THis is a challenge for me aswell. I try to develop and maintain and excellent rapport with lead teachers to ensure feedback on skill levels and attitude of graduates. You can also have lead teachers complete a "survey" on students prior to graduating identifying their strengths and weaknesses
Hi Sacey
Can you share with us the ways that you work with students on employment readiness and placement? If you work only through lead teachers, can you provide them with guidelines and materials so that what they offer is consistent and comprehensive in the area of preparing students for the world of work?
Best wishes
Susan
We use externships for all our students and it does account for a large number of our placements, students are hired upon completion of the externship. We also have some members of our Advisory Board who take students as externs. I would like to be able to expand the hiring from sites that have hired graduates previously. Ususally I do not find out about the openings until after they have been filled. How do some of you handle this situation?
One way we have managed this is to place the externship which all our students must do in the final module before graduation. One group of our students can use a job as an externship if it relates to the program that they took at school. A number of our students have used this method, especially if funds are low, and have been able to complete, graduate, and have a job.
Hi Alison
Great job on your externships. You are really seeing the benefits. To ensure that you are the first to know about job openings where your grads are already placed, suggest you stay in contact with the employers. There are several ways.
With grads permission survey the employers asking for their opinions about the grad, your training, what should be added to your training, etc. Do whatever it takes to maintain a relationship with them. Demonstrate that your school is interested in producing work-ready staff for them.
Then you'll be able to find out about job openings early enough to place your students.
Best wishes
Susan
Hi Alison
Using the place of employment as an externship site is a great idea. The student and supervisor can plan meaningful projects that are beneficial to the student and the workplace.
Wouldn't it be great if working students could develop special projects at work so they can see their studies in action.
Best wishes
Susan
Two months ago I did "mock interviews" with an entire class, one at a time, over the course of three days. The experience was excellent for both the students and myself. I gained insight into common mistakes made, and I got to know the students much better.
The feedback given to the students was well received by them, and all-in-all, they are more prepared.
The problem is, this was a class of 23 students, and the exercise required about 8 - 10 hours of my time. We have an enrollment of close to 200, and I simply do not have the time!
Alison:
Try a mailing or a fax to local offices highlighting your programs and your services to employers.
We are in the process of creating a flyer ~ stating of course that posting a job lead with the school is FREE, targets the right training to the right position and ensures proper training and background.
The flyer can be mailed, or delivered in person to local companies.
We have also recently put an "employer services" button on our website. From here they can fill out an job listing form, or contact us by phone.
In the three weeks since the button went on the website, I have had 7 job listings from it. Of course, I always make personal contact to introduce myself, and let them know we received the request.
Hi Nancy
Great idea to hold mock interviews. But working with 200 students will get challenging. Why not have alumni help, or employers, and people to act as mentors. Train them in the skills you think work. Then set appointments so all 200 students do get the interviewing skills and practice they need.
Best wishes
Susan
Nancy
Great usable ideas. Web sites can be very effective way to get employers to post jobs. You are right - first you have to make a personal introduction via phone, meeting, or fax or email. Then the process usually flows.
Best wishes
Susan
Dear Susan,
Our school is part of a large school system, however our school is new to the area. Our career services department has been meeting with employers to begin developing relationships for current and future graduates. We have also been working with the students individually and in the classrooms providing employability training. We think it is important to continually plan activities and events (job fairs, guest speakers, etc.)directed towards the ultimate goal of the graduate locating a position in their field of study.
Hi Laurie
Sounds like you are a branch campus? Perhaps your coprorate offices have career services strategies in place that you can customize to your area. You might check. Meeting with employers in the area is great. Actually it's important to keep in contact with both employers and prospective employers. They can be great resources for you and can provide assistance for your job fairs, metnoring, practice interviews, and as speakers. Students need a lot of employment skills training. They learn more by hearing people talk about how to be successful getting a job and on the job, and by seeing and practicing. I'm discovering that having students read about employment skills is not as effective interaction. Sounds like you are doing a great job.
Best wishes
Susan
We also teach a course called Professional Development. It goes a little further than giving them skills in job search preparation.
Some of the topics covered are: Employer expectations; Self-Concept, Self-Esteem and Self-Disclosures; Verbal/non-verbal Communication and Listening skills. All of which are also important aspects in helping preparing them for employment.
Betty Sue,
We too advertise the survivor jobs, but we only place ads for those minimum salaried positions. With that you have less chance of them utilizing those jobs as careers.
Hi Wanda
Great idea to offer a professional development course. It is important to develop a work mindset in students before they embark on the job search. Getting a job is more than writing a resume or learning how to fill out forms. There are also work ethic skills, learning how to stay on the job,how to advance, negotiate for a better position and salary, and more.
Sounds like a great course.
Best wishes
Susan
We really need to develop a library of resources for our students in reference to job search skills and life skills. Any suggestions on some good resources?
HI Kelli
Great idea to have a library filled with employment skills, job search, and life skills resources. We like the resrouces found in JIST publications - www.jist.com. Also in Career Communications, Inc. www.careerbookstore.com
You can also find lots of employment skills and job search information on the Internet. Suggest you build a list of urls that relate to employment in your fields of study.
Best wishes
Susan
I think we can improve our placement services by partnering more with admissions from the very beginning in trying to get students excited about employment and encouraging administration to realize that the placement department is a very important part of the whole training process.
Hi Amy
Good points. You have to advertise your department within your school. And keep contacts going with your community too.
Best wishes
Susan
We currently offer career services and the biggest thing I see we need improvement in is our time management and resources. We are currently looking into reformating our student and career services departments. I like the suggestion in another post about having students meeting with career servcies after a certain point in their education. I would like any suggestions on how to communicate new job opportunities with current students and graduates. We currently have a job board that is updated daily and mass emails that are sent out to graduates.
