Sherry,
You are not alone. With full classes and staff reductions, there is just not enough time or personnel to do everything that we would like to. I suggest getting together with the instructors on a regular basis, perhaps set up a weekly meeting. The instructors know their students and can be your eyes and ears to barriers and can share them and other insights that will help you work more effectively with the students. Establish a "total campus environment" where everyone plays a part in educating and placing the student.
Sheri Leach
Our career services departments hold "make the connection" sessions the include as initial assessment of student needs a barriers and well as several trainings to better prepare students for employment. The trainings are conduct throughout the student's life cycle, so the remain engaged throughout their entire program. It also creates improved relationships with the students and allows career services to be involved during challenges the student may encounter during their training.
Patricia G. Wilson,
What a great name for your sessions! Can you provide some specifics of how it is conducted?
Sheri Leach
My institution relies upon a service called Career Cruising where student-customers can have access to resume builders, job opportunities, etc; We do have different career interest inventories, but honestly we do not assess employability skills and barriers aside from the successful matriculation in one of our programs. Also, the instructor staff really does not have a "buy-in" to personalize interventions. We are an online school (nationally and regionally accredited), so this is an area we can show growth.
Our Career Services Department does meet with each student individually to understand the their specific needs and skills. They work with each student to overcome challenges in skills, knowledge, and confidence. This helps them to identify potential barriers and what is needed to overcome in order to be successful. This section of the course definitely helped me look to additional approaches we can take to be more proactive in utilizing interventions and individual attention.
Theodore,
Online programs have specific challenges. To reach students to assess their skills and barriers, you can try email campaigns, develop an activity/assignment to identify barriers and enlist the help of other instructors and staff members.
Sheri Leach
Jeremy ,
It is great that your institution is already addressing this issue. Can you share one of the best practices that you already have in place?
Sheri Leach
The career services dept. does not currently employ the practice of individual assessment of student employability and barriers - however I am excited to begin this process by implementing some of the tools outlined in this last section! The current student demographic will greatly benefit from these tools. I will also be partnering with our Library to dedicate a section for Career Services Resources and work with librarian to identify online resources as well as hands-on tools for students to self-assess at any time.
Susan,
Don't forget to let us know if you have any questions. Use the Career Lounge to ask questions and share your thoughts as you start to implement some of these processes.
Sheri Leach
Our Student Services department facilitates career-advising sessions for our students at the entry, half-way, and exit points in the program. While the philosophy behind these sessions are retention-based, they provide an opportunity for important goal-setting and career-mapping that readies the student for future mock interviews, resume-writing, and advising sessions with the Career Placement Coordinator when they begin their job search.
Darcee,
Another great way to continually have students thinking about employment related activities and skills while learning their technical skills. It is great that other departments are involved.
Sheri Leach
Developing an assessment tool is one of my take home messages from this section. The assessment is a missing piece in our current approach to placement. By implementing this step, we should be able to identify challenges and then develop plans in conjunction with the student to address obstacles prior to graduation and placement activities.
Erin,
An remember, you may have to adjust your assessment model until it becomes successful for your institution. Be patient and steadfast. good luck! And remember, you can ask questions or post ideas in the Lounge for interaction from other members.
Sheri Leach
One way our institution assesses student employability skills is through our Externship program. The students are evaluated at the mid way and again at the end of their externship. This allows CS and Academics to work together to correct any barriers the student may face.
In addition, all students are required to meet with CS at the half way point in the program. This meeting is a one-on-one way to determine any barriers to success the student may have. A road map is then detailed out for the student to take with them with an action plan to improve and or eliminate barriers.
