1. YouthBuild Webinar Series Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community

2. 2 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community Presenter Judith Lorei Consultant YouthBuild USA

3. 3 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Identify local employers in high-growth sectors  Target required occupational skills  Create concrete strategies for engaging employers  Develop pipeline partnerships with stakeholders Learning Community Goals

4. 4 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community Learning Community Design  November 2011 – December 2012  Technical Assistance  Partnership with Jobs for the Future  Peer-to-peer Learning

5. 5 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community Participating Programs New YorkIllinoisWashingtonOhio Flushing YouthBuild Queens Prologue YouthBuild Chicago Youthcare Seattle Franklin County YouthBuild Columbus YouthBuild Long Island Deer Park Chicago Southland YouthBuild Harvey Tacoma Goodwill YouthBuild Tacoma YouthBuild Columbus Community School Columbus Central States SER Chicago Lummi YouthBuild Bellingham

6. 6 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Research the local labor market  Sell the program and results  Involve employers at multiple levels  Build strong and strategic partnerships  Develop a long-term vision Key Findings

7. 7 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Focus labor market research on: (Source: Jobs for the Future) –Wages: how much will students earn? –Growth: how much will the occupation grow over a ten year period? –Job openings: how many jobs are available now and projected to be available? –Education, training, or experience: what do students need to meet requirements for the occupation Labor Market Research: Occupations

8. 8 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Identify occupations that: –Match student career interests –Require less than a bachelor’s degree –Is projected to grow and will have openings in the region –Pay a median wage that is at least 80% of the region’s median wage –Offer career advancement potential Labor Market Research: Occupations

9. 9 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Maintain a realistic understanding of: –Student demographics –Student career interests –Occupational requirements  Consider whether the following issues will be a barrier into an occupation: –Court involvement –Inability to pass a drug test –Former participation in a gang –Parenting a small child Labor Market Research: Students and Occupations

10. 10 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Workforce Investment Boards/Regional Employment Boards  One-Stop-Career Centers  Chambers of Commerce and Industry Associations  Board of Directors of Parent Organization or Advisory Board Labor Market Research: Employer Information

11. 11 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community Labor Market Analysis – Richland County Top Five Occupations Ranked by Estimated Annual Openings (2011-2016) Labor Market Research: Putting it All Together

12. 12 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community Match experience, skills, and career preferences with growing occupations. Labor Market Research: Successful Placement

13. 13 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Programs in the DOL YouthBuild Learning Community focused on certifications based on LMI –Logistics certification & nursing assistant certification (Franklin County YouthBuild) –Manufacturing and hazardous waste certification (Chicago Southland YouthBuild) Effective Practices

14. 14 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community This approach can be effective:  Identify existing opening in targeted occupations through –Career centers –Internet searches –Job boards –Newspapers –Other regular job posting sites/areas Sell Your Program and Results

15. 15 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community This approach is more effective:  Networking with employers to: –Find hidden job markets –Sell the results of students Sell Your Program and Results

16. 16 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community “The hidden job market is the job market you can’t see. If I can hire somebody without posting the job, I will do this 100% of the time.” Donald Asher, Author of “Cracking the Hidden Job Market: How to Find Opportunity in Any Economy. “Every meeting with an employer is an opportunity.” Joe, YouthBuild Long Island “You have to get up out of your chair and talk to as many people as you can.” Kyra, Tacoma Goodwill YouthBuild Sell Your Program and Results

17. 17 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Programs in the DOL Learning Community used each encounter with employers as an opportunity for employer engagement –Dinner out turns into an employer partnership (Central State SER) –Service call leads to job placement (YouthBuild Long Island) –Job fair follow-up helped turn a cold call into a warm call (YouthBuild Tacoma Goodwill) Effective Practices

18. 18 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Programs in the DOL Learning Community learned the language of business and developed a clear sales message –Short (2 minute) and concise elevator pitch gets a foot in the door (Prologue YouthBuild) –Employer packet describes benefits of hiring YouthBuild students along with student goals and pictures (Youthcare YouthBuild) –MOA with a company to establish clear expectations (YouthBuild Long Island) Effective Practices

19. 19 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Tier 3: champion and advocate – testimonial to other businesses, partner for funding, pipeline  Tier 2: multiple placements, advisory board, advise on curriculum  Tier 1: donations, interviews, one-off placement and retention Involve Employers on Multiple Levels

20. 20 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  YouthBuild programs learned about the different needs of employers –Contact various departments within the Lumni Indian Business Council (Lumni Housing Authority) –Leverage a company’s need for name recognition and brand presence in the neighborhood (YouthBuild Flushing) Effective Practices

21. 21 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Programs partnered with Post-secondary institutions to: –Focus on short-term certificate program that meets labor market demand –Partner with career services/placement offices –Partner on federal and state proposals to provide a pipeline of students to industry- specific programs –Provide incentive to students to further career goals by involving them with the college Build Strong and Strategic Partnerships

22. 22 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  YouthBuild programs found creative ways to partner with post-secondary institutions –Work with college review board to enroll students with felonies (Franklin County YouthBuild) –Students scoring 3,000 on the GED receive free education at the community college and students that earn a GED are eligible to take one free community college class (Chicago Southland) Effective Practices

23. 23 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) –Provide a pipeline of students for sector projects (hiring goals) –Introduction to employers –WIA Youth Councils –WIA funding as additional resource for some students  Career Centers –Identify a staff person within the career center as a point of contact –Ask for a group orientation for your students –Make use of workshops, on-site recruitments and job fairs Build Strong and Strategic Partnerships

24. 24 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Industry Associations –Identify associations in alignment with the program and attend their events –Network with human resource associations that cross industries  Unions –Take a long-term approach –Prepare students to meet their requirements for pre- apprenticeship –Learn about their need to recruit students to meet specific EEO requirements Build Strong and Strategic Partnerships

25. 25 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  YouthBuild staff networked with industry associations and unions to plant the seed during down cycles in the economy –Attend industry events throughout the year (Long Island YouthBuild) –Make connections with the trades even when apprenticeship opportunities are closed (Youthcare YouthBuild) Effective Practices

26. 26 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Assess student continually. Student needs and interests change with each cohort.  Nurture relationships with employers and stakeholders. Follow-up with them and evaluate the work.  Document contacts, processes and procedures.  Focus on long-term projections for job growth. Develop a Long-Term Vision

27. 27 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Bureau of Labor Statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics  State LMI Office (search labor market information and your state)  Occupational Outlook Handbook Occupational Outlook Handbook  O*Net on-line O*Net on-line Resources: Labor Market Research

28. 28 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  Career One Stop Career One Stop  My Next Move My Next Move  My Skills My Future My Skills My Future  My Future My Future  Choose Your Future Choose Your Future  Mapping Your Future Mapping Your Future Resources: Career Exploration

29. 29 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community  National Center for Education Statistics National Center for Education Statistics  Opportunitygov Opportunitygov  Career One Stop Career One StopResources: Post-Secondary Education

30. 30 Effective Practices for Engaging Employers: Findings from the DOL YouthBuild Employer Engagement Learning Community www.workforce3one.org For more information about the Workforce Investment System:  Visit www.careeronestop.orgwww.careeronestop.org  Call 1-877-US2-JOBS