Building Lasting Partnerships

DOL YouthBuild TA Collaborative

Ted RoanCharles Modiano

Why Partnerships

BECAUSENO ONE CAN DO IT ALONE.

Why Partnerships Continued

No one can do it alone.To provide comprehensive access to services and

supports for young people.To create a more inclusive system for youth we serve.To build an alignment of missions, planning, and

services across organizations.To reduce duplicative services and gaps in system.To leverage resources, funding, and service options.

Who Should Be Partners• School districts• Charter schools• GED/Adult Ed programs• Non-profit Builders

(i.e., Habitat for Humanity)• Construction Companies• Unions• Trade Schools• Housing Authorities• Health service providers• Social service providers• School boards• Businesses

• Local businesses• Community colleges• Youth and adult mentors• Community and faith-based

groups• Schools• One-Stops• Businesses in the community• Community colleges• Juvenile court system (case

workers)• Substance abuse and mental

health treatment

DOL Program Goals• Placement Rate (70%)

• Credential Attainment (50%)

• Literacy/Numeracy Rate (50%)

• Recidivism Rate (<20%)

• Retention Rate (75%)

DOL Program Goals

• Which goals correspond most to youth achieve self-sufficiency?

• Which partners are needed to help

reach those goals?

Placement Starts on Day 1• Getting all staff aligned and engaged with

placement and retention activities

• Having a schedule of Career Readiness and Placement activities beginning at mental toughness until placement

• Use of staff meetings for planning, reflection and benchmarking

• Consistent use of IDP and case conferencing

Discussion• What core partners is your program already working

with – either written into grant or other existing partnerships, for placement, PSE, career support, etc?

• Do you have MOUs or agreements in place with these partners?

• How effective have these partnerships been to date?

• Where are there service delivery gaps?

Importance of PSE Partnerships and Credentials

• According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2014, 75% of all new jobs require a PSE credential (including 24 of 30 fastest growing career fields)

• Relative to individuals with just a high school degree:– some college and no degree earn 18 percent more– associate’s degree earn 29 percent more – bachelor’s degree earn 62 percent more

• Individuals with PSE credential are more likely to vote, volunteer, lead stable family lives and guide their own children to success in adulthood (College Board and US Department of Health and Human Services)

Engaging PSE Partners• Visit campus/job site and approach staff/faculty in

person • Arrive armed with clear vision and a list of targeted

questions• Invite postsecondary staff/faculty and employers

to your YouthBuild program. • Include students in the conversations• Build relationships horizontally and vertically • Ask for personal introductions to other key

postsecondary staff and/or faculty / employers

Effective PSE Partnerships1. Create Mutual Accountability for Student Success

2. Customize to Reflect Local Context, Unique Student Needs and Available Resources

3. Formalize Agreements (MOU, Articulation)

4. Clarify Goals, Objectives, Roles and Responsibilities

5. Collect, Share and Respond to Data in Real Time

Effective PSE Partnerships6. Focus Attention on Alignment Academic Training and

Jobsite Training with College/Career

7. Provide Accessible, Proactive and Comprehensive Student Support Services

8. Engage Multiple Individuals from Across Both Organizations

9. Sustain Over Time and Evolve Over Time

10. Listen to and Respond to Student Voice

Tips to Create a Successful MOU• Highlight goals and mission of both parties

• Explicitly state objectives of partnership

• Recognize intended outcomes of partnership

• Identify specifics of target audience served

• Describe roles/responsibilities of each partner

• State the duration and timeline for reviewing agreement

• Require names and signatures

Employers: The Growing “Service Industry” and Importance of Soft Skills

What Do Employers Want?

• Work Ethic– Attendance

– Attitude/likeability

– Responsibility/reliability

• Teamwork– Make team better– Leadership– It’s in your job

description

• Communication– Oral– Non-verbal– Written

• Problem-Solving– Ability to learn on job– Critical thinking– Creativity/new ideas

1) STAFF: Do you have staff members that have words “Career”, “Employment”, “Post-Secondary”, “Placement”, “Transition”, “Retention”, “College”, or “Graduate” in their job title?

2) STRUCTURE: Do you hold regular GROUP workshops on Career Readiness from the beginning of program?

3) CONTENT: Does it heavily reflect the people skills that employers demand most? Do youth and employers (or educators) have a joint role in design?

4) DELIVERY: Is content delivered in dynamic way? Is learning experiential? Are workshops often peer-led?

5) TRANSITION: Do you continue to hold GROUP workshops after YouthBuild participants graduate?

Lasting Employer PartnershipsCareer Readiness Design Fundamentals

Developing Employer Relationshipsfrom Beginning

• Program Participation: Include in Mental Toughness Training and subsequent Career Development Workshops

• “Informational Interviews”: Prepped by staff & performed by participants; reflect to inform and lead workshop design according to skills needed by employers

• Partner with Local One Stop Center for Services

• College Tours, Career Fairs, and Company Tours Early on as part of Career Development Programming

• Internships are “Long Interviews”

Continuing Employer Relationships

• Be aware of business’ needs and help them understand how engaging with young people could benefit bottom line.

• Be familiar with trends/ demands and labor market needs.

• Use “Door Openers”: Place reliable participants in initial placements with employers.

• Provide follow-up and support to both employer and youth.

• Sell “good workers” -- not “good will”.

• Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Etc.

Finding Strategic Employer Partners

• Private Employers• Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs)• Chambers of Commerce• One-Stop Career Centers• Etc.

• Develop Quarterly Capacity-Building Meetings to Engage on regular Basis

Preparation for Partnerships

• What are your Organizational Assets?

• What does your organization do well?

• • What resources do you have access to?

• •Where are the service delivery gaps?

Community Mapping Exercise

Identify Potential PartnersWho do you already know that does good work?

How are you connected with them?How can they help you and your students?

Counseling to Careers: Helping Students Select Best Bets, 2010, Jobs for the Future

Employers/Industry Connections

(e.g., unions, large businesses)

Workforce Development/

Other Community

Organizations Connections

(e.g., Local Chamber of Commerce, WIBs)

Your YouthBuild Program

Postsecondary Connections(e.g., program

coordinators, coaches, training directors at

non-college programs)

Government and State Agency Connections

(e.g., mayor’s office, State Dept. of Labor)

Lingering Questions1.Who needs to be on this map that you don’t yet have a connection to?2.How can they help your students (e.g., financial aid, career services.)?Other Connections

Further Resources

• YouthBuild Community of Practicewww.login.icohere.com/Youthbuild

• Post-Secondary Partnership Outreach Strategieshttps://youthbuild.org/sites/youthbuild.org/files/kb_item/2012/10/3512/Postsecondary%20Partner%20Outreach%20Strategies%20Mini%20Toolkit.pdf

• DOL-Facebook Social Jobs Partnershiphttp://www.facebook.com/socialjobs which includes:-- My Next Move: http://www.mynextmove.org/ -- My Skills, My Future: http://www.myskillsmyfuture.org/ -- Career One Stop: http://www.careeronestop.org/

• Utilize Your DOL-YouthBuild coach

• Contact Ted (troan@youthbuild.org) or Charles (cmodiano@skills4youth.org) with more questions and resources.