Introduction

Why participate in programs that prepare young people for work? Employers cite the following as benefits for engaging in programs that prepare youth for work:

1. Creating pipelines of qualified and job-ready employees. Pipelines created from engaging in these programs can help shield businesses against an impending labor shortage and fill hard-to-fill jobs with qualified employees. This can also help reduce the cost of recruitment, screening, selecting, and training new workers.
2. Opportunities to try out young workers prior to hiring. This is particularly important in industries with large entry-level hiring needs and with employers concerned about the high cost of turnover.
3. Creating a better prepared workforce. Employers who engage in these activities can positively influence work ethics and help create the kind of employees they want.
4. Happier and more loyal employees. Employers find, and research supports, that involvement in school/business partnerships raises the morale of staff.
5. Gaining positive public relations exposure. All Employers are interested in good public relations, especially employers rooted in communities, such as utilities, hospitals, and local telecommunications companies.
6. Fostering good will toward their business. Supporting the community is good business.
7. Opportunities to further diversify their workforce. Employers often seek ways to have their workplace better represent their customer base and the community at large.

Questions

• Question 1: What are "work readiness" skills?
• Question 2: What activities can employers engage in to provide work readiness opportunities for youth?
• Question 3: How do I get involved at the national level with work readiness programs for youth?
• Question 4: What are other employers doing to help youth, including those with disabilities, prepare for the world of work?

1. What are "work-readines" skills?

Work readiness opportunities and experiences assist youth in developing a core of essential skills, attitudes, and capacities they will need to succeed as employees in the working world. Some of these include:

• Teamwork - Ability to work cooperatively with others to achieve a goal.
• Communication - Ability to relay thoughts and ideas clearly, both verbally and in writing.
• Higher-order thinking - Ability to engage in creative problem solving, critical thinking, and goal setting.
• Self-management skills - Ability to manage time and follow through on work without supervision.
• Customer service awareness - Ability to put customers first and respond to complaints in a tactful and timely manner.
• Social/business etiquette - Ability to dress and socialize in a manner appropriate to a specific work environment or situation.
• Leadership - Ability to guide and support others, and seek guidance and support from others to pursue goals.
• Computer literacy - Ability to use computer technology to communicate and learn effectively

2. What activities can employers engage in to provide work readiness opportunities for youth?

Employers can make a real difference in the lives of today's students and tomorrow's workforce. Local schools and educational systems know the benefits of partnering with businesses and connecting school learning to success in the world of work. Schools continuously seek business professionals to interact with students and faculty. By partnering with schools, businesses can expose youth to various career paths, teach essential work readiness skills, and help youth understand the educational requirements and work environments related to specific occupations.

Opportunities for employers to get involved Career fairs Career exploration days Career speaker Conducting mock interviews Curriculum development assistance Guest lecturers Guest readers In-services for students & teachers Internships Job shadowing opportunities Junior Achievement classes Membership on boards Mentoring Partnering with career and technical education programs Providing service learning Providing technology expertise Serving as an expert in residence Providing tours of business sites Speaking at schools and career fairs Tutoring Youth leadership conferences Youth service days

3. How do I get involved at the national level with work readiness programs for youth?

Contact your industry association or other employer networks. Working jointly with industry associations and other employer networks is a very effective way to have large-scale impact on youth preparedness for work. Many of these associations, like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (http://www.uschamber.org) support and facilitate quality career awareness experiences that assist youth in preparing for work. Many associations track industry changes in skill requirements for key careers.

The National Skill Standards Board (NSSB): http://www.nssb.org, provides a good overview of industry efforts to develop a common framework for sharing information about skill requirements between industry and education and training providers. NSSB also provides a clearinghouse of specialty industry organizations that manage skill certification programs.

4. What are other employers doing to help youth, including those with disabilities, prepare for the world of work?

The Kemtah Group, Inc., which provides Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure Support Solutions to companies throughout North America, has consistently created opportunities for youth with disabilities. They believe that private sector involvement at an early stage in the career planning and transition process is essential for helping youth gain a realistic view of the workplace and work expectations. Over the last three years, Kemtah has hired five youth with disabilities for summer employment positions in computer-related fields. Kemtah has also had great success with an A+ certification preparation program geared towards high school students. This six-week course provides students, including those with disabilities, a point of entry into the IT field. Learning focuses on exposure to basic software and hardware components and IT theory, as well as providing hands on experience in diagnosing and repairing personal computers. In implementing this training program, Kemtah has found that limiting enrollment to 10 youth has allowed instructors to engage in more individual instruction and has contributed to the success of the program. By participating in these programs, youth get exposure to the real world of work and are prepared for success at Kemtah and/or other IT jobsites. .

The NASA Kennedy Space Center began offering internships for youth with disabilities through the High School/High Tech (HS/HT) program in 1995. It partnered with the Space Coast Center for Independent Living (SCCIL) to help manage the program and recruit applicants from local high schools. It also provides skill building workshops to prepare students for successful internship experiences. The screening process is done jointly between NASA and SCCIL. Interns are matched with mentors who provide support and guidance to help set clear expectations. A total of 56 students with disabilities have completed the program. NASA is pleased with the outcome of this program that has both created a unique learning opportunity for students and ensured quality interns for NASA. .

Microsoft Corporation has several initiatives focused on preparing youth and youth with disabilities for the world of work. These initiatives are aimed at promoting career opportunity awareness in youth with disabilities and establishing additional pipelines for future employee candidates. Several business-education partnerships are key to the success of these programs. Partners include local special education teachers, the California State Governor's Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities, and the University of Washington's DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) program http://www.washington.edu/doit/. Microsoft has engaged in internships, job shadowing, career days, youth service days, corporate campus visits, and a summer technology camp featuring a panel of employees with disabilities who share their experience of being an employee with a disability.

SunTrust Bank got involved with the Business Leadership Network http://www.usbln.com in 1998 and began actively identifying positions that they were having trouble filling, usually part-time or temporary jobs, where there was a real business need. These positions were targeted as opportunities for non-traditional workforce, including seniors, high school students, welfare-to-work participants, refugees, and people with disabilities. They worked with the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services and other organizations and schools and created pipelines to provide SunTrust with a steady stream of qualified individuals with disabilities who were eager to work and willing to take jobs that were less than 40 hours a week. In the end approximately 80% of those hired and trained through this program went on to regular full-time employment. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recognized this program with its 2000 Innovative Practice Award.

Resources

The Business Leadership Network (BLN)
http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/business.htm
The BLN is a national program led by employers in concert with state Governor's Committees and/or other community agencies that engages the leadership and participation of companies throughout the United States to hire qualified job candidates with disabilities.

The Job Accommodation Network
http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/
JAN is a free service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. JAN offers many free resources specifically for employers, including: consulting services by phone or email to employers to provide individualized information about job accommodations, issues involving the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the employability of people with disabilities, searchable online accommodation resources, and numerous publications.

JobBank USA
http://www.jobbankusa.com/indassoc/mainindex.html
JobBank USA provides a comprehensive index of industry associations categorized by industry (e.g., sales and marketing, manufacturing, finance) along with help writing a resume, cover letter and preparing for an interview.

Workforce Tool Kit: The Resource for Employers (2001), U.S. Department of Labor
http://www.doleta.gov/whatsnew/insidebind.pdf (PDF)
This resource provides a comprehensive guide to the services available, at little or no cost, through America's Workforce Network (AWN) to help prepare your workforce to meet the challenges of the 21st Century's global economy. The AWN is the nationwide partnership of workforce development organizations that provide a full range of information and services to help employers find skilled workers and help individuals manage career transitions.

WORKPlus: Developing Skills for Young Entry-level Workers
http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/publications.asp?search_id=5
Public/Private Ventures (P/PV) (with the help of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory in Portland, Oregon) developed WORKPlus to provide materials that help young people and others new to the workforce to use their early work experiences to acquire transferable skills for future job success, and to provide supervisors with the skills to effectively guide and support entry-level workers.

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
http://www.shrm.org
SHRM's Student Program was created in 1965 to promote mutually beneficial interactions between students and practitioners. SHRM serves the needs of the human resource management professional by providing the most essential and comprehensive set of resources available.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
http://www.nam.org
NAM's Center for Workforce Success, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Technology Policy, has designed "GetTech" [www.GetTech.org] to encourage youth to prepare for jobs of tomorrow. GetTech's website is a highly interactive source of opportunities for manufacturing and technology careers.

The National Retail Federation (NRF)
http://www.nrf.com
NRF's research and educational foundation, the National Retail Institute (NRI) has been awarded a grant from the NSSB and the U.S. DOL to develop and implement a system of skill standards for the nations sales and service industries. These skill standards will provide workers and employers with specific skills for specific occupations, thus promoting appropriate job matches, and identifying and filling gaps between demand and availability.

The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA)
http:/www.itaa.org
The ITTA the trade association representing the IT industry in the US. One goal of ITTA is to increase the employment of individuals with disabilities in IT-related positions to grow and strengthen the pipeline of available IT talent.