Welcome to Workforce 3 One U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Webinar Date: April 22, 2014 Presented by: Division of Youth Services U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

2# Enter your location in the Chat window – lower left of screen

Maisha Meminger Division of Youth Services 3#

4# 1.How to connect to workforce tools and resources 2.Creative ways to use social media, online tools and other websites to engage youth in workforce programs 3.Features of an online job search skills teaching tool developed by AAWDC

5# 1.Why Integrate Technology? 2.Youth Communication Preferences 3.AAWDC Tools of Engagement 4.Lessons Learned 5.Review of DOL on-line Tools

Heather Henry, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation Shannon McGarry, Director of Youth Programs Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation 6#

How would you rate your current online engagement with youth? 1.Fully engaged 2.Fairly engaged 3.Somewhat engaged 4.Barely engaged 5.Not at all engaged

Surrounded by Technology –Often the Center of Work and Play –Gen Y (Millenials) and Gen Z (Linksters?) are Tech Dependent –Youth are “Digital Natives”

Outsource Casual Interaction to Technology Gauge Importance at a Glance Constant and Immediate Feedback FOMO Peer Interaction

Engage Youth We Couldn’t Reach Otherwise Ways to Provide Core Services with Funding and Staff Limitations Lack of Clearinghouse of Youth Job Resources Online Stay Relevant with Our Customers = Meet Them Where They Are Helping Youth Think About Technology in a New Way Ultimate Goal: To give our youth the information and tools they need to succeed in their job search and career. Ultimate Goal: To give our youth the information and tools they need to succeed in their job search and career.

Website Social Media Software Cloud Technology

First step:

No Education or Tools, Merely Overview of Programs and Services Static “Walls of Text” It was boring!

Accessed the Web More Than Once a Day or Once a Month Accessed the Web Via Their Phone and Through a Computer Websites Visited Most Often: –Facebook, Skype, Yahoo!, Gmail, Google, Oovoo, YouTube What Draws Your Attention to a Website? – How it is set up – The information provided – Videos What Brings You Back? – If it’s a social network or informative – The design and information – Interesting networking, jobs, news, activities

Use of Polls Resources Did You Know? “Games” Addition of Videos Job Search Content in One Spot

General Comments –Home page caught their attention –Interested most in job search tools –Liked: the colors, the games, the information –Changes: more colors, more pictures –Did not read blocks of information Suggestions –Pictures on every page –Include videos –Use colors to highlight information

Help Wanted: An Interactive Job Search Tool

Public-Private Partnership Devised the Steps of the Job Search Process What We Wanted to Do –Be real and relevant –Address social media and online applications –Include components youth tend to struggle with

Piloted it with Out-of-School Youth and with Magnet High School Students 96% Said They Would Recommend It Liked the Most –Positive impression of look –Information extremely useful –Learned that they can use our social networks against us Liked the Least –Length a bit long –I had to read a lot

Public-Private Partnerships Require Shift in Thinking These Projects are Time Intensive Especially Useful Tools in the Schools Difference in What We Think’s Important vs What Youth Think’s Important Importance of Aesthetics When You Think You’ve Cut Enough, Cut Some More!

Track Who Uses the Site Possible Uses: –Self-directed –Facilitated workshops –Focus on certain modules #24

Klout Score: 42 Twitter Followers: 405 LinkedIn: 324 Facebook: 32 Pinterest: 31 (8,562) Constant Contact: 9,920 (84 youth)

Participants build online professional development portfolio –Resume, cover letter, writing samples and reflective journaling, references, career exploration results Tracks goal progress Fosters friendly competition Leverages social media and other technologies

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“ Interactive and Engaging ” “ I don’t have to worry about losing my work!” “Enjoy being able to track my progress and set both long and short term goals” “Still have to do the work”

Gauge Your Youth and Their Preferences Determine Staff Capabilities Employ Multiple Touch Points and Mediums Pick Your Battles Evaluate Your Website Make It Interactive and User-Generated Keep It Short, Visually Rich, and Humorous Ensure Communication is Frequent and Brief Build a Foundation with One-on-One Counseling

On-line tools used by the Division of Youth Services 32

33# Our Office’s primary responsibilities: Coordinating all youth-related workforce activities; Providing leadership, policy direction, program administration, technical assistance and guidance; and Supporting activities for youth programs authorized under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998

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Webinars: Webinars are live, scheduled conferences on the internet, which offer a way to disseminate new information to a large, geographically dispersed audience. Podcasts: Podcasts are audio digital-media files distributed over the Internet for playback on their computers. 60 Second Trainings: Formatted like commercials and are “quick/short” audio and visual videos which address one particular issue or question. Chats: A “Chat” is an online instant messaging format that acts as a typed conversation (no audio), or “chat”, between two or more people. Newsletters: A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. #36

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Speaker:Maisha Meminger Organization: USDOL Division of Youth Services Telephone: Speaker: Heather Henry Title: Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Organization: Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation Telephone: # Speaker: Shannon McGarry Title: Director of Youth Programs Organization: Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation Telephone:

Thank You! Find resources for workforce system success at: 45#