I say yes!!!

I read this statement in the training, and am not quite in agreement with this. It is my understanding that we should be very conservative of how we present information to students so not to imply certain information. For example, if we say these employer "hire" grads, then it may place the institution in a situation where the expectation is that the grad will be hired. The training states that it is a "great for the admissions department to boast about where our school grads are working". Again, I am not sure if that is the direction of admissions due to regulations. Any advice?

Our campuses did an exercise to develop our Statement of Purpose, Mission Statement for the department. There was debate in our philosophy in regard to how much of our purpose is to coach and enable and how much is dedicated to employer development. Overall, our philosophy is 50/50. "Teach the students and graduates how to fish... and within a fully stocked lake". Is that philosophy similar to other career colleges who focuses on placement outcomes?

What is the most difficult obstacle to overcome in building an institutional culture which supports employment outcomes at every instance of the students tenure?

In thinking about your relationships with hiring employers, what do you feel is the key motivator for them to hire your graduates? Is it their relationship with a trusted career services rep or the quality of the graduate? How do you know?

There was a recent article http://finance.yahoo.com/news/employers-skills-gap-not-problem-100000789.html in the news which said that employers don't feel that it's their job to "fix" the skills gap that exists today. What role, in your opinion, do employers have in addressing this problem and is this something your institution is addressing?

I have just begun working for a new and small online school, who have just begun developing student services department and career placement. I am looking for advice and tips on how to create contacts in industries to help with placement?

1. track employers 2. track grads 3. placement statistics 4.student feedback 5. grad feedback 6. employer feedback

1. Being unique 2. Understanding skills and abilities 3. Must create the right resume. 4. Having great references 5.Having a postive mental attitude

To have a sucessful Career Services department the following items are needed: 1. resource library 2. job search seminars 3. job opportunities 4. internships and externships 5. personal attention 6. additional services

Developing a strong placement must start with a mission statement.A mission statement is the foundation of every department. Any decision made regarding the department, can be measured against it's mission.

There is empirical evidence that graduates today need specific, job related experience to be considered for employment. How important do you feel experience is in finding a job and what specific steps do you take with individual students to help them gain some experience prior to graduating?

The evidence suggests that students benefit most from individualized and structured instruction when finding a job. However, this presents a challenge when trying to manage workload. What resources do you currently use to help provide the student with individual attention (workbooks, videos, mentoring, etc.) that gets results while managing your workload in CS?

The benefits of having an active Alumni Association are many; however, only a small percentage of career colleges have them. Does your institution have a robust Alumni Association and if so, what difficulties did you face getting started and how did you overcome these challenges? Has your institution tried to start an Alumni Association and failed? If so, what happened?

The course discusses how employers site a skills deficiency despite the skills training that they receive in institutions of higher learning. This skills gaps suggests colleges need to improve methods of measuring work-readiness. How do you measure the job readiness of your students? Do you assess both technical and soft-skill readiness? What tools (if any) do you use?

We have student events on campus very consistently. We also recently held an Alumni and community event, where we presented Alumni T shirts with a special Alumni logo design to all Alumni that attended the event. We also have a career publication that I use to go out into the community with that highlights the skills obtained through each of our programs. Department heads, including myself, are also very active in community events, such as parades and festivals. Additionally we belong to many committees, and work closely with the Chamber of Commerce.

I would very much like to create an official Alumni Association. I feel that although we do reach out to our alumni to get involved in class presentations and "Pro" mentors, we may be missing out on a number of other mutually beneficial support services and resources. I would also like to see us provide more interactive and fun events (employer appreciation luncheons, block party for the business neighborhood, public forums) both as a way of developing relationships and gathering feedback, input, etc. We used to do these but unfortunately have discontinued due to budget restrictions.

Although our institution does consider the impact of admissions on career services, it seems as though there is still quite a gap. Many times, it does seems that admissions goals are more of a priority (to the institution). This results in enrolling students that drop out quickly, or become 'problem students' for student services, and eventually, career services. It is very important that we enroll students who actually want a career, and are motivated to try to attain that goal. However, this is not always the case. Based on speaking to colleagues in career services at other institutions, this seems to be an ongoing dilemma. I do voice my concerns to the admissions department, but I feel that the priority of that department is so stringently aligned with metric goals, this overshadows those other aspects. I recommend this gap be closed by stricter admissions standards for enrollment, and less emphasis on the enrollment metrics as strict goals.

Although we do not have a specific assessment in place to determine whether an intervention should be applied, I do use a rubric to measure employability skills during our students' final mock interviews. If a student does not perform well in the mock interview, I typically speak with them after class and schedule additional sessions to improve interview skills, emphasize professional dress, social cues, etc. I try to emphasize throughout the course that although our assignments, interviews, etc. are graded, the purpose of the class and all of the assignments are there to improve employability, and I will work with the them in and out of class toward overcoming barriers to ensure success.