1. Spring 2019 Super Sector Event: Connect for Success

3. The Talent Link Partnership
The former Quad City Career Connections and The Moline Foundation’s Career Cruising Network have entered into a partnership called The Talent Link. The partnership is designed to better meet the business/education partnership needs in Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine, Scott, and Rock Island Counties by:
Expanding staff,
Eliminating confusion for business partners and schools resulting from two entities focused on similar efforts,
Benefitting from partnership with sector boards, chambers, and workforce offices, and
Working collaboratively to support school district efforts, while developing and expanding large scale events.

4. The Talent Link: Mission and Vision
Talent Link works to:
empower middle and high school youth, young adults, and job seekers by helping them better understand themselves, and the world of work,
provide opportunities to explore career options, and
engage youth and adults with local business and industry to provide real-world and hands-on experience that inspire academic and career success.
Vision
Every individual in our workforce region will have high quality career experiences so they become motivated to pursue and achieve academic and career success.

5. The Talent Link: Staff
Paula Arends, EICC Workforce Innovation Director Christine Caves, EICC Workforce Innovation Coordinator Dustin DeWeerdt, EICC/Vocational Rehabilitation Intermediary Kathy Pezley, EICC Intermediary Susan Zelnio, The Moline Foundation Program Director, Workforce Development

6. Talent Link Direction
Support schools in expanding high quality career development and work- based learning activities
Provide resources for schools and business/industry partners to ensure quality interactions based on student learning and outcomes
Update and build and Career Cruising Network
Work with sector boards, colleges, and workforce agencies to develop large-scale career events in high demand industries
Support collaboration among area schools that will result in high quality career development and work-based learning throughout our region

7. Support Schools in Expanding Career Development Activities
Establish annual goals for career development events and activities
Provide training and support for business/industry
Facilitate connections with business and industry
Support large events/activities at schools and in the community
Share best practices
Provide information and training on the Iowa Statewide Clearinghouse

8. Provide Resources for School Staff
Launch new web presence with resources in May 2019
Work with Career Development teams to expand high quality activities and events
Train school staff to analyze and apply assessment results in order to develop career plans and activities
Provide training in use of Career Cruising system
Provide support and training for other career tools selected by area schools

9. Update and build the Career Cruising Network and Iowa Statewide Clearinghouse
Hired intern to update system, and incorporate new opportunities, including all opportunities from the former QC Career Connections
Provide information from systems on behalf of schools in the region that do not have access
Continue to grow connections in Career Cruising and the Statewide Clearinghouse through a business/industry outreach
Work with schools to ensure that the systems in place are meeting our local needs

10. Large-Scale Career Events
FY19 Events:
Fall 2018 Manufacturing Expo
February 2019 Health Career Expo
Clinton, Muscatine, and Scott County Manufacturing Tours
Muscatine County school-wide job shadow project
Teen Job Fairs in Scott and Muscatine Counties
Continue to expand large-scale events in alignment with local workforce needs through engagement with sector boards.

11. Promote a system of collaboration
As intermediary services develop in our schools and colleges, and the need for additional opportunities grows, it is imperative that we work together to streamline interactions with business and industry. To accomplish this, we must:
Develop a common system to connect business and education partners,
Ask that ALL business/industry partners play an active role in meeting future workforce needs, and
Provide the best support possible to ensure that time and resources spent are high quality interactions and outcomes impact our local workforce.

12. Go to CareerCruisingNetwork.org and join us!
Make a Company Profile
Become an Online Career Coach
Offer Work-based Learning Activities
Classroom Speaker
Job Shadowing
Class Project
Internship
Teacher Externship
Plus more
Go to CareerCruisingNetwork.org and join us!