiana Skills List Profile of SC Graduate National Network of Business Industry Associations California Department of Education Many others

Common Employability Skills (full list) APPLIED KNOWLEDGE Reading Writing Mathematics Science Technology Critical Thinking WORKPLACE SKILLS Planning & Organizing Problem Solving Decision Making Business Fundamentals Customer Focus Working with Tools & Technology PERSONAL SKILLS Integrity Initiative Dependability & Reliability Adaptability Professionalism Ask audience which they think are most often developed by afterschool PERSONAL SKILLS Teamwork Communication Respect

Top Five Skills Developed By Afterschool as Identified by Network Leads Teamwork (89.36%) Self-Confidence (86.67%) Communication (80.85%) Problem Solving (60.87%) Critical Thinking (56.52%)