we had the same problem
but we are getting better at it
try bringing employers to your class room like a hiring agency see if that will help.
PATRICIA,
Good points. We think that many students are resistant to seeking employment because they are afraid, lack self confidence, and don't want to leave the safety of their school. It's a challenge. To us this points to the reason to start career services training and programs early and keep the training going throughout the students' classroom experiences. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
The form stating that the student is enrolling with no occupational objectives is a good idea. We are part of a system of career colleges, tech colleges and a university. We get many "in-house" students who just want to learn massage for home use or as a hobby. "In-house" students have no tuition, so they can afford to do nothing with the education. It really hurts placement stats.
denise,
Very challenging situation. Any regulatory agencies that oversee your school make the situation more challenging. Do students who enroll and don't intend to work get financial aid? That adds to the problems since it is all about placement and repaying loans. If people want to learn massage for home or hobby use, why not offer courses to the public like couples massage? Perhaps avocational and continuing education courses will address your problems, meet the needs of your community, keep you in compliance, and create a new revenue stream. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
The best way to place students in the allied health field with an externship is to ideally have them convert at the site from extern to hire. If you have an experienced externship coordinator who is rated on conversions, things run much more smoothly
Kelly ,
We also totally believe in the value of externships. For the student to get the job at the end of the time period, both the student and the site supervisor have to be super prepared. The student must show excellence in course work and be trained on how to behave in the world of work. There needs to be lots of oversight and accountability. The supervisors need to know how to guide and measure progress. Externships can be answers to so many challenges. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
We are a school that offers "careers" that require licensure in the field in which they will be employed. One issue that we always have is "money", meaning graduates state that they cane not apply for test and/or licensure because of the lack of funds. As a result, they cannot work in the field. Recently, we have included testing and licensure fees in tuition costs, and we send checks to testing and licensing organizations on students' behalfs. It is in the initial staes, but we are hopeful that this will help to increase our placement rates.
PARIS,
This is a common problem with programs that require license tests. Here are a few solutions:
Include the license application fee within the tuition and pay for the student. It sounds like you have started that. How is it working?
Start career planning at the time of admissions to create a job-focused awareness.
Require that the student take test prep courses and apply for the test before they graduate or before they get a certificate of completion.
Require career planning and test prep workshops throughout the course of training.
Put plans in place, measure results, ask students what will work for them, make changes. You will figure out what works. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
The motivation must start at the beginning in the Admissions Representatives office. Admissions must identify the needs and wants of the applicant and show them the tools they will need to be successful including but not limited to actively looking for externships that will hire them. The Student can't rely solely on Career Services, they must be assertive and take control.
Hiram,
We also agree that the goal of seeking a job starts with the admissions interview and promotional materials. This often means that Career Services staff has to coach admissions people and provide useful information about the job market. Educators need to keep admissions up to date about the course work and how it is used on the job. Externships are great and ideally student externs treat it as an extended job interview. It is true that students must take control but we believe that everyone at the school has to provide the ongoing push. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
