1. Partnerships: Tapping the Power of Employers
Youth CareerConnect
Partnerships: Tapping the Power of Employers
Webinar Date: September 27, 2015
2:30pm ET
Presenters: Division of Youth Services
U.S. Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration

2. Moderator Maisha Meminger Division of Youth Services
U.S. Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration

3. Objectives
To understand the value of employer partners for YCC program growth and support;
To comprehend the employer relationship as unique;
To create a strategy for recruiting employer partners;
To plan for building long-term relationships;
To adopt a “checklist” for maintaining strong partnerships 3

4. YCC Requirements Regarding Employers
Within the core elements of the Youth CareerConnect program is the requirement to engage employers, in order to:
Integrate academic and career-focused curricula around one or more industry theme(s);
Encourage interaction between participants and the workplace, work-based learning, and mentoring;
Demonstrate strong partnerships with employers; and
Blend educational and workplace environments to develop work readiness and technical skills.

5. Presenter
Russell Hamm, PhD
Performance Excellence Partners

6. Overview Your Program and Employers Growing the Relationship
Benefits to expect from employers
Managing Rocky Issues
Understanding Employers
The “Dozen” – Tips for long-term success
Real Experience – Your Colleagues from the field
The Partnership Development Model
Recognizing Employer Needs and YCC Benefits to Employers
Conclusion
Recruiting Employer Partners
The Three-step Model
Preparing to Meet and Employer and Managing the Meeting – An Agenda
Reaching a Partnership Commitment
Building the Relationship
Learning
Roles, Responsibilities and a Written Agreement 6

7. Your Program and Employers
About employers
Different from other partners?
The challenge and value of strong partnerships
Unique partners with different expectations
Overall value to the YCC Program
Jobs for future program completers
Assure that your program is up-to-date
Represent you

8. Your Program and Employers
Specific benefits to expect from employers
Guidance
Resources
Learning Experiences for Students
Networking

9. Understanding Employers: a Model

10. Understanding Employers
Recognizing Employer Needs and YCC Benefits to Employers
Community Commitment and Non-business Relationships
Seeking Solutions to Business Needs:
Access to a larger pool of skilled job candidates who possess the specific skills, certificates, and credentials required for the current and future labor market.
The opportunity to influence training programs to better align with their skill needs.
Credential and certification programs that meet industry standards.

11. Recruiting Employer Partners
What makes a good partner?
Recruitment strategy: a three-step process
Use “general knowledge”
Interview local experts
Employ Labor Market Information
Goal: a prioritized list of the “best” potential employers. 11

12. Recruiting Employer Partners
1. Strategy: review general knowledge
Informal step
Discussion and list-making
Prior contacts

13. Recruiting Employer Partners
2. Strategy: employ Labor Market Information
Jobs and skills local/regional employers are seeking;
Job areas that are growing;
Industries that are hiring;
Education and training needed for specific jobs.

14. Recruiting Employer Partners
3. Strategy: interview local experts
Who? Chambers, EDCs, Associations
Why?
Review and validate/augment list
Facilitate meetings
Also good employer partners

15. Recruiting Employer Partners
Meeting with the employer
1. Preparation
2. Agenda
3. Getting a commitment

16. Recruiting Employer Partners
Meeting with the employer: preparation
Learn more about the company
The company’s products and services;
The status of the company; ownership, growth;
Recent news articles that featured the company;
Size: value; numbers/types of employees;
Names/titles of the senior management team and more about your contact person.

17. Recruiting Employer Partners
Meeting with the employer: preparation
Brief your CEO
Outreach for the initial meeting

18. Recruiting Employer Partners
Meeting with the employer: manage the meeting
Follow a planned agenda:

19. Agenda for Employer Meeting
Introduction/purpose (4)
Describe YCC and process (10 – 15)
Explain need for employer’s knowledge (1).
Learn more about the employer (15).
Describe benefits of the Program (10):
Explain what membership would involve (10).
Explain the commitment (5).
General discussion and review (10)
Wrap-up

20. Following the Employer Meeting
Judging the meeting – did it accomplish your purposes?
Goal is a commitment

21. Building the Relationship
Learn More! Visit…
Workplace climate for learning
Understand entry-level jobs/skills
Jobs progressions and “movin’ up”
Current training systems
Compensation for learning

22. Building the Relationship
Determine desired roles and responsibilities
Discuss a written agreement – or not

23. Building the Relationship
Written agreement/MOU – what is it?
MOU to include:
Contributions and when/where available;
Describe the roles of employer “loaned” Denote the time frame for the assistance;
Describe limits or issues and potential problems;
Monitoring and managing;
Communications AND conflict resolutions process;
Describe who will own or control the products/investments

24. Maintaining the Relationship

25. Maintaining the Relationship
Obstacles, issues, work-a-rounds: protecting your employer partner
Expect issues – plan ahead
Protect the employer – know the limits
Look for alternatives that serve the program
An example

26. Maintaining the Relationship: “the Dozen”
Start early!
Be inclusive and responsive
Determine employer needs
Discuss program performance/QC
Manage time – stick to the schedule
Meet deadlines, expectations and promises

27. Maintaining the Relationship: “the Dozen”
Use routine and reliable communication
Be clear – stay clear
Make it personal
Multiple thank you messages
Celebrate – a lot!
Highlight the employer in your outreach

28. Please enter your questions in the Chat Room!
Please enter your questions into the Chat Room!

29. Real experiences from the field
Nils Urman
Program Coordinator
Business Services
Pima County One Stop Career Center
Tucson, AZ

30. Real experiences from the field
Jae Cody
Student Advisor
E3 STEM, Apple Valley High School
Apple Valley, MN

31. E3 STEM – Apple Valley High School
Grades Model
Students select one of six pathways:
Engineering, IT, Medical careers, Nanoscience, Biomedical Tech, Energy Tech/advanced manufacturing
College-level coursework at partner colleges: Inver Hills Community College and Dakota County Technical College
Supports follow students to college if they choose one of our partner colleges
All YCC supports (mentoring, job shadows, counseling, tutoring, internships, etc) available throughout program

32. Partner: Uponor Advanced manufacturing company in Apple Valley
Must be 18 to be on manufacturing floor
For us:
Hosted field trips with career panels; senior field trip designed to recruit summer employees
Helped us establish our guidelines for job shadows, mentoring, internships
Job shadows in IT, marketing and engineering kept students in business setting, but off the floor (grown into internships for several students this year)
Participated in practice interview sessions
For them:
Publicity: Visit from US Senators hosted at facility
Helping with recruitment with both students and parents

33. Partner: Skyline
Create (design, engineer, and build) displays for trade shows
Again, the age restriction for being on the floor
Seasonal business: during slow period, engineers from Skyline became advisors to students who designed furniture for our new fab lab
Students learned to use CAD software and created design and prototype
Support and critique from Skyline employees
Tour of facility
Students eventually produced the tables, using their design, using the equipment at our school, avoiding the liability issue

34. Partner: Thomson Reuters
Global information technology company; typically hires individuals with 4-year degrees
Hosted visit with entire AVHS staff to discuss skills/attributes they seek in employees
Advising students on projects for our school (creating an online course catalogue); monthly meetings to share progress
Created 2 internships for graduating seniors (1 boy and 1 girl) who have taken AP Computer Science
Allowed the addition of a pre-AP Computer Science class at our school, giving more students access to program

35. Please enter your questions in the Chat Room!
Please enter your questions into the Chat Room!

36. Next training: Marketing and Sustainability Thursday, November 19, 2015 2:00pm ET

37. CONTACT US
U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-4456 Washington, DC 37

38. Thank you!