A Regional Collaboration: Advancing College and Career Readiness

1. A Regional Collaboration: Advancing College and Career Readiness Highlands Workforce Development and Education Upper Cumberland Region

2. Presenters Ashley Allison, Putnam County Academic Career Coach Terri Douglas, White County Academic Career Coach Katie Ory, Putnam County Academic Career Coach Myra West, TCAT-Livingston Director Lillian Hartgrove, Workforce Development and Education Vice President

3. Session Agenda Highlands Workforce Development and Education Overview Program Formation and Effective Collaborations Development of Steps in the Process Identification of Chosen Pathways Establishment of Seamless Pathways Development of Academic Career Coach “Model” Academic Career Coach Activities Engagement and Communication Strategies Gauging Effectiveness Next Steps

4. Lillian Hartgrove Highlands Workforce Development and Education Overview Program Formation and Effective Collaborations

5. Highlands Workforce Development and Education Sub-set of the Upper Cumberland Region

6. Program Genesis • Steering Committee • Chair, TTU President Emeritus • Committee Members: Employers, K-12 and Higher Ed • Drop out study • Assessment by Districts and Steering Committee • Goals established • Sub-committees formed • Sub-Committee Chair and members identified

7. Goals

8. Annual 8th Grade Career Fair

9. Parental Engagement in the Workplace • Oreck • Federal Mogul • Parker Seal • CRMC • Flowserve • Tutco • INOAC • Eaton • Livingston Regional • Hutchinson

10. Business and Industry Speakers • After Care Program • All Job Types • Career Journey • Importance of Staying in School • TN Scholars • All 8th grade students • 9th graders and parents • Over 50 Speakers • 4 School Districts

11. Building Collaborative Partnerships • Through Goals Established and Achieved • Annual 8th grade career fair • Parental Engagement in the Workplace • Speakers Program • TN Scholars • Sub-committees formed for each goal • Led by industry leader and/or education partner • Strategy and Task Plan Developed • Strong foundation formed leading to Pathways to Prosperity

12. Major Partners

13. Dr. Myra West Process Development Identification and Establishment of Chosen Pathways and Academic Career Coach Model

14. Employer InvolvementMatching Needs with Career Clusters • Who do you include and how do you get a response? • What are the needs of employers in your area? • What types of information to you need to collect? • How to choose a Pathway based on the needs?

15. Identifying Seamless Pathways • Department of Labor and Workforce Data • Selected Advanced Manufacturing and Health Care • Local manufacturing and health care professionals surveyed • Skill needs, gaps, education level, job availability by type • Review of current curriculum and recommend changes • Report gaps to Department of Education

16. Employer Survey

17. Curriculum Development and Feedback • Advisory Committees • Reviews Competencies and Skills • Recommends • Employer Follow Up • Suggestions for Improvements • Identifies the Skill Gaps

18. Seamless Pathways and Articulations SUSTAINABLE Industry Engagement Secondary &Postsecondary Alignment Community Awareness RELEVANT Career Awareness(Grades 7-14) Work Based Learning(grades 7-14) Early Postsecondary Opportunities(Grades 9-12) Stackable Credential(Grades 9+)

19. Implementing Pathways: Academic Career Coach Model • Steering Committee Decisions: • How do we implement chosen pathways? • How many people do we need? • Where do we begin (grade level)? • How do we fund it? • How do we measure success? • Dedicated Resources: • New position created • Academic Career Coach: 5 total • Jackson 1, Overton 1, Putnam 2 and White 1

20. Academic Career Coach Job Summary The Academic/Career Coach position is designed to empower students to make informed career decisions and educational pathways, which lead to success both in education and in the workforce. The Coach helps students define career aspirations and determines the various pathways of study that will lead to the achievement of their educational and career goals with emphasis on the defined pathways.

21. Academic Career Coach Primary Job Functions • Collaborates with Guidance Counselors and CTE Personnel in providing education and career assessment interpretation to students and parents, specifically as it relates to the established pathways. • Works in collaboration with Guidance Counselor and CTE personnel to coordinate a variety of events and programs (career tours, student placement and follow up, teacher and counselor in-services, etc.) for the purpose of supporting the smooth transition between the various education tiers (middle, high school and postsecondary). • Maintains liaisons with post-secondary institutions, employers, community leaders and organizations for the purpose of building resources and expanding educational and career pathway opportunities for students. • Facilitates/assists students (beginning in 7th grade to postsecondary education) in developing an educational pathway, which will lead to a successful career path. Works closely with Guidance Counselors and CTE personnel in each of the schools and spends in-depth time with each student as education and career path decisions are made for the established pathways.

22. Academic Career Coach Model • Begins with Middle School Students • 7th through 12th grade • Post-Secondary Education Certification or AA/AS • Job Placement • Funding Mechanism: • Perkins Reserve Grant • LEA Sustaining • Directors of Schools Comments: Position impact far greater than expected

23. Katie Ory Academic Career Coach Middle School Activities

24. 7th Grade Find the students interests – www.planningyourdreams.org Expose students to viable careers Mapping Mini-job descriptions Guest speakers Jr. TN Scholars program Career Exploration Modules

25. 8th Grade Career Exploration Career Exposure Speakers Jr. TN Scholars Added: Academic/Career Coaching Special Focused Mini-fairs Highlands Spring Career Fair Industry Tasks Transitions

26. 8th Grade Tasks

27. Terri Douglas Academic Career Coach High School Activities

28. 9th grade • Freshmen transition courses • Career Speakers • Career unit focusing on personalized career research

29. 10th – 12th grade Career speakers Field trips through CTE courses

30. High School Career Fair

31. 12th grade • Work-Based Learning • Based on Program of Study selection

32. Future Work Interview Boot Camp

33. Ashley Allison Engagement and Communication Strategies and Gauging Effectiveness

34. Communication • Individual schools • District/System wide • Regional

35. Community Engagement Advisory Boards Manufacturing Associations Society for Human Resource Chapter Existing Industry Committees Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Organization Civic Clubs and Church Organizations

36. Gauging Effectiveness • 7th grade to post-secondary and/or job placement • Initial ideas versus current reality • CTE clusters • Future modifications

37. Highlands’s Pathways to Prosperity • Advance students readiness for college and career • Aligns with Governor’s Drive to 55 and the TN Promise

38. District Next Steps and Considerations What will it take to implement a similar strategy or model in your district? Who will lead the effort? Do you have an intermediary organization who can? Do you have industries approaching you to do this? Do you have most of the elements in place now? What is at stake if you do not?

39. Questions?