1. Job Corps’ Policy Modernization Initiative Listening Forum: Operators
Webinar Date: April 29, 2014
Presented by: National Office of Job Corps Leadership
U.S. Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration

2. Policy and Requirements Handbook
Modernize the current format of the PRH to allow more focused and effective provision of services to our students by:
Enhancing job-based training
Increasing cost effectiveness
Improving efficiency
Streamlining processes
Enabling student career pathways
Promoting operator innovation
Targeting services #

3. PRH Modernization Initiative – Overview Webinar
For an overview of the PRH Modernization Initiative, go to: /info To view a Listening Forum held last week, go to: /info #

4. Policy Modernization Initiative Background
Process:
Develop Guiding Principles for policy
Re-examine and re-define policy to:
Identify mission-critical requirements
Eliminate duplicative, outmoded and non-essential requirements
Re-focus and streamline program delivery
Involve the field by:
Soliciting input and recommendations
Forming component-specific workgroups
Establishing a Job Corps Community of Practice
Transform access and availability of policy by developing an ePRH policy management system

5. Agenda Input and feedback process
Review of field input and recommendations
Discussion and prioritization of key issues
Questions and answers
Next steps #

6. PRH Modernization Opinion Request
Input
Process #

7. Policy Modernization Opinion Request
Input Process
counseling & leisure time support
11 content questions
Target population & OBS
Career Transition
Program Management
Retention (Pre-admission factors)
Administrative Support
Retention (CPP factors)
Program Efficiency
Streamlining
Student training
Technology
Residential,
Other/Not Identified

8. National Deputy Director
Today’s Presenters
Bob Pitulej
National Deputy Director
Edward Benton
Chief, Division of Technology, Performance & Program Support
Marcus Gray
Chief, Division of Educational Services
Marcia Fitzhugh
Chief, Division of Facilities and Asset Management #

9. What is your role in the Job Corps community?
Polling Question
What is your role in the Job Corps community?
Center Operator
OA/CTS Contractor
Center Director
National Office Support Contractor
Regional Office Staff
National Office Staff
Other #

10. Process for the Listening Session
How will today’s Listening Session work?
Presentation
Interaction through:
Polling questions
Chat feature

11. Field Participation & Response
Who provided input?
ROLE
% of Responses
National Office
4.3%
Regional Office
16.7%
Center operator
5.1%
Center staff
63.8%
OA/CTS contractor
2.9%
OA/CTS staff
National Office contractor
2.2%

12. There are 8,344,165* youth between 16 & 24 living in poverty
On Board Strength
There are
8,344,165*
youth between 16 & 24
living in poverty
* - 2k #

13. Target Population and OBS
AGE ON ENTRY
PY11
PY12
Average
18+
85.0%
86.3%
85.7%
16/17
15.0%
13.7%
14.3% #

14. Target Population and OBS Polling Question
What policy or practice would you change to
improve OBS?
Adopt an online application process
Increase marketing budgets and expand use of social media
Change the minimum age to 18 to attract more mature, committed, employable students
Provide better communication of center specifics and additional training for Admissions staff #

15. Retention/Onboard Strength
Pre-Admission
WE ASKED: How could Job Corps improve the admissions process to ensure applicants enter the program with realistic expectations that can be met by the program? #

16. Retention (Early Separation)
Why is it a problem?
Average cost per admission
(new enrollee):
$946
# of students exiting within 30 days:
2,442
Est. Annual Cost of Early Separations:
$2,310,132
PY 2012 data (NOJC) #

17. Geographic Assignment Plans Chat Question
QUESTION: How can Job Corps improve its GAP Process?
Consider the following recommendations:
Create a National GAP to align admissions resources with eligible population
Design GAP to include surrounding states to save on transportation and prevent culture shock
Establish GAP to serve closest centers across Regional boundaries
Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section. #

18. Technology Modernize Technology Modernize hardware and software
Expand internet access for
Learning
Communication
Streamline processes
Outreach & application
Records generation, management & retention
Reporting #

19. Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section.
Chat Question
How could expanded technology use improve program delivery and student outcomes?
Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section. #

20. How can we ensure we are all working toward the same goals?
OMS Chat Question
How could OMS be changed to better align outcomes for OA, CTS, Centers and Students?
How can we ensure we are all working toward the same goals?
Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section. #

21. Discussion Break
Please use the chat feature to enter any additional thoughts, questions, or comments you may have regarding the topics we just covered. It is important that we collect as much information and as many ideas as possible to inform the initiative. #

22. Admissions Process
What change would you make to the admissions process to ensure applicants enter the program with realistic expectations that the program can meet?
Provide more realistic and accurate information on center life (challenges of living with others, structured, rules)
Identify and resolve personal issues prior to enrollment (child care, legal, medical)
Set more rigorous eligibility/suitability requirements to determine if students’ needs can be met by Job Corps.
Determine if student’s motive for enrolling is career training (not for a place to live, free medical & other benefits)
Use pre-enrollment academic and career interest assessments to guide realistic CTT choices. #

23. How would you define ‘suitable’ for Job Corps?
Chat Question
How would you define ‘suitable’ for Job Corps?
How can we determine if an applicant’s goals/needs can be met by Job Corps?
Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section. #

24. How might changing the minimum entry age to 18 impact the following:
Chat Question
How might changing the minimum entry age
to 18 impact the following:
Program image
Relationship with influencers and referral agencies
Outreach strategy
Enrollment process
Onboard strength
Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section. #

25. Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section.
Chat Question
What are some of the implications for program design if the minimum enrollment age was set at 18?
Consider the following:
Student training – Academics & CTT
Residential living
Accountability
Placement
Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section. #

26. How might Job Corps better serve 16 & 17 year old students?
Chat Question
How might Job Corps better serve 16 & 17 year old students?
Consider the following:
What program content meets the needs of younger students?
What outcomes and expectations are reasonable?
How could program design/structure be modified to better serve younger students?
Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section. #

27. Student Training QUESTION:
What are the 4 most important steps Job Corps can take to improve student training and increase student outcomes?
TOP 4 RESPONSES:
Ensure technical training content matches industry skills and expectations
Adopt effective teaching/instructional methods that work with student at all levels
Develop more employer partnerships
Require both academic and CTT completion for graduation #

28. Facility Design and Operation Chat Question
What changes could be made to our facilities to better integrate academic and CTT training?
How could our facilities be better designed and configured to support evening study programs?
Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section. #

29. Facilities Operation and Maintenance Chat Question
What steps should be taken to improve efficiency in facility operations and maintenance?
Consider the following:
Process for requesting/receiving approvals
Required progress reporting
Facility maintenance standards
Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section. #

30. Staff Training Polling Question
What steps should be taken to improve staff
professional development? (choose 2)
Establish a regular schedule of professional development/ in-service training days
Expand National & Regional training to ensure consistency and quality of content
Require mandatory trainings bi-annually, not annually
Expand required number of hours for position-specific professional development
Define a ‘course of study’ for each position #

31. Staff Training Polling Question
What training modalities are most effective in ensuring staff learn and adopt new skills? (Choose 2)
Face-to-face large-scale training conferences
Face-to-face small-scale training sessions (50 or less)
On-line facilitated training sessions
On-line individual training
Train-the-trainer sessions
Other (enter in Chat box) #

32. Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section.
Chat Question
In seeking to establish new employer partnerships, what criteria should be used to target employers?
Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section. #

33. Operator Innovation Chat Question
What changes to policy or practice could be made to promote more opportunity for operator innovation?
Please enter your recommendations and ideas in the ‘CHAT’ section. #

34. Which systems should be streamlined?
Streamlining
Which systems should be streamlined?
(Choose 2)
Disciplinary discharge
Accountability
Significant Incident Reporting
Leave and absence
6 & 12 month verifications
Center assessments
OMS
Other (specify in chat section) #

35. Discussion Break
Please use the chat feature to enter any additional thoughts, questions, or comments you may have regarding the topics we just covered. It is important that we collect as much information and as many ideas as possible to inform the initiative. #

36. Making System-Wide Change
HOW DO WE MOVE THE SYSTEM FORWARD TO ADOPT
POLICY CHANGE?

37. Expert Field Practitioner Workgroups Summer 2014
Next Steps
Expert Field Practitioner Workgroups
Summer 2014
Review existing and new policy recommendations
Recommend assessment strategies
Identify implications of policy change

38. How Can You Provide Input?
JOB CORPS COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE Spring 2014
Online capability for all to participate
Make recommendations
Provide feedback
Exchange ideas

39. Thank You!
To provide further input, John Chowning at
Find resources for workforce system success at: #