NYS Dept. of Labor Updates College and Career Readiness Tools The Career Development and Youth Initiatives Office 1 March30, 2012

Career Development & Youth Initiatives Office WHAT WE DO: Support DOL funded Youth Programs Develop career planning curriculum and tools for youth and adults Provide professional development and support Gather and share best practices Connect with other youth serving agencies & organizations on special projects

What does it mean to be Career Ready? YOUTH NEED TO KNOW: their strengths, skills, talents and abilities how to attain a level of education and performance needed to reach their goals how to manage their careers over a lifetime

Career Ready Means YOUTH CAN: Use assessment tools to identify career- related interests, skills and talents Identify short and long term goals Identify skills and personal traits Understand their decision-making style

Use career information to make decisions about education and work Prepare a resume, cover letter and fill out a job application Interview for a job Create and manage a career plan Career Ready Means YOUTH CAN:

Work Ready Career Ready Means YOUTH ARE:

What’s Available Right Now To Help Youth Become Career Ready?

New York Youth Works Program In December 2011, Governor Cuomo signed legislation to combat high unemployment among inner-city youth by providing funding to organizations that could assist youth who needed work- readiness training and connect them to certified businesses for employment.

New York Youth Works Program – 26% of all unemployed workers are under the age of 25 – 4 out of every 10 inner city young adults are looking for work – Unemployment among Hispanic youth in New York State (ages 16-19) is over 35%

New York Youth Works New York City Town of Hempstead City of Buffalo City of Rochester City of Mount Vernon City of Yonkers City of New Rochelle Town of Brookhaven City of Schenectady City of Albany City of Syracuse City of Utica NYYW Targeted Areas

New York Youth Works 3 CRITICAL Elements of NYYWP  Businesses  Placement/Training Providers  Youth

New York Youth Works Phone:

Work Readiness Credential A Resource for DOL Youth Programs New Tool – WRC Expanding test center network New Curriculum Business Support and Partnerships

Work Readiness Credential - History Developed based on businesses’ feedback regarding the lack of entry level skills in potential employees WRC was developed based on samples of numerous industries across the United States Partners included nationally:  Businesses  Unions  Chambers of Commerce  State Workforce Investment Boards  Education and training professionals

Work Readiness Credential

4 tests 1.Workplace Math 2.Workplace Reading 3.Active Listening 4.Situational Judgment MeasureMeasure 8 Skills 1.Use math to solve problems 2.Read with understanding 3.Listen actively 4.Cooperate with others 5.Conflict resolution and Negotiation 6.Observe critically 7.Problem solving and decision Making 8.Take responsibility for learning

Work Readiness Credential - Prep Steck Vaughn “Work Skills” Curriculum: Instructor led three book set with associated online educational resources  WIN Work Skills: Self-Directed online preparation Use an equivalent training program

Work Readiness Credential - Test  The WRC tests are administered online at Council approved test sites  There are approximately 100 test sites in NYS  Partner with an existing site  Become a test site lication.asp lication.asp

Youth Portal – A One-Stop Shop

CareerZone: Helping Students Explore The World of Work Over One Million Students Served The CareerZone system serves as the foundation for career development programs across New York State. Youth quickly and easily connect to information on over 800 occupations, 450 career videos and career plan tools. This award-winning CareerZone site can be accessed at no-cost to users and has been adopted by California and Pennsylvania.

Connecting Knowledge of Self & Labor Market: The CareerZone Portfolio This is the heart of the website where youth can interact with the CareerZone Portfolio to document what they know about themselves, what they have learned about the world of work and make informed decisions about career opportunities. Information can be saved and printed as a Career Plan or resume.

Coming Soon!

Updated CareerZone System Rewritten around Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) New approaches to information organization and site navigation Integration of customer self-service activities and the OSOS mediated system used by staff

Updated CareerZone System Updated, shorter interest assessment Designation of Green Careers New “Bright Outlook” tag for occupations Enhanced Search engines for occupations, job openings and college information Ability to upload and store resumes Quick Print option for each page New Career Plan Model - TBD

Passport to Safety: An Important Resource Many young adults injured on the job Statewide effort to research resources to help youth on the job led by the NYS Young Workers Safety and Health project Discovered Passport to Safety Program Used in Canada and Australia

Passport to Safety

LinkedIn Group for Youth Practitioners CareerZone Updates Other resource updates (career guide, Passport to Safety, Youth Portal) Ask a question of practitioners

Vicki Gray New York State Department of Labor Division of Employment and Workforce Solutions Career Development and Youth Initiatives Office Phone: