Breakout Session: Models for Job Readiness and Successful Job Placement for Vocational Training Graduates

The Breakout Session on Models for Job Readiness and Successful Job Placement for Vocational Training Graduates focused upon two areas of interest. These areas of interest were selected based upon survey feedback from a training needs assessment completed by Consortium Center staff in which participants indicated a need for information on job readiness models as well as strategies for increasing job placement rates. The expected goals of the participants for attending the track session included the following:

• Identify strategies that lead to greater coordination and effort between Center and Field staff in the job placement process.
• Identify strategies for integrating soft skills into existing training programs.
• Identify effective programming for increasing client's basic academic skills to ensure success on the job.
• Learn about pre-vocational programs that teach effective workplace skills.
• Identify approaches for increasing employer involvement in the job placement process.
• Learn tactics for effectively marketing clients to employers.
• Identify strategies for meeting the employment needs of local employers.

During the breakout session, panel members representing five facilities provided information on the topics of discussion. Panel members included:

• Louann Petts (Facilitator), West Virginia Rehabilitation Center, West Virginia
• John Riffe, West Virginia Rehabilitation Center, West Virginia
• Barbara Lewis, Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center, Arkansas
• Lori Hutchison, Hiram G. Andrews Center, Pennsylvania
• Jack Demar, Hiram G. Andrews Center, Pennsylvania
• Paul Mulka, Michigan Career and Technical Institute, Michigan
• Julie Proctor, Workforce and Technology Center, Maryland

Recorder for the session was Deborah Riggie, West Virginia Rehabilitation Center, West Virginia

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A. Discussion and Highlights

Job Readiness

Facility representatives from Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia reported on strategies for preparing clients for the world of work including the acquisition of soft skills, increasing basic academic skills and curriculum for pre-vocational programming. Discussion highlights that participants could utilize to help prepare students for work include:

• Educating Center and Field staff on student behavior and the impact those behaviors have on employment outcomes.
• Providing vocational instructors with the tools and/or resources to educate students effectively to meet employer demands.
• Providing effective support/counseling services to students so that they can learn to adapt and deal with workplace and personal issues.
• Developing pre-vocational programs that specifically focus on the development of "soft skills," i.e. problem-solving skills, courtesy, conflict management, effective communication skills and working as a team member. In addition, programming should not overlook the importance of exhibiting qualities such as dependability, punctuality and high productivity.
• Reinforcement of workplace skills needs to be viewed as an integral component of all training programs.
• Viewing job readiness is a combination of soft and hard skills; it is no longer effective to rely solely on the student's skills acquired through training as an indicator of successful job placement.

Job Placement

Representatives from Maryland, West Virginia and Arkansas addressed strategies for increasing job placement rates. Discussion highlights that participants could utilize include:

• Bridging the gap between Center and Field: facilities need to view Field Staff as customers.
• Establish performance standards that hold Center staff accountable for job placement.
• Increase communication and efforts between Center and Field staff with regard to discharge planning and job placement.
• Meet the needs of employers by developing customized training programs.
• Stress the benefits of hiring training graduates to employers.
• Provide in-house opportunities to market students to employers such as Employment Fairs.

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B. Challenges Facing Centers in Service Delivery

There are multiple obstacles that Centers face in preparing students for the world of work as well as in placing students in jobs. Examples of these obstacles/challenges include:

• In many cases communication between Center and Field staff is poor.
• There is not a consistent focus on pre-vocational programs or the acquisition of soft skills in Center programs.
• The problems associated with an ever changing job market and meeting employer needs.
• Cultivating motivation to work among clients when there are many disincentives to work.
• The majority of clients are younger, have less work experience and possess fewer workplace skills.
• Many clients require numerous supports, repetitive instruction, have limited family support, have had little to no exposure to the world of work, and successful job placements are difficult.

C. Effective Practices for Job Readiness Models and Job Placement Strategies

Centers have developed strategies that address some of the obstacles cited above and therefore are considered best practices when discussing job readiness and job placement.

• Remedial education programs that have demonstrated success in improving client's academic skill levels in reading, math and receptive language and thus increasing the probability that the client will be successful on the job.
• Use of 360 Evaluations: the student evaluates their work behaviors, the teacher completes an evaluation of the student's work behaviors and the student's peers evaluate the students work behaviors.
• Customized training programs that partner with colleges and employers. Examples include Customer Service Training (Hyatt Regency), Automotive (Grease Monkey), Pharmacy/Retail (CVS) and Certified Nursing Assistant Training.
• Pre-vocational programs geared to basic skills, core competencies, development of soft skills and independent living skills.
• Student Orientation Program that integrates soft skills into the curriculum.

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D. Recommendations:

1. 1. Identify outcome measurement methods for life skills or pre-vocational programs.
• Review research pertaining to outcome measurements and establishing criteria for assessing skills (Julie Snook, Life Skills Transition Program Coordinator, Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center, January 2007).
• Share information with other Rehabilitation Facilities in order to develop an evaluation program for prevocational skills and/or life skills programs (Julie Snook, January 2007).
2. 2. Develop a comprehensive model for integrating soft skills into existing training programs.
• Deborah Riggie (Supervisor of Day Counseling, West Virginia Rehabilitation Center) will collaborate with Mona Overstreet (Residential Services Administrator, Tennessee) and Mike Orem (Director of Vocational Behavior, Kentucky) in assisting facilities to integrate soft skills training through a behavior education program (June 2007).
• Share model with all facilities (Deborah Riggie, June 2007).
3. 3. Provide all facilities with resources to develop customized training programs.
• Collaborate with Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia on developing customized training programs (Julie Proctor, Supervisor of Employment Services, Maryland).
• Share information with all facilities on strategies for capitalizing on meeting the needs of employers through developing customized training programs (Julie Proctor, Supervisor of Employment Services, Maryland).

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