Improving Services and Performance Toolkit for Effective Front-line Services to Youth

1. Improving Services and PerformanceToolkit for Effective Front-line Services to Youth Module Three: Meeting the Needs of the Labor Market

2. Module Three Objectives • To understand and appreciate the importance of local Labor Market Information to youth and to employers • To support the role of the case manager in helping youth have a realistic view of career and employment opportunities • To review sources of Labor Market and Workforce Information • To review and clarify workplace skills standards • SCANS

3. PURPOSE • Audiences: youth, employers and community • Youth - who employs whom, where and for what wages • Employers - tracks local and national industry trends; availability and quality of workers; investments in training resources • Community – monitor workforce needs; attract new businesses, etc.

4. Roles and Responsibilities of Case Managers • Provide youth with realistic view of opportunities in the community; identify career paths; gain understanding of cost of living; compare local salaries • Assists youth to explore “career pathways” and types of training involved; provides regional and future information • Establishes and maintains good relations with employers and workforce board and/or economic development councils

5. TIPS • State and local data most useful: employer needs, training and skill sets needed; occupational outlook • Economic information is not perfect – sometimes data is old – information can change quickly • See practical strategies in the Manual for using economic and workforce information.

6. ETA Sources of Labor Market and Workforce Information • America’s Labor Market Information System (ALMIS)* • America’s CareerInfoNet (ACINET)* • CareerInfoNet* • CareerOneStop portal* - America’s Job Bank (AJB) - America’s Service Locator (ASL) - O*NET OnLine - Workforce Tools of the Trade • Career Voyages *See descriptions in Manual

7. 3 Foundation Skills: - basic skills - thinking skills - personal qualities 5 Competencies: resources interpersonal skills information systems technology SCANS* (Workplace Skills Standards) Review and Clarification*Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary SkillsSkills and characteristics that employers have identified as essential for success in the workplace

8. Foundation Skills** Blueprint for Workplace Success Skill Standards: Skills Youth Workers Need to Succeed in the 21st Century Workplace • Basic Skills (academic) - Reading - Writing - Listening - Speaking - Arithmetic and Mathematics

9. Foundation Skills, continued • Thinking Skills - Decision Making - Reason and Problem Solving - Knowing How To Learn - Creative Thinking - Seeing Things in the Mind’s Eye

10. Foundation Skills, continued • Personal Qualities - Self Management - Responsibility - Integrity/Honesty - Self-Esteem - Sociability

11. The Five Work Place CompetenciesResources, Information, Interpersonal Skills, Systems & Technology • Resources: - Allocates time - Money - Material and facility resources - Human resources

12. The Five Work Place Competencies, Continued • Information: -Acquires and evaluates information -Organizes and maintains information -Interprets and communicates information -Uses computers to process information

13. The Five Work Place Competencies, Continued • Interpersonal: - Participates as a team member - Teaches others - Serves clients and customers - Exercises leadership - Negotiates to arrive at a decision - Works with cultural diversity

14. The Five Work Place Competencies, Continued • Systems - Understands systems - Monitors and corrects performance - Improves and designs systems

15. The Five Work Place Competencies, Continued • Technology - Selects technology - Applies technology to tasks - Maintains and troubleshoots technology