|
HOME
JOIN TODAY!
OFFICERS
EVENTS
NEXT MEETING
MOUNTAIN MAGIC NC SHRM STATE CONFERENCE
CHAPTER TOPICS:
PARENT ORGANIZATION:
|
Workforce Readiness
For
further information or suggestions on school-to-work, contact
Laura Misner, our Chapter's
Workforce Readiness Chair
Raleigh: (919) 835-2392
Toll-Free: (888) 234-6400
Asheville Phone:
(828) 712-9840
An exciting
piece of legislation was passed in 1994. The School-to-Work (STW)
Opportunities Act provides a strong foundation to enhance the promotion
of career awareness and job training opportunities. Community
partnerships comprised of interested persons from business, government
and education focus on preparing young people for today's career
demands. Efforts to link the relevance of education to the
workplace and to achieve skills development in our students, beginning
at the Kindergarten level, are capitalized upon by employers and our
students in high school and college.
YOU
can help; YOU
can benefit!
As a human
resource professional, you are important to achieving the
STW goals. You can help...for
example, you can provide employment skills training and shadowing
opportunities, you can be a speaker at schools or be part of
career-day events. You can invite a class or teacher to tour your
workplace. You can help judge competitive student organization events.
You can help! And you can benefit from
the skills of our students early on.
You directly benefit when students achieve at your place
of business through:
* Involvement
in the curriculum development process.
* An opportunity to provide community services.
* A pool of skilled and motivated potential future employees.
* Improved employee retention.
* Reduced training/recruitment costs.
* Developmental opportunities for a current workforce.
* Development of new projects with student assistance.
Shadowing:
Shadowing is a short term educational experience that introduces an
individual student to a particular career by pairing the student with an
employee of a business, industry or agency. By following or
"shadowing" the employee, the student becomes familiar with
the duties associated with that occupation and the compatibility of
the occupation with his/her own career goals.
Cooperative Education:
Cooperative Education is a method of instruction for students, 16 and
older, where technical classroom instruction is combined with paid
employment directly related to the classroom instruction. The two
experiences must be planned and supervised by the school and employer so
that each contributes to the student's career objective and
employability. Written cooperative arrangements showing the instruction
to be provided are developed by the school and employer providing
the training. School credit is received for both on-the-job training and
classroom components.
Internship:
An internship allows a student to observe and participate in daily
operations, develop direct contact with job personnel, ask questions
about particular careers and perform certain job tasks. This strategy is
exploratory and allows the student to receive "hands on"
experience in one or more areas of interest. An internship may be paid
or unpaid. Course credit is dependent upon local school policy and/or
the number of hours achieved. (Usually, at least 160.) Facilitation of
internships may be conducted by teachers, career development
coordinators, or industry education coordinators.
Many local
colleges and universities offer internship opportunities for their
students. The University of North Carolina at Asheville's Career
Center serves as a centralized point of contact for employers interested
in sponsoring a UNCA intern. You may click here (http://www.unca.edu/career/employers.html )
to find out more about the program or you may contact WNC HRA member, Holly
Waltemyer, Career Counselor/Internship Coordinator at (828)
251-6867.
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is an instructional strategy that is appropriate for
students ages 16 and older and is one of the oldest methods of career
preparation. High school apprenticeship is an industry-driven education
and career training program based on recognized industry standards. It
is a strategy based on recognized industry standards. It is a strategy
used by employers to address current and projected employment
needs. This program is a partnership among business, industry,
government, school, parents (for high school students) and apprentices.
Years ago, apprenticeships were specifically designed and targeted
around the skilled trades. In the past ten years, employers, in
partnership with educators, have developed apprenticeship programs
for such career fields as healthcare, finance, hospitality,
manufacturing, materials management, and logistics.
Apprenticeship
is a system of skilled occupational training that combines practical
work experiences with related academic and technical instruction. An
apprentice works on the job for an employer and is taught and supervised
by an experienced person in the chosen occupation. The preplanned,
progressively
challenging work experience usually extends two to four years. The
apprentice is periodically evaluated and granted wage increases for
satisfactory progress.
Apprenticeship provides a pathway for individuals to progress into the
primary job market much faster than any other method of job training.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What can a high school student contribute to my business or
organization?
There are many high school programs where students receive industry
recognized certifications and licensure Each has rigid
inspection, testing and acceptance criteria. Some of these are:
* Internet and Computer Core Certification (IC3)
* Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
* A+ Certification
* Net +
* Certified Novell Administration (CNA)
* Microsoft Certification Systems Engineer (MCSE)
* Certified Cisco Network Administrator (CCNA)
* ServSafe Food Service Manager Certification
* Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Basic First Aid Cert. (CPR)
* Nurse Aide, Level 1 Cert. (CNA)
* DAMON Medical Terminology Cert.
There are also nine industries offering national credentialing,
certification, documentation and registry services to high school trade
and industrial students. These are: American Welding Society (AWS),
CompTIA, Board of Cosmetic Arts Examiners, Graphic Arts Education
Research Foundation, National Automotive Technicians Education
Foundation (Automotive Service Excellence - ASE), National Center for
Construction Education and Research (NCCER), National Institute for
Metal Working Skills (NIMS) and Woodlinks.
North Carolina
requires certain trades, crafts and technicians to be licensed.
Licensure usually requires meeting age, education, experience, and
examination criteria. Most of the trade and industrial, health
occupations and engineering programs at the high school level
provide the skills and knowledge appropriate to acquire licensure or
certification.
What about liability and legal issues in
working with students under the age of 18?
Under certain circumstances, high school students may be involved in
paid or unpaid work experiences. In North Carolina, these circumstances
are determined by the NC Wage and Hour Act and the Fair Labor
Standards Act. Special provisions are allowed for student learners
under current law. Most school systems pay an insurance premium for
students involved in unpaid work experiences (shadowing and
internships). Students involved in paid work experiences (paid
internships, cooperative education and apprenticeship) are covered under
the employers' workers compensation plan.
The North
Carolina Department of Labor offers registered apprenticeship programs
leading to the designation of journeyman in many career areas. They
also maintain a registry and portable credentials. Formal apprenticeship
programs can begin at age 16 after the student has had the requisite
coursework. Contact Laura Misner
if you are interested in
beginning such an apprenticeship program.
How can I work with student organizations?
There are many vocational student organizations (VSOs) - each with its
own unique focus depending on student interests and career goals. All
VSOs have yearly regional and state competitions for different involving
different areas of the workforce. Almost all the competitions have a
customer service, mock interview, workplace safety simulation or other
HR related "problems" to solve. Judges are always needed and
individual schools could use "coaches" to help the students in
preparing for the regional and state competitions.
Who do I contact if I am interested in
"growing my own" workforce or would like to participate in
school-to-work activities with high school or college students?
Contact Laura Misner at lmisnerl@cfnc.org
who will direct you to the appropriate person and program area within a
local institution.
I am a student or a teacher seeking an employer
who may be able to offer a work-based opportunity for me or a student.
How do I find a suitable employer?
Several ways
might be...Contact Laura Misner at lmisnerl@cfnc.org
who may have a lead or two. Inform this Chapter that you are
seeking this type of work; Laura can share the interest of a student or
teacher with the members at the monthly meeting. Contact the
Employment Security Commission. Call employers who provide work in
the field of interest. Share this webpage with prospective
employers. Network with others for leads. Be
creative!
I'm looking for education, training or career development information
for my current employees. Where can I get this information?
Find what you need to know (in English or Spanish) about education
opportunities, career development or training programs in higher
education institutions on www.CFNC.org.
-
Completing
High School or obtaining a GED
-
First time
college student
-
Returning
to college
-
Research
financial aid options including grants and scholarships
-
Complete
admission and financial aid applications online
-
Researching
college programs/costs
-
Veterans
benefits
-
Exploring
a wide-range of job opportunities
-
Preparing
for the GRE, SAT or ACT
For more
information about using CFNC to assist employees, contact Laura Misner
at lmisnerl@cfnc.org or the phone
numbers at the top of this page.
OFFERING A FREE BENEFIT TO YOUR EMPLOYEES
For many of your employees, paying for college for their children or
grandchildren (or maybe even themselves) is one of their most important
financial goals. As an employer, you can help them meet that goal -
without cost to your company - by establishing a Payroll Deduction Plan
for North Carolina's National College Savings Program, a 529 program.
Qualified Tuition Programs - 529s - are perhaps the most compelling
educational-
funding vehicles available today. Their far-reaching tax and estate tax
planning advantages make them a valuable addition to your employee's
investment portfolios.
North Carolina's National College Savings Program offers multiple
investment options attractive to every style of investment, from
conservative to aggressive. Your employees can select from one or
several investment options. Their contributions made on a regular basis
through payroll deduction will give your employees a disciplined
approach to saving for college. The benefits of a payroll deduction
plan to your employees and business include:
* Employee retention - As with your employer-sponsored retirement plan,
offering the ease of a payroll deduction 529 can serve as part of your
overall benefits package to help attract and retain quality
employees.
* No
Eligibility Requirements - Anyone over 18 may participate in this
program
* Low Maintenance - Your involvement as an employer is limited to
submitting contributions each pay period. Unlike a retirement plan, no
governmental reporting or testing is required.
* Low minimum contributions - Each employee specifies a dollar amount to
withhold each pay period. Employees may contribute as little as $5 per beneficiary
each pay period. For those interested in larger contributions, currently
an individual may contribute up to $11,000 per beneficiary in a calendar
year without incurring federal gift tax.
* Employee Responsibility - Employees are responsible for investment
selections within their accounts, meaning you have no fiduciary
liability when you establish a company plan for a 529 program.
* No Cost - There is no fee to enroll or establish a payroll deduction
plan.
* College Foundation will help! We'll come work with you and your
employees to establish these plans through employee meetings, lunch and
learn programs or
others!
For
more information about using North Carolina's National College Savings
Program, contact Laura Misner at
lmisner@cfi.org
or the phone numbers at the top of this page.
|
