Transcript Career Connections 1

MCESA Re-Engaging Disconnected Youth Summit II
Breakout Pathway 3:
Career Connections
“Developing and Implementing Workforce Programs
for Disconnected Youth”
Laura Tate-McHugh
Director of Program Strategy and Integration
Philadelphia Youth Network
Career Connections
 Disconnected youth face challenges and encounter barriers
to career attainment and career readiness.
 All sectors must work collaboratively to build systems and
partnerships that will enhance the career prospects of
disconnected youth.
 All sectors of society must collectively create systems and
approaches to help support our youth through this process.
Career Connections Sub-Topics
DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING WORKFORCE PROGRAMS FOR
DISCONNECTED YOUTH
• Laura Tate McHugh; Director of Program Strategy & Integration, Philadelphia
Youth Network
ALIGNING, INTEGRATING, AND RE-DESIGNING WORKFORCE CONNECTION
PROCESSES & SYSTEMS
• Patricia Wallace; Assistant Director for Maricopa Workforce Development
WORKFORCE PREPARATION THROUGH COMPETENCY BASED LEARNING
• Brianna Bendotti; Maricopa Corporate College, Vice President of Workforce
Solutions
• Ron Stefanski: Chief Business Development Officer, ed2go, Cengage Learning
• Dr. Eugene Giovannini: President of Maricopa Corporate College
CREATING RELEVANT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES BY ENGAGING BUSINESSES
• Caroline VanIngen-Dunn; Science Foundation Arizona Program Manager, STEM
Pathways
WorkReady Philadelphia
Philadelphia’s cross-sector
partnership dedicated to
improving the economic
outcomes of the region's
youth by attracting, aligning
and investing resources in
youth workforcedevelopment strategies.
Governing Structure
• Philadelphia Council for College Access and Success
• Philadelphia Works Board
• Public and Private-Sector Investments
- Government
- Local and national philanthropies
- Greater Philadelphia employers
WorkReady Philadelphia
 Year-round and summer programming
 Career exposure and preparation opportunities
 Skills mastery
Historical Perspective
 Decreased Federal Finding
• School-to-Work Opportunities Act
 Strong desire to sustain progress achieved under school-tocareer initiative
 Clear need for one entity that could serve multiple functions
 Launched in 2003
 Coordinated, city-wide portfolio of summer and year-round
programs
 Blended-funding to maximize resources
Notable Successes: 2003-2013
88,000+ youth experiences
9,000+ work experiences
supported by the business sector
($15M)
130+ organizations supported
in delivering high-quality,
workforce preparation
programming to youth
WorkReady Philadelphia
 Youth understanding and mastery of skills needed to be
successful in a 21st-century economy
 Academic enrichment
 Awareness of postsecondary options
Learning  High School Completion 
Work Experience  College and Career Readiness
WorkReady Program Models




E3 Power Centers
Occupational Skills Training
GED-to-College
WorkReady Summer
E3 Power Centers
Holistic approach to preparing out-of-school youth and
youth returning from juvenile placement to achieve:
 Long-term educational, career and personal goals
 Self-sufficiency
Provides supports along three interrelated pathways:
Education, Employment and Empowerment
E3 Power Center Educational Pathway
Broad array of educational services that support
youth at varying academic levels including:
 Low-literacy supports
 GED-prep classes
 Post-secondary access and planning
E3 Power Center Employment Pathway
Intensive work-readiness programming prepares
participants at varying academic levels for unsubsidized
employment.





Job-readiness training
Subsidized internships
Community-service opportunities
Service-learning opportunities
Job search assistance
E3 Center Outcomes




Increased literacy and numeracy skills
21st century and work-readiness skills development
Attainment of a GED or High School Diploma
Post-secondary placement
Occupational Skills Training
Training model that offers opportunities for technical-skill
development in targeted industries specifically for
disconnected, out-of-school, over-aged youth (ages 17-21)
who lack a credential.
 Contextualized academic and vocational training in highgrowth industries
 Employer-recognized credentials
 Experiential and industry-informed
Occupational Skills Training
Wrap-around services that foster participant success in
attaining:
 Industry-recognized credential
 Employment and/or access to an advanced
occupational-skills training or other highereducation institution
Occupational Skills Training Outcomes
 Increased literacy and numeracy skills
 21st century and work-readiness skills acquisition
 Attainment of secondary and industry-specific
credentials
 Post-secondary placement
GED-to-College
The GED-to-College program:
 Creates a pathway for disconnected youth to
earn a secondary credential
 Supports them through access to and
persistence in college
 Targets out-of-school youth ages 17-24 who:
•
•
lack a secondary credential
test at or above the 7th grade level in literacy and
numeracy
GED-to-College
Focuses on connecting pre-GED programming to post-GED
success in college by exposing out-of-school youth to the
following:
 Academic, professional and social-development activities
 Transition support to post-secondary education and/or
employment
 On-going support to advocate and navigate the social,
financial, academic, and bureaucratic challenges
encountered once matriculated
GED-to-College Outcomes
 Increased basic skills
 Attainment of GED as their secondary credential
 Successful enrollment in college as their preferred
post-secondary placement
WorkReady Summer
 Educationally-enriched work
opportunities to in-school and out
of school youth ages 14-21.
 Six-week (120 hour), paid work
experience that fosters the
acquisition of the 21st Century skills
through work-based learning.
Learning  High School Completion 
Work Experience  College and Career Readiness
WorkReady Summer Components
Service Learning
Teaching and learning strategy in which youth address
real-world issues relevant to their community.
Work Experience
Intended for youth with limited or no work experience.
Internships
Offer employment and career-exposure opportunities for youth with
prior work experience and a basic understanding of workplace
competencies.
System-Level Best Practices of the
WorkReady Model
Best Practice 1:
Cross-Sector Collaborative Lead by a Strong
Backbone Organization system
Separate organization(s) with staff and a specific set of skills to:
• Serve as the backbone for the entire initiative
• Coordinate participating organizations and agencies
System-Level Best Practices of the
WorkReady Model
Best Practice 2:
Developing Key Connections






City-wide, cross-sector partnership
Businesses
Philanthropies
Government
Non-Profits
Private Sector
System-Level Best Practices
Best Practice 3:
Capitalizing on a Diverse Funding Portfolio system
$12(M) WIA/TANF-YD +
$16(M) Leveraged
Resources
9500+
Opportunities
Experiences
System-Level Best Practices of the
WorkReady Model
Best Practice 4:
Promoting Career Connections through
Contextualized Learning Opportunities
 Contextualized work experiences
System-Level Best Practices of the
WorkReady Model
Best Practice 5:
Utilizing Technology to Enhance the System

Better maximization and allocation of resources

Increased efficacy

User-friendly learning opportunities
• Debit cards
• Online applications
Program-Level Best Practices of the
WorkReady Model
Best Practice 1:
Building Capacity in Youth Workforce Development
 Training Opportunities for Providers
 Includes Professional Development in:
• Program-implementation
• Program-enhancement workshops
• Peer-teaching opportunities
Program-Level Best Practices of the
WorkReady Model
Best Practice 2:
Measuring Attainment through 21st Century Skills
Assessment







Creativity and Innovation
Critical Thinking
Communication
Collaboration and Teamwork
Initiative & Self-Direction
Productivity & Accountability
Flexibility & Adaptability
Program-Level Best Practices of the
WorkReady Model
Best Practice 3:
Adaption and Individualization of Program Services
 Youth Case Management
 Wrap-Around Services
Program-Level Best Practices of the
WorkReady Model
Best Practice 4:
Promoting a Post-Secondary Culture and Support
for Transitional Planning
Industry specific work experiences

Credential or job placement
Program-Level Best Practices of the
WorkReady Model
Best Practice 5:
Intentional Celebration and Recognition of Youth
Success
 E3 Graduation
 WorkReady Summer Expo
 Awards Ceremony
Opportunities for Implementation,
Replication and/or Expansion
 Building better connections between workforce and academics
through contextualized/project-based learning strategies
 Capitalizing on employers desire – and need – for a 21st Century
skilled workforce
 Partnerships with public agencies serving the same youth –
blending of funds with Family Court, DHS, etc.
 Increased support at the federal level for “special populations”
Challenges of Implementation,
Replication and/or Expansion
 Youth-level barriers to employment
• Criminal records, low educational functional levels,
transportation, child care, etc.
 System-level sustainability
• Remaining flexible to changing employment trends and specific
needs of employers
• Building and sustaining relationships with new employer
partners
• Identifying pipelines to family-sustaining wages
Other Ideas for Implementation,
Replication or Expansion
 Capitalize on existing programs and strategies –
employer-based training programs, etc.
 Be flexible and willing to target services to specific
populations
 “Sell” your program to partner agencies who may need
support or have access to funding for services
 Tell the story! Be prepared to talk about your impact
 Do not exclude education!
Other Ideas for Implementation,
Replication or Expansion
 Single point of entry for private-sector investment in the
system
 Staff dedicated to employer engagement and
relationship management across the system
• (e.g., Business-Partnership Unit)
 Centralized Operations
•
•
•
•
•
Single point of entry for all youth via an on-line application
Employing a uniform enrollment processes for all youth
Utilizing a uniform worksite screening process
Maintaining a central database (PYNDEX)
Providing a centralized payroll service for all youth across the
system
Survey Links and Shared Results Page Links
Career Connections Survey
http://tinyurl.com/careerconn
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CareerConnectionz
(Use this one in case the tiny URL does not work)
Career Connections Shared Results
http://tinyurl.com/cconnresults
https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-TZKQSNYL/
(Use this one in case the tiny URL does not work)