engaging/activating business and industry partners and improving advisory committees ·...

ENGAGING/ACTIVATING BUSINESS ANDINDUSTRY PARTNERS AND

IMPROVING ADVISORY COMMITTEES

Darlene G. Miller, Ed.D.Executive Director

The National Council for Workforce Education

Nan Poppe, Ed.D.Consultant

The National Council for Workforce Education

Activity #1

What do you see as the biggest challenge your college has in consistently engaging employers in a meaningful way?

In your position, what is your role in working with employers and advisory committees?

Agenda

Why Activate Employers? Employer Engagement Plan and College Strategic Plan Developing a Comprehensive Employer Engagement

Plan Internal and External Scanning Setting College Goals and Goal Types Identifying Employers, Employer Checklist and Database

Communication Plan Improving Advisory Committees

Why Engage Employers

Understand the skills gap and to truly understand the competencies and skills that employers want and need to achieve growth and prosperity

To validate and ensure curriculum currency that meets both accreditation requirements and business needs.

Curriculum and Programs are Improved


Guarantee that the program meets local labor market demand and if not, determine necessary changes

Credibility Factor: employer engagement signals a higher level of program quality to both employers and students

Curriculum and Programs are Improved


Improve the willingness of employers to offer internships and work-based learning opportunities

HR staff works directly with career center staff to post job openings

Employers engage in career center events and activities

Strong Relationships Ensure thatStudents Get Jobs!


It is estimated that community colleges receive less than 5% of corporate contributions to higher education

Connecting employers to your college Foundation can enhance: Equipment Donation Materials Donations Donations to Capital Campaigns Scholarship Funds

Corporate Philanthropy is Improved


Business Partners advocate for the college with the legislature

Employers see the college as truly committed to the economic well-being of the community

College Community Relations are Improved

The Reality About Most Employers!

Employers really do want to contribute to their local college as part of their commitment to the community

If you don’t ask, you don’t know what they are willing to do for the college

The Reality About Most Employers!

Employers providing one-time feedback on curricula are less involved than employers participating in program design which includes feedback at multiple points and multiple aspects

Strong employer engagement gets them involved across the campus and not just in one silo

HOWEVER….

Employer Engagement Plan and College’s Strategic Plan

To be effective, an Employer Engagement Plan should have

components similar to acollege strategic plan!

Nan


Who is responsible?

What type of resources do they need to achieve success?

What are the goals and expected outcomes?


How will you measure success?

How do you ensure communication feedback loops?

Employer Engagement Plan and Feedback

How do you communicate Advisory Committee input to entire college?

How do advisory committees and faculty connect to the career center staff?

How do advisory committees and faculty connect to the College Foundation?

Employer Engagement Plan and Feedback

How do you loop back the President’s connections in the community to the faculty and the programs

What are the plans to ensure that engagement is ongoing and continuous?

Activity #2

The WIB and economic development group has done an analysis and compiled labor market data. They have found a need for:

1. Short Term training2. Upskill training3. Longer term training4. Entry-level training

They also determined issues such as:1. Too many low-skilled folks in the community who

need jobs in the sector

2. Need to work with a growing immigrant community

Activity #2

Your President has volunteered the college to drive the initiative and has assigned you as the lead person at the college!

Who do you engage at the college? Who do you engage externally (other partners)? How do you determine what the college can do to

support this initiative? What is the role of employers and how do you

engage them? How do you keep everyone informed?

Developing a Comprehensive Employer Engagement Plan and

Strategy

ADVISINGAdvise on curriculum

hire graduates

CAPACITYBUILDINGDonate EquipOn-Site Tours

Guest Speakers

CO-DESIGNING

Develop Pathways

Fully ReviewCurriculum

CONVENINGSupport College

Sector Partnerships

Lead AdvisoryMeetings

LEADINGFull Strategic

PartnerDeeply

Engaged

Source: Wilson, R. (2015). A Resource Guide to Engaging Employers. Retrieved from Jobs for the Future website: http://www.jff.org/publications/resource-guide-engaging-employers

Employer Engagement Ladder

Plan Components

Environmental Scan InternalExternal

Setting College GoalsEmployer Checklist and DatabaseCommunication Plan InternalExternal

Internal and External Scan

Darlene

Internal ScanCTE and Workforce Programs

Step 1: Assess the current employers, the current activities and “who” is engaging with employer(s)

Name of Program ________________________

Name of Employer Types of Current Engagement


Step 2: Assess the effectiveness ofthe current activities

Name of Program _____________________

Activities Effectiveness or Results


Does the college have sufficient relationships to accomplish its goals?

Are there employers missing from the list?

Are employers engaged at multiple levels

Are there opportunities to engage employers in ways that they are currently not being engaged?

Step 3: Determine the general state of engagement and if there are ways to improve


Are there patterns to how we are currently engaging with employers that are effective?

Are there patterns that are ineffective?

What are the lessons learned from past engagement strategies? Did we burn any bridges?

Step 3: Determine the general state of engagement and if there are ways to improve

External Scan

1. Do current employers believe there is alignment between the college’s programs and employer needs?

2. Do employers consider the college’s programmatic and training schedules to be effective at meeting employers’ needs?

Step 4: What do employers think?

External Scan

3. Do employers think we are missing critical employers in the community in all of the college’s engagement strategies?

4. What strategies should we adopt to maintain/repair relationships with employers who have expressed negative opinions or experiences with the college?

5. Do we have in place strategies to recognize and promote employers?

Assessing Employers’ Perceptions

Focus Groups and Surveys

Activities to Assess Perception Who is Responsible – College Employee or Employer?

Develop College Engagement Goals

Engagement Goals

Programmatic Level Goal(s) Support CTE Programs Develop and Support Career Pathways

Workforce Education Goal(s) Support noncredit workforce training programs Support customized training Support the development of Bridge Programs

Student Employment Goal(s) Support Career Center and Advising

Types of Engagement Goals

Philanthropic Goal(s) Support CTE programs with materials and supplies Support College Foundation

General Goal(s) Support local community Support college’s strategic plan Advocacy with the legislature

Programmatic Goal: Activities and Priority

Program Focused Activities

Priority Level Who at the Employer

Serve on Advisory Committees

Front-line supervisor

Speak in class Technician who graduated from the college

Involved in facility design


Create faculty internships

Human Resources

Student Employment Goal: Activities and Priority

Student EmploymentFocused Activities


Post job openings on campus

Human Resources

Participate in career fairs

Human Resources and Front-line supervisor

Job shadowing Technician who graduated from the college

Participate as career coaches or mentors


Philanthropic Goal:Activities and Priority

PhilanthropicFocused Activities


Donate equipment or supplies

Front-line supervisor, Community Relations Director

Donate to scholarshipfunds

CEO

Donate to capital campaigns or building funds

CEO

Employer Engagement Checklist

Programmatic Activities PriorityServe on Advisory Committees 1

Speak in class 2

Faculty Internships 3

Student Activities PriorityParticipate in Career Fair 1

Post job openings 2

Workbased learning 3

Employer Engagement Checklist

Activities PriorityServe on Advisory Committees 1

Participate in Career Fairs 2

Donate equipment or supplies 3

Speak in class 4

Post job openings 5

Donate to scholarship funds 6

Identifying “Good Fit” Employers

Good Fit Criteria List of Potential EmployersEmployers who place a high value on training employees

Employers with strong relationships with the college

Employers who hire a large number of our students

Employers who are known for their philanthropyEmployers with a strong commitment to community

Employer Engagement Database

Name of Employee Contact Information

Carrie Smith, CEO

Bill Simons, Supervisor

Chet Vinson, Technician

Beth Miles, HR

Employer Name

Employer Engagement Database

Align Employees with Activities

Activities Who at EmployerServe on Advisory Committee Bill Simons

Participate in Career Fairs Beth Miles

Donate equipment or supplies Carrie Smith and Bill Simons

Speak in class Chet Vinson

Post job openings Beth Miles

Donate to scholarship funds Carrie Smith

Bossier Parish Community College Checklist

• Find a method of sharing what the companies are willing to do

• Add point of contact’s information

• Share this with the appropriate faculty/staff

Communication Plan

Internal Communication Plan

Ensuring the success of a comprehensive employer engagement plan means keeping everyone abreast of the plan, the goals, and the outcomes


Keeps college employees from being at cross-purposes when working with employers and prevents burning bridges If the Foundation wants to

approach an employer for a capital campaign, then you don’t want the welding faculty calling that employer and asking for materials


Ensure that the plan is dynamic! Every employee must know about the plan and who at the employer to connect with. Connect faculty with potential advisory committee

members Connect faculty with production supervisors

interested in donating equipment Connect career center staff with HR staff to

participate in job fairs, etc. Connect the CEO with the College President and the

College Foundation


Employer Date of Contact

Who Made Contact

Request Outcome

Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM)

CRM software stores and manages prospect and customer information, like contact info, accounts, leads, and sales opportunities

A product that a number of colleges are utilizing to track their employer engagement activities and outcomes very successfully is called SalesForcehttps://www.salesforce.com/small-business-solutions

https://www.salesforce.com/small-business-solutions

External Communication PlanKeep Your Employer Partners Engaged

and in the Know!

External Communication Plan

Communication Activities Who is Responsible Timeframe

Alerting employers to subsidized training opportunities

Workforce Development Staff

Sending the results of employer satisfaction survey

PIO or Institutional Effectiveness Staff

News about graduates’ successes

CTE Deans

Sending annual graduation survey

PIO or Institutional Effectiveness Staff

Sending training schedules Workforce Development Staff

ENSURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVISORY COMMITTEES

Nan

Advisory Committees are an excellent opportunity for the college to engage employers, gain industry-specific knowledge and develop long-term relationships

Unfortunately, too many of our advisory committees are stagnant and not very functional Get together twice a year to have pizza and validate

instead of problem solve

Improving Advisory Committees

Advisors vs. Strategic Partners

Employers as Advisors Employers as Strategic Partners

Employers attend Advisory Committee meetings and “sign off” on curriculum changes

Employers are deeply engaged in:• Identifying critical competencies• Designing curriculum and

determining assessments• Offering work-based learning• Providing adjunct faculty• Providing equipment and materials• Participating in classroom design

Employers participate in an “as needed” basis when requested by faculty or staff

Employers are continuously involved in program design and refinement

Advisors vs. Strategic Partners

Employers as Advisors Employers as Strategic Partners

Employers discuss the importance of higher skills and provide curriculum advice

Employers work directly with the college and other workforce partners to determine:• Skills gaps• Current competencies• Future workforce needs and

curriculum changes

Employers provide their “point of view”

Employers become active “problem solvers”

Employers respond to surveys and occasional data requests

Employers help design, implement, and interpret surveys

Proper fit – make sure individuals you ask to serve have the knowledge, passion, and time to be committee members Right title and responsibility within their

organization

Ensure that you have diversity Company size Company type Titles/Responsibility

Improving Advisory Committees - Structure

Provide a comprehensive orientation to the program Meet and Greet with Chair and Faculty Tour of the college and program facility Notebook with all pertinent program

information

Improving Advisory Committees - Orientation

An employer should be selected as chair and help frame the agenda

Meeting times and location are convenient for committee members

Improving Advisory Committees Leadership and Mechanics

Meetings should not just be information sessions but rather proactive problem-solving sessions examining critical issues Curriculum redesign Analyze key labor market data Analyze student outcomes Discuss and problem solve skill needs and

gaps

Improving Advisory Committees Meaningful Engagement

Make sure you are not just expecting your committee to “rubber stamp” decisions that have already been made Ask for advice and respond to it Make sure you are listening to their

concerns and responding to their recommendations in a timely manner


Ask meaningful questions that gets them actively engaged What keeps you up at night?

What contributes to your company’s productivity and growth?

What are your current labor market needs? Future needs?

How can the college help in addressing your challenges?


Employer led activities signal to employers that the college is serious about becoming a good partner

Validates their knowledge and expertise

Focus group with some of their colleagues to share information, gather information or problem solve Potential new partners!

Improving Advisory Committees Employer Led Activities

Engage your members beyond the meetings College events Advocacy and promotion of the program (i.e. testifying

at the legislature, raising funds for scholarships)

Create communication channels to maintain interest and involvement between meetings One-page summary of key activities and

accomplishments, college newsletters

Improving Advisory CommitteesContinuous Engagement

Periodically have the members do a self-assessment of their committee Are all members engaged?

Are their discussions at the strategic level?

Do they feel their time is well spent and valued?

Improving Advisory CommitteesContinuous Improvement

Saying “Thank You” in a public manner goes a long way to ensuring long-term commitment and partnership

Say Thank You!

Darlene

Business Partner RecognitionWays To Say - THANK YOU!

President invites employers to join them at college events

Recognize employer contributions in college newsletters and publications

Feature employers in the course schedule

Newspaper Ad thanking employers Advisory Committee celebrations

Copiah-Lincoln Catfish Dinner

• Annual event• Georgia Pacific Catfish Cooking

Team provides a wonderful meal of fried catfish, hushpuppies and coleslaw

• Recognize B&I with several awards– President’s Award– Special Recognition for Service

Green River Community CollegeName That Tune!

Came up with a song for each of the college’s CTE programs Black Water by the Doobie Brothers for Water

Wastewater Program Last Kiss by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers

(remake done by Pearl Jam) for the Autobody Program

Throughout dinner and the recognition program, all of a sudden, everything would stop and the music would play

The first person to correctly identify the program was given a hat or t-shirt

engaging/activating business and industry partners and improving advisory committees ·...

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