Our placement department comes into classrooms during the students first term so students are aware of their activities from the beginning. Our placement department could utilize our website and facebook more to advertise available jobs.
We have a pretty good placement dept. I would like to see more involvement with teachers, spotting the trouble signs with students and acting on them to help that struggling student using patience and understanding. We were all young once and went through alot of the same things.
Our placement department works with students from orientation thru graduation. We invite employers from the automotive industry to come on campus to interview students. This happens several times a year.Often we have over 30 companies on hand for these events. This has a positive effect on student retention because it shows the student many times over, how much the industry needs them.
They have pre enrolement screening and qualifying exercises to assess the students pioritys and goals,once enroled they follow up with meetings and confrences that continue untill graduation. The insturctor also helps in this process with a IN CLASS Goals and achevement session- This really gets the students pumped up to perform well enough to qualify for the placement of there dreams, whatever case that may be.
Perfect. This will help students to stick.
Dr. B
check points and meeting with the students during the training
Our Career Advisor is introduced to students during the admissions process. She also explains her role to students and support people at Orientation as well as share success stories and recent placement activity. We reassure students that the career advising department is accessible throughout their enrollment. She participates and often instructs our Job Communications course in which students complete resumes, participate in video taped mock interviews, and learn interviewing and job search skills. One thing that I would like to improve on is the activity and interaction the placement department has with students early on in their training by sharing job openings, employer visits, and placement activity.
During the first week of school our students recieve career development training class number one. They are introduced to the people in that department and encouraged to visit the office. At the half way mark they recieve career developement training class number 2. A resume fact finding worksheet is distributed to each student and they are given more detailed information. Six weeks prior to graduation students begin working with an advisor.
Perfect... this should help with your retention strategy. I love it!
Dr. B
Good. Link concepts to future jobs. Just what needs to be done.
Dr. B
At my school my placement department holds a “Career Success†presentation once a month, where students come to school dressed as if attending an job interview. The presenter covers real success stories, professionalism, how to and what not to say, open Q&A, etc….
We work very hard to have good clinical experiences for our students. This means they receive a quality clinical education and are not viewed as "free help" in the medial office. I have often found too, that a good match up between student and clinical site often means a job offer for the student following graduation.
We need to start making student aware of the type they will have preform from the very first day and to make the hands on labs closer to the type of jobs they would have to preform on the job.
We have grads who are currently working come in and talk about their experiences after graduation.
They try to moniter attendance, grades and employment. They have shown improvement over the last two years.
We do mock interviews with the students towards the last half of the program. This interview is usually held by someone other than the instructors or program director because it helps to make it feel more "real" for the student.
Excellent. This is exactly what needs to be done. You get it!
Dr. B
I believe we have alot of opportunity for improvement in our placement department. In the past, the Director and the staff he hired were not student focused, they were number focused. They had forgotten that the good customer service provided to the students create the numbers.
We have a different director now and she is hiring more positive people. We are in a transition at this time. I think the positive energy in the department will translate into positive student and community interactions.
I am hoping to see meaningful Career Services Days every module. Not just 20 minutes of talking about making up a resume in a flat, bored tone and then leaving. Perhaps talking more about professional dress, interview skills with mock interviews and applications and also skills on how to get a long in a multicultural office. Also, what it takes to keep that hard won job (soft skills) would be of great benefit to the students too.
I am very hopeful that we will see a very different placement deaprtment this year with the changes.
If a student is absent they are contacted by there instructor and student services.
Our Career Services coordinators come into our classes once every month. Each month they present different aspects of the job search. This starts in the students first month and continues to the end of their training. This allows our students to become familiar and comfortable with the coordinators who will be placing them on externships and assisting them with employment opportunities. Additionally, it allows the coordinators to build a rapport with the students. Instructors also attend these presentations which in turn allow them to reinforce and build upon the material presented.
Career Services also holds Career Fairs on campus and all current students as well as graduates are encouraged to attend. Adults are motivated by the end result. Schools must be able to satisfy the students need to know “what’s in it for me?†Exposing students and graduates to employers and career opportunities keeps the vision of why they have worked so hard in front of them. Meeting potential employers makes it real.
Participating in this CEE module reminded me that we have gotten away from having graduates to come in and speak with the classes. This is a practice that I will re-implement as it did have a very positive impact on the students and student retention. Thanks for the reminder!
