1. February 6, 2018
DOL YouthBuild Supporting Successful Placement Through Staffing and Partnerships

3. Jeff Hunt
Workforce Analyst
US Department of Labor
ETA/OWI/DYS

4. Phoebe Reeves-Murray Kurt Von Stetten
Associate Director of Technical Assistance
YouthBuild USA
Kurt Von Stetten
Director of Data Service
YouthBuild USA
MIS Help Desk

5. Felicia Garvin-Pierce
YouthBuild Director
YouthBuild Northshore
Salem, MA
Michael Quigley
Program Manager and Job Developer
YouthBuild Northshore
Salem, MA

6. Amber Palmeri Jason Vaughn Program Manager: YouthBuild
Mile High YouthBuild
Denver, CO
Jason Vaughn
Program Coordinator: College and Careers
Mile High YouthBuild
Denver, CO

7. Provide a key components overview of DOL YouthBuild job placement
Introduce and walk through DOL YouthBuild Placement Toolkit
Discuss how to develop a set of key planning questions to map essential placement partnerships
Increase understanding through success stories, challenges, and best practices around placement from experienced DOL YouthBuild sites
Share resources

8. Job Developer and central to their position
Who handles Job Development at your DOL YouthBuild Program and is their job development work central to their position or is it in addition to a number of other duties?
Job Developer and central to their position
Case Manager/Construction Trainer/Academic Instructor and in addition to other duties in their position
Contracted outside partner
American Job Center in conjunction with YouthBuild Job Developer
American Job Center
None of the above

9. Placement: How is it often approached?
At the very end of active programming
As an add-on to working with/teaching the participants
Make sure to collect proof of placement
Try to reach participants through social media
Hope for the best

10. Placement: What can make it such a challenge?
Economy
Skill Set
Academic Level
Life Experience
Practical Experience
Lack of a placement leader within the YB program who bridges the program to the outside world of employers, post-secondary institutions, and the American Job Centers

11. The new Placement Toolkit; A Team Approach
Placement strategy needs a central point person or persons
Placement needs an active relationship with local American Job Center to give participants access to next stage/advanced training
Placement needs an active relationship with post-secondary partners locally
Placement needs an active relationship with employer partners locally
Job Development has to start taking place before Day One
The right credentials and credits do boost placement options

12. The different components of the Placement Toolkit:
1. Job Developer/Placement Specialist templates including scope of work or job description with important internal program duties and external partnership duties

13. The different components of the Placement Toolkit:
2. Narrative Guide for what key responsibilities take place during the different phases of the YouthBuild grant

14. The different components of the Placement Toolkit:
3. Visual map of the interlocking aspects of the Job Developer/Placement Specialist(s) work and how and when they serve/interface with the youth participants and the external placement partners

15. The different components of the Placement Toolkit:
4. A “getting started” list for establishing active partnerships with local American Job Centers

16. The different components of the Placement Toolkit:
5. Simple sample employer satisfaction survey easily adaptable by a YouthBuild site to support a committed, active placement development relationship with employer and/or post-secondary education partners who might be supplying active practical/practicum experience for the participants

17. The different components of the Placement Toolkit:
6. Collection of resources for planning, establishing, and growing employer and post-secondary partnerships

18. Job Developer/Placement Specialist Scope of Work
Clear and Comprehensive Job Description(s)
JD/PS partners with internal and external leadership to anticipate when YouthBuild participant and employer/post-secondary partner-related tasks surface over the life of a DOL YouthBuild grant
JD/PS has to serve both participants and partners
Curriculum and hands-on practice need to be connected to placement
JD/PS has to be ready to potentially design and implement with a partner a pre-apprenticeship and/or apprenticeship equivalent career pathway

19. The JD/PS Narrative Timeline
Breaks grant timeline into Pre-Orientation, Orientation, Active Programming, Placement and Follow-up
Locates key activities, i.e. researching LMI, etc. in the timeframe where most critical
Shows during what time period of the grant specific partnerships rise to the surface
Shows where key activities may be regular, on- going, or one-off and with whom

20. Kurt von Stetten
Director of Data Service
YouthBuild USA
MIS Help Desk

21. Placement and Job Developer Activity Map

22. Placement and Job Developer Activity Map
Activities with Participants and Partners
Timing is Everything
Mapping Core Preparation
Mapping follow-through
Structure for Self-Assessment

23. Partner Activities: Mental Toughness

24. Participant Activities: Program Period
Enrollment
Training
Exit

25. Participant Activities: Follow-UpQ1 Q2 Q3 Q4

26. Partnering with the American Job Center for Placement
Starter strategies for partnership and MOU
Active scope of services agreement of what YouthBuild Program will provide and what the AJC will provide
Negotiations must include a formal MOU, but shouldn’t stop with a document
FPOs, TEGLs, and Other Resources
AJCs have access to many training opportunities, training providers, and participating employers
One-Stop Fact Sheet, the American Job Center Toolkit, and resources on WorkforceGPS

27. Sample Employer Satisfaction Survey
Template comes from the SoBro YouthBuild site
The template was developed as part of a foundational work skills bridge to customer service pathway (can be easily adapted to other pathways)
The template can be used for either an internship or for an employment placement

28. Placement-Related Resources
Templates and direct resources for partnering with different types of employers
Checklist of specific items to include in a strong placement plan
Strategies for engaging employers
Strategies and questions for building partnerships with employer and post-secondary partners and the need for having both
Sector strategies (E-Learning videos)
Long-term pathway development

29. Which of the following has been your most successful external partnership related to placement?
American Job Center
Employer
Post-Secondary Institution
Some combination of the above
None of the above

30. Why has that partnership been successful or not successful?
Time/no time put into it
Staff/No Staff devoted to working the partnership
Certification/Curriculum on Target/Misaligned
Participants able/unable to master content and have an active/no hands-on pre- apprenticeship/apprenticeship pathway practice

31. Felicia Garvin-Pierce
YouthBuild Director
YouthBuild Northshore
Salem, MA
Michael Quigley
Program Manager and Job Developer
YouthBuild Northshore
Salem, MA

32. The Role of Staff Director
Hard and Soft Skills, Evaluate Readiness, Clerical, Assist with employer meetings
Lead, Partner Engagement, Secure Placements, Follow-Up, Design Curriculum
Secure Agreements Partnerships and MOU’s, Partner Engagement
Director
Program Manager/ Job Developer
Construction Staff
Support Staff/ Case Managers
Educators/ Teachers
Interns

33. Employer Engagement Engagement Connections to employers
Connection to Career Center and WIB
Member organizations
Initial partnership meetings
Monthly Newsletter “Partner Highlighted”
“Try Before you Hire” – 4-Week Paid Internship
College and Employment Tours
Job Shadowing
Annual Partner Meetings
Personal Invitations to Agency Events

34. Employer Engagement Activities Road to Success Week
Future Success Curriculum
Coaching and Placement Meeting
Career and College Roundtable Discussions
College Campus Tours and Worksite Tours
Mental Toughness 2
Job Shadowing Opportunities
College Campus Events
Alumni Council

35. American Job Center Relationship
Partnership Details:
WIB – WIOA Service Provider
Youth Pipeline Committee
Advisory Council
North Shore Career Center
Job Quest (Daily Job Postings)
Advanced Training
North Shore Youth Career Center
STAND Program
First Jobs

36. North Shore WIB & YouthBuild North Shore
Positives
Access to all Career Center opportunities for both Youth and Adults
Innovative ideas and recommendations for career exploration and placement through Youth Pipeline Committee
WIOA Service Provider Meetings
Youth have access to advanced training
Workshops and Seminars
Great communication

37. North Shore WIB & YouthBuild North Shore
Challenges
Inconsistent Systems
No guaranteed placement
Funding for Advanced Training
WIOA Funding/Paperwork

38. Success Story: Joseph Doran

39. Amber Palmeri Jason Vaughn Program Manager: YouthBuild
Mile High YouthBuild
Denver, CO
Jason Vaughn
Program Coordinator: College and Careers
Mile High YouthBuild
Denver, CO

40. MHYC Staffing for Placement
Program Coordinator: College and Careers
(Job Developer)
Case Manager: College and Tuition
Case Manager: Resources

41. Partnership Development
Employer Advisory Council (EAC)
PSE Partnerships
MOUs

42. Preparing Participants for Placement and Retention
Management Assistance Plan
Goal: To support and assist youth in overcoming barriers that could prevent them from achieving and maintaining their career objectives.
Services/Benefits Offered to Employer
Pre-Screened youth (including drug screen and background requirements)
Intervention (troubleshooting employment/ personal issues)

43. Preparing Participants for Placement and Retention
Monthly telephone calls and/or face-to-face contact with youth
Follow-up with employer/supervisor to ensure that things are going well and not marginally (bi-monthly minimum)
Assistance with job retention/career advancement
Ongoing support and resources for youth to ensure career success

44. Preparing Participants for Placement and Retention
Key:
Incorporate management assistance into the rhythm of youth and employers’ workday
Understand employers’ requirements
Provide effective support without disrupting the job
Provide services to assist with overcoming barriers, and maintaining employment and retention

45. Preparing Participants for Placement and Retention
Successes:
Ability to build rapport with employers and PSE institutions, which lead to successful placements
Having our employer partners’ participation in Career Readiness Training helps create “buy-in” and engagement in program
Relationship building, which has led to MOUs and successful job shadows, internships, and placements
Face-to-face dialogue with employers/HR personnel helps us understand what their needs are, as well as them understanding our needs and the scope of work that we do

46. Preparing Participants for Placement and Retention
Challenges
Employer “buy-in”
Keeping employers engaged
Meeting the demand and competing with a high-demand workforce (construction)
PSE retention

47. Preparing Participants for Placement and Retention
Steps taken to overcome challenges:
Asked employers to identify reasons for participation in the EAC, activities, and ways they would like to participate in MHYC’s programs and overall feedback on the council
Having participants attend EAC meetings - “Tell their story”
Working with EAC members to identify employers who offer more part-time or flexible positions that work well with class schedules for those who are in PSE

48. Summary and Key Takeaways
Placement needs a central point-person or persons
Placement needs an active relationship with local American Job Center to give participants access to next-stage/advanced training
Placement needs an active relationship with post-secondary partners locally and should take participants to a next pre- apprenticeship or apprenticeship level
Placement needs an active relationship with employer partners locally and should take participants to a next pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship level
Job Development has to start taking place well before Day One
Placement activity needs to take place inside and outside of the YouthBuild program

50. Jeff Hunt
Phoebe Reeves-Murray
Kurt Von Stetten
Amber Palmeri
Jason Vaughn
Felicia Garvin-Pierce
Michael Quigley