Career Connections Video Profiles

The Heldrich Center, with support from Verizon New Jersey, interviewed nine professionals in different industries and occupations -- and let them tell their own story. How did they get to where they are? What is the most important thing they need to know to be good at their job? What challenges did they face in getting there? How did they overcome them? Could someone you know -- or something you are doing right now -- be the thing that changes your life? The following professions are highlighted: Apprentice Engineer Technician Audio-Visual ManagerCommunicationsDirectorConference Services Director Executive ChefInformation Technology DirectorInstructional Technology SpecialistPolicy FellowTrauma Nurse Also available are questions for teachers to pose to their students in a classroom setting.

Closing the Talent Gap: A Business Perspective--What Florida Needs from its Talent Supply Chain

Formed in 1961, the Florida Council of 100 is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of business leaders, which exists to promote the economic growth of Florida and improve the economic well-being and quality of life of its citizenry. This report, Closing the Talent Gap, is predicated on the fact that continued enhancement and development of Florida’s talent is the leading determinant of the state’s ability to build a vibrant and innovative economy. Thus, this research is directed toward identifying the key factors for investing public dollars in each stage of the education delivery process in order to deliver the highest dividend to Florida’s students and economy. The report was commissioned by the Florida Council of 100, in partnership with the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

(Recording) Youth Entrepreneurship as a Tool in the Workforce Development Kit

YouthBuild 2010 Series Greening Your YouthBuild

Highlights of effective green career, education and construction practices for YouthBuild programs.

(Presentation Slides Zip File) YouthBuild 2010 Webinar Series: Your YouthBuild’s Community of Practice

The YouthBuild Community of Practice is a web-based electronic resource which represents a peer-to-peer portal for the U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) YouthBuild grantees to share resources, information, experiences, and lessons learned.

Heldrich Center Releases Study on STEM Transitions

The John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University recently released a comprehensive analysis of American students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) transitioning from high school to the labor force. Steady as She Goes? Three Generations of Students through the Science and Engineering Pipeline examines 30 years of data on the STEM workforce.

NGA Paper on Measuring Student Achievement at Postsecondary Institutions

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices has released a paper aimed at helping states assess the performance of their universities, community colleges and other two- and four-year postsecondary institutions. Measuring Student Achievement at Postsecondary Institutions offers a formula for measuring system wide student achievement, a critical factor in assessing postsecondary school performance. According to the brief, student milestones that should be tracked include successful completion of remedial and core courses; advancement from remedial to credit-bearing courses; transfer from a two-year institution to a four-year institution; and credential attainment.

California Promotes Construction Trade Apprenticeships

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has launched the “I Build It-Youth” campaign to begin training California’s future skilled workforce. The campaign aims to promote careers in the construction trades to junior and senior high school students through apprenticeship opportunities. As part of the “I Built It-Youth” Campaign, a dynamic and engaging video featuring apprentices working in the field and highlighting the benefits of participating in an apprenticeship program will be distributed to counselors, teachers and educators through junior and senior high schools and youth organizations across the state. The video is available at: www.IBuiltIt.org.

Central Texas Student Futures Project

The Central Texas Student Futures Project is a research partnership of the Ray Marshall Center at the University of Texas and a growing number of Central Texas independent school districts (ISDs). The Project seeks to provide ISDs, postsecondary institutions, and employers with comprehensive, longitudinal research on what high school students are doing after graduation; why they are making these decisions; and how a variety of educational, personal, and financial factors are related to their success in higher education and in the workforce. The Project also offers workshops, seminars, and applied research on best practices and applied research that assist ISDs, Texas’ Regional Education Service Centers, and postsecondary institutions in increasing the number of regional youth who obtain postsecondary academic and workforce credentials. Related Resources:Leveraging Postsecondary Partners to Build a College-Going Culture: Tools for High School-Postsecondary PartnershipsInside Higher Ed College Counselors for AllPartners in Career ExplorationThe Economic and Workforce Case for Regional Career Academy Strategies

Award-Winning City of Long Beach Youth-Driven Career Center Program

The National League of Cities (NLC) recently recognized the City of Long Beach’s Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network with a Gold Award for Municipal Excellence. Long Beach earned the award for Creating a Youth-Driven Career Center program. The Creating a Youth-Driven Career Center program is a reinvention of the Network’s youth service strategies, which focuses on providing opportunities to engage youth in the design and creation of physical spaces, outreach messages, collateral materials, actual products, key policy-making, and critical community connections. Related Resource: Finance Project’s Clearinghouse for on Expanding and Sustaining Youth Programs and Policieshttp://www.servicelearning.org/etrcncs-link/?popup_id=1685

New Resource for Youth Programs: findyouthinfo.gov

This Web site was created by the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP), which is composed of representatives from 12 Federal agencies that support youth programs. The site provides interactive tools and other resources to help youth-serving organizations and community partnerships plan, implement, and participate in effective programs for youth. Included are youth facts, funding information, and tools to help you assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs, and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth-related news.

2009 Excellence in Tech-Based Economic Development Award Winners

The State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) recently announced the winners of its 2009 Excellence in Tech-Based Economic Development (TBED) Award. The award recognizes outstanding achievements in TBED emphasizing impact, strategic value, and replicability.

New Publication on Career Pathway Models and Programs

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW) and the National Career Pathways Network (NCPN) have released a joint publication, Thriving in Challenging Times: Connecting Education to Economic Development Through Career Pathways. This resource highlights successful career pathway models that create relevant, challenging learning environments for students and are designed to increase American employers' access to highly-skilled, qualified workers. Thriving in Challenging Times profiles 17 local and two statewide career pathways programs in multiple industry sectors, documenting the challenges, strategies, results, and business engagement each partnership has experienced.

Iowa Leverages Social Networking Media to Launch Career Hub

The Iowa Coalition for Innovation and Growth has launched the Iowa Career Hub on the Facebook social networking platform. The Iowa Career Hub is designed to raise awareness about career pathways and related academic opportunities among Iowans of all ages. Through the Career Hub, Iowans can access organizations in both the public and private sectors to learn more about career opportunities and planning.

New STEM Collaborative Launched in Colorado

Secondary and post-secondary education partners in Colorado have teamed to launch the Colorado Academy for the Development of STEM-related Careers (Colorado ADSC). The Colorado ADSC alliance seeks to position the state as a leader in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education, from kindergarten to the post-secondary graduate studies level, and to ready students for entry into high-growth, STEM-related industries and sectors. The collaborative will offer students training, multi-level certifications and degrees, and job placement assistance. Other related resource: TEN 23-07: Building and Sustaining an Educated and Prepared STEM Workforce

NYSDOL Awards Grants to Connect Emerging and Transitional Workers to In-Demand Careers

The New York State Department of Labor has announced the award of more than $2 million in stimulus funding for a new Emerging and Transitional Worker Grant program. The grants, awarded in the Finger Lakes and Central New York regions, are part of a larger, $15 million statewide stimulus investment to give those with little or no connection to the workforce the skills necessary to successfully obtain employment and advance in their careers.

(Presentation Slides Zip File) Anticipating and Responding to a Pandemic Influenza – One Stop Career Centers have a Role to Play

In the years since September 11, 2001, and concerns over the expected Avian Pandemic Influenza, the U.S. Department of Labor, like most Federal and State agencies, has focused increased attention on continuity of operations planning (COOP). In months since the Swine Flu (now designated the H1N1 Influenza) spread worldwide in a few days, news coverage and reports have been almost continuous. On July 9, 2009, leaders in President Barak Obama’s administration called on the nation to begin planning and preparing for the 2009 fall Flu Season and the Novel H1N1 virus. This Webinar will discuss the Employment Training Administration’s planning that in part relies on support from the workforce investment system, State Workforce Agencies, and the One-Stop Career Center system. Come learn about ETA’s preparation, readiness activities, and the roles the Workforce Investment System may be asked to play to assist in the nation's response to this serious threat. You will have an opportunity to identify your agency’s designated COOP or Emergency Preparedness lead that should be ETA’s primary contact in an emergency, disaster, or pandemic influenza recovery situation. For your reference: Please click (Handout 1) under the Related Resources section to the right, and download a powerpoint presentation titled "ETA All Hands PanFlu Briefing August 17th, 2009: Pandemic Influenza: Workplace Risks & Prevention".

MetroDenverCareers.com Launches As Resource for Career Information

The Metro Denver WIRED Initiative has created MetroDenverCareers.com, a place for students, job seekers, educators and business professionals to learn about and access career resources for some of the region's fastest growing, high-wage, industries - aerospace, bioscience, energy, and information technology-software. MetroDenverCareers.com includes new career interest brochures that WIRED created in partnership with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. The four brochures contain descriptions and salaries of industry occupations, skills and education needed for each occupation and the places individuals can go to attain the needed skills and education.

(Presentation Slides Zip File) New to YouthBuild Series Part VI - Tools for Effective Program Operation

This presentation will provide information in setting up program systems to provide accurate and detailed outcome information is critical to DOL success and your program continuity. In this workshop, we will overlay deliverables with tools for tracking and capturing information. Some specific areas to be addressed include: student case files, goal plans, case notes, operational policies and documenting match and advantage. We will also look at what makes a great relationship with your FPO. Finally, what is technical assistance and how can a program access it.

The Dream Center and Coffee House Kern County’s Foster Youth

One of the most difficult populations to serve is foster youth. The Kern County Network for Children, a collaborative of human service providers created the Kern County Dream Center and Coffee House in Kern County, California. The Center operates a full service Coffee Shop employing youth, and provides a variety of developmental services through Project Independence. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA)  issued Training and Employment Notice 18-05 in January 2006.  This TEN informs states and local areas about the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP) and how WIA youth programs can access its Education and Training Vouchers to assist foster care youth and those aging out of foster care complete post-secondary education and training.