We conduct weekly employer visits in the community. We ask employers who personify the professionalism and experience that our graduates will identify with in their future careers. We ask different employers when conducting our visits and invite them to the college to speak with the students.
HI James, Really amazing that your PAC attendance has increased. Once a week meetings usually does create burnout. Can you tell us more about your meetings, how long they are, what your expectations are, and basically what keeps the participants coming back. Thanks, Susan
Great point!! It can be very difficult to hold a successfull Program Advisory Committee meeting. Schedules often conflict and burnout can also be a factor. Joining your local Chamber of Commerce is a great start. Externship sites as well as recent employers are a great place to try as well. We have recently scheduled PAC meetings once a week over a six week period to try to reduce any scheduling conflicts that may occur.
It can increase your workload a little however we have had a 50% increse it our PAC attendance.
You are so right, Andrew. A key job of the career department is to build relationships with employers - those employers who already know about your school and those who don't. Then ask for their assistance and ideas. You'll be surprised how available they are to help out with everything from curriculum, equipment revie, scholarships, job workshops, mentoring, and more. Thanks, Susan
We teach medical programs, which are in demand. The hospitals and long term health care facilites typically have HR Departments that are more than willing to come to a job fair at the school, or speak to the student body. This is an excellent way for them to recruit and for the school to place students. It is a win win situation.
There is also a lot of relationship building that goes on in Placement. A part of Placement is community outreach. The Placement Director needs to understand sales, and must be able to sell the positives about the school and its graduates. This will help draw the potential employers into your school.
Interesting Ron. You get people from the field to buy into assisting you and the students by reminding them that they will benefit. We really believe in on-going involvement with people in the industry - particularly employers and grads who are successful on the job. This makes the work experience very real for the student and helps to take the fear out of looking for a job. Best wishes, Susan
We normally ask the senior instructor for each program offered to present the information related to a particular field. Program coordinators, externship coordinators and school directors are also utilized.
Since our programs are medically based, we ask that a representative from our externship sites come in as a guest speaker. We also have guest speakers from employment agencies and fashion backgrounds present how the student should dress for their interviews.
Our approach to these people is quite the same as our advisory board members. We attempt to enlighten them on how their direct involvement could have a positive change on future employment candidates.
Hi Kate
You bring up a good point about those graduates who don't plan to seek a job but rather work on their own, set up their own business, or work freelance. This applies to many professions in addition to massage therapy. So perhaps schools should plan on employment training that includes entrepreneur skills, how to set up your own business, marketing, planning, budgeting, and more. And bring in grads who have been successful in working on their own. Also it will be necessary to structure grad surveys that include questions about working on ones own.Best wishes, Susan
Where to start?
As our school's sole offering is a 720 hour massage therapy master program, the obvious pool of employer presenters would be owner/operators and HR directors of spas, massage clinics, chiropratic offices, various medical sites (hospitals, out-pt centers, medical spas, etc.).
It might also be a good idea to include the school's director as his preference is to hire graduates who possess the requisite skill sets for specific jobs (i.e., Teaching Assistants, front desk, admin positions, etc.).
As out state does not yet have statewide licensure for massage therapists, it will be necessary to capture the pertinent information governing licensing in the specific locales relative to our students. It will also be necessary to bring in officials who can address the issues relating to students who wish to become independent contractors.
I also feel the need to be creative regarding the needs of those students who won't want the usual career path. Therefore, keeping in touch with local and national member organizations, publishers of industry journals, etc.
For broader topics I would like to include a representative of the local Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau.
Kate T.
Hi Fiona and Suzanne
Please share with all of us. Tell us what works and doesn't work. How would like to see it designed more effectively. What information does it collect and provide? Thanks, Susan
Hi Suzanne;
I am currently working on setting up our placement department, and we do have a placement database but it's not quite extensive, would you be able to let me know what software you are using?
Hi Dorothy
Really great points. There is more to developing emplyoment skills than learning to write resumes. Building a personal work ethic is important. Also learning life skills helps to increase success on any job.
Best wishes
Susan
Employer presentations are a vry effective tool in the classroom. Employers can say the same thing as the instructor, however hearing it from another in the filed only serves to reinforce the message.I have found the school Advisory Board a great source of information and help. Also, look outside the box for presentations. Sometimes sessions on financial planning,business planning, handling and developing a solid credit rating are also topics (soft skills) that go a long way to interest students. Sometimes overcoming obstacles, time management and other road blocks which students face prevent a good placement from becoming a career placement.
I can't divulge too much information because we have a contract with them, but just do an internet search for STARS database management and you'll find it. We all use it in differnert ways - they have sales contact managements, account management, student files, grading, etc. so we all use it in different capacities and there are restricted areas so not everyone has access to all areas.
HI Amy
Great to stay in touch with employers. Suggest when you survey them to ask how prepared the grad was for the workplace, what other courses should be included, etc. Lots of benefits to both employers and the school when you keep in contact. You might even start contacting them within 20-30 days of the grad's employment.
Best wishes
Susan
HI Amy
Sounds like a great database management system. Can you provide more details so we can review it. Also, perhaps you can share more how everyone on staff uses it.
Thanks
Susan
Oh, another thing we do is interview the employers 60 and 90 days after the student has been hired. It's much easier to get them to commit to be a speaker or having any kind of role in your school because they are at the point of feeling like you did them a favor by sending them a good employee. It seems to work well for us.
We're using STARS - it's awesome! You can customize it for your program so that there is plenty of space for student notes. We require all administration to put notes in the database any time they have any contact with a student. The notes say what time they met, what was discuss and what the action items were. That way at any time, those with access to the database, can review what contact administration has had with a student and what the outcome of their meeting was.
Hi Marlene
Great idea to ask office managers from various industries to come to your school and give presentations. My guess is that these office managers may be responsible for hiring. They also have a good overview of the jobs in the company. Great idea to share.
Best wishes
Susan
Ihave found that office manager's are very interested in talking with the students. I have had many representatives from the different courses we offer come in and speak with the students.
