Maximizing Job Development in the 21 st Century

1. Maximizing Job Development in the 21st Century Sunday, June 1, 2008

2. Maximizing Job Development in the 21st Century Moderator: Kim Coulter, Chief Operating Officer, JVS Toronto Presenters: Carol Grady Vice President, Partnerships & Learning, JVS BostonBuilding Comprehensive Partnerships with Employers Suzanne VolpeManager, Youth Services & Job Developer Training, JVS TorontoDeveloping Top-Level Employer Relationship Joe CipollaDirector, Corporate Employer Services, JEVSJerry TapleyDirector, Employment Services, JEVSUtilizing New Technology and Data

3. Building Comprehensive Partnerships with Employers Presented by: Carol GradyVice President, Partnerships for Careers & LearningJVS Boston

4. Share with you our project • Share with you our outcomes • Give to you our lessons learned • Most importantly, what does this tell us about Employer Relationships?

5. U.S. Department of Labor Career Ladder Initiative • The goals of the JVS Sectoral Initiative were: • to identify and partner with Boston-area employers in high-growth industries • address employer workforce development needs • provide entry-level workers with the skills and education they require to advance

6. U.S. Department of Labor Career Ladder Initiative • Sectoral Approach • Two industries • Sector Groups • 6 employers • Career Ladders • Return on Investment • Sustainability • Lesson Learned

7. Participant Demographics Gender • 80% female • 20% male Education • 8% less than High School Diploma • 55% High School Diploma • 12 % Bachelors • 25% No response Race • 42% White • 32% Hispanic • 15% Black • 5% Asian/Pacific Islander • 6% No response Age • 17% (20-29) • 23% (30-39) • 22% (40-49) • 15% (50-59) • 23% No response

8. Employer Partners Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates multi-specialty medical group practice, 3,500 employees. East Boston Neighborhood Health Center is among the largest community health centers,800 employees. Radius Management Service, Inc. 2 skilled nursing facilities 1600 beds. These facilities employ approximately 300 individuals. Goddard House is a skilled nursing facility. Approximately 100 employees.

9. Services Delivered • Career coaching • Mentoring Program • ESOL (English for Speakers of other Languages) • Pre-College Preparation • Computer Training

10. U.S. Department of Labor Career Ladder Initiative Goals • 110 participants • 80% receive a skills gain • 80% meet one or more coaching goals • 20% enroll in higher education • 10% higher retention than employer Outcomes • 182 participants • 80% receive a skills gain • 83% reached one or more coaching goals • 23% enrolled in higher education • -1%-83% higher retention than employer

11. U.S. Department of Labor Career Ladder Initiative • More outcomes: • 75% of participants had a wage gain • 5% was the average wage gain • 7% of participants received a promotion • 462 instructional hours were delivered • 302 coaching hours were delivered

12. Beyond the Outcomes… • Sector Group Meetings • Workforce Needs Analysis • Internal Advisory Teams • Customized Services • Contextualized Curriculum • Pre and Post Testing

13. Evolving Partnerships • 24 months + • business tripled= • 20 employers, 500 employees • (lessons learned, priceless)

14. Impact on Comprehensive Partnerships • The Approach • Industry Sectors • Initial Engagement • The Workforce Needs Analysis • Integration into the Employer • Scope of services

15. Lessons Learned… • Our approach • Employer Driven • Business Case • Outcomes • Return on Investment • Having resources opens the door

16. Lessons Learned… • Sector Differences • Culture of the industry • Capacity for workforce development (staffing) • Data available for ROI • Sustainability • Willingness to financially invest

17. Lessons Learned… • Initial Engagement • Board Member connections • General Manager • Executive Director • Vice President • HR Staff • Operations Staff

18. Lessons Learned… • Who is involved in the workforce need analysis? • CEO • Front line staff • Supervisors and managers • HR staff and training staff • Multiple departments, cross functions

19. Lessons Learned… • Integration into the organization • Leader • Facilitator • Cheerleader • Expert Task master • Support staff • Educator • Negotiator

20. Lessons Learned… • Scope of services… • Traditional • ABE/ESOL, Career Coaching, Pre-College, Pre-Employment • Advanced Services • Intermediary, HR Consultant, Educational Expert, Resource Developer

21. Multiple connections at one employer • Inclusion in decision making meetings • Multiple services at one employer • Fee based services • Advance services • Sustainability conversations • Return on investment conversations • Shared reporting on outcomes

22. Developing Top-Level Employer Relationships Presented by: Suzanne VolpeManager, Youth Services & Job Development TrainingJVS Toronto

23. Canadian Retail Industry • 3rd largest industry in Canada by number of businesses • 2nd largest labour force in Canada • Provides more than 12% of jobs in every community across Canada • Key concerns: • Labour shortage and turnover • Store managers hardest position to fill • Finding alternative recruitment strategies

24. The Retail Source • Established in 2000 • Funded by Ontario Works (Welfare) and United Way • Train at-risk youth and adults with barriers to employment in retail sector • 4 weeks in-class training, 2 weeks unpaid retail placement • Supported by 1 trainer, 1 job developer

25. The Retail Source • Curriculum: • Customer service, effective communication • Sales techniques, retail skills • Operating a cash register • Outcomes: • 75% will gain employment after 2 week placement • Of those, 70% will continue to be employed after 3 months • Of those, 85% will continue to be employed after 6 months

26. The Retail Source – Marketing • To participants: • Social services networks, case workers, Employment Resource Centres, direct mailing to housing projects, Web sites, community newspapers • To retailers: • Job fairs, direct mail, outreach to national chains, Retail Council of Canada

27. Retail Council of Canada • Value of membership: • Access to retailers and HR contacts • Industry presence • Builds credibility • Participate in industry events • Insider’s view of industry

28. Employer Partnership • Mark’s Work Warehouse • Brand: Clothes that Work • Customer demographics: 25 -59 years • quality casual and business wear, outdoor apparel for men and women, work wear, and safety footwear • 350 stores across Canada • Aggressive expansion • Owned by: Canadian Tire Corporation • Brand: Goods for everyday use

29. Employer Partnership • Mark’s Work Warehouse Challenge • Staffing new urban location in downtown Toronto • Previous urban expansions failed • Other non-profit employment agencies provided untrained youth, not successful • Associates need to meet high standards in product knowledge, multi-functional roles

30. Employer Partnership • The Retail Source addressed challenges • Built relationship with regional manager and store manager simultaneously • Clear understanding of Mark’s needs • Only offer retail trained candidates • Participants have other life and work skills to enhance retail training

31. Employer Partnership • The Retail Source addressed challenges • Participant demographics 25 – 55 years • Incorporated Mark’s standards into curriculum • Selected participants for work placements who fit Mark’s brand • Participants interested in retail career

32. Employer Partnership Success Stories • 12 clients referred for job trial placements • 100% completed their placement • 100% offered permanent positions • 83% completed 3 months probation • 75% still employed, 1 as supervisor, 1 as team lead • Other store locations looking to hire through The Retail Source

33. Utilizing New Technology and Date Co-presented by: Joe CipollaDirector, Corporate Employer ServicesJerry Tapley Director, Employment ServicesJEVS Human Services

34. JEVS Human Services • Our Job Placement Programs • Career Solutions for 55+ - serving older workers • Career Strategies – serving displaced professionals and persons seeking career change • Center for Customer Service Excellence – serving people seeking careers in retail and other customer service-based careers • Center for New Americans – serving job seekers who are refugees or new immigrants • College Strategies – serving students just entering the job market • Employment Network - ?? • Maximizing Participation Project – serving the hardest to place TANF recipients • Northeast EARN Center –serving nearly 3000 TANF job seekers annually • Orleans Technical Institute • Building Trades – serving graduates in electrical, plumbing, and other building trades • Court Reporting Institute – serving graduates seeking employment in Court Reporting or Closed Captioning • Program for Offenders – serving newly released and soon to be released prisoners • Retail Skills Center – serving people seeking careers in retail • Work & Recovery Programs – serving persons with developmental disabilities who are seeking employment

35. JEVS Human Services

36. The Problem • Multiple job placement programs and activities across JEVS, no connection to each other • Inability to serve ALL hiring needs of employers • Territorialism of job development • Can’t market JEVS employment services to employers as a single product because it is NOT a single product

37. The Solution • A single point of access for ALL jobs developed at JEVS • An online solution that is accessible by participants, job developers and management 24/7 • A way of maintaining the integrity of Job Developer/Employer relationships

38. THE JEVS Job Board

45. Questions Maximizing Job Development in the 21st Century