GSETA

Making Recruiting Accessible

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that as employers begin to hire again, their talent management strategy needs to include making the recruiting process accessible to all potential workers. An estimated 15-20% of the population has a disability that can impact their use of technology, so making online recruiting accessible is particularly important.

In Making Recruiting Sites Accessible to All, a suggested plan is outlined:

• Obtain leadership’s commitment and accountability.
• Perform an inventory of external, internal and social media platforms used for recruiting purposes to ensure that all sites are accessible to internal and external applicants. “Your LinkedIns, your Facebooks, your Twitters all need to be looked at,” she said.
• Evaluate all careers sites and forms by doing accessibility risk audits. This will give you an initial analysis, she said.
• Start a detailed requirements analysis.
• Send report findings with recommendations to leadership and keep them in the loop regarding challenges.
• Identify a prioritized list of defects, deliverables and enhancements.
• Build a reoccurring, sustainable testing plan.
• Launch integration and rollout plans.
• Track and train personnel and test on a continuing basis.

In addition, Earnworks offers a variety of employer resources to help assess and address accessibility issues, including the Accessible Systems Racing League (ASRL),  an easy-to-use tool that highlights barriers job seekers and employees with disabilities might face when trying to access a company’s career site or other online HR recruiting and hiring tools and systems.

Tools for Developing Energy Industry Pathways

If you're looking to develop energy industry pathways and training in your area, here are some resources from the Center for Energy Workforce Development to check out:

• Get Into Energy Career Pathway

• Energy Industry Competency Model and Graphic

• Energy Workforce Evaluation Toolkit

• A Toolkit for Recruiting and Retaining Women in Non-Traditional Positions

• Educator Resources

• Parent Resources

Friday Link Round-Up

Time for this Friday's links!

• The Breaking Through Practice Guide--Published by the Jobs for the Future folks, this guide helps practitioners serve adults who have low literacy and math levels and who want to succeed in postsecondary education.

  The Practice Guide has four components, each devoted to a “high leverage strategy” that community colleges and other programs can adopt to increase their success with low-skilled younger and older adults.

• • Accelerated learning
  • Comprehensive support services
  • Labor market payoffs
  • Aligning programs for low-skilled adults

• Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements through 2018--From the Center on Education and the Workforce, this report presents a new approach that answers some critical questions about the emerging economy, including:

• When will the jobs come back?
• Where will the jobs be? Which states? Which industries? Which occupations?
• What postsecondary certificates and degrees will be required?
• Will the education system be able to keep up?
• How much will it cost to fund the postsecondary education America needs?

• How to Create a Video within Your LinkedIn Profile--We've talked before about the value of LinkedIn. This article shows job seekers how to use video to spice things up. 

• 5 Knowledge Areas Needed for Success in Green Green Buildings Market--includes some good links.

• Social Media Recruitment--tips for businesses from Monster.com on how to use social media to find their next new hire. Good for job seekers to know about, too.

Call for 2010 GSETA Conference Workshop Presentation Proposals

General Information

The 28th Annual Workforce Development Conference is designed to bring together leaders and practitioners from government, business, education, community and faith based sectors to share best and promising practices and strategies, discuss workforce trends, public policy direction, and exchange information regarding community and education collaboration models.

The Conference features an opening plenary followed by workshops on September 22nd. The first day of the Conference concludes with a reception in the exhibit area. The second day of the conference consists of additional workshops followed by a luncheon celebrating the success of local workforce STARS from each workforce area in New Jersey.

In 2009, approximately 350 registrants attended GSETA’s 27th Annual Workforce Conference along with 23 exhibitors.


Invitation to Respond to Call for Workshop Presentation Proposals

The GSETA Conference Committee is soliciting proposals for workshop presentations for this year’s Conference. We are seeking proposals that address the following topics:

• Workforce policy and planning,
• WIB member development,
• Economic development initiatives,
• Adult education, post secondary and technical education,
• Financial and program performance management for WIA funded programs,
• Technological solutions to address workforce issues,
• Mental health, addiction, domestic violence, homelessness, etc. that will assist workers in better understanding and assisting job seekers,
• Workforce needs of special populations such as veterans, prisoner reentry, and public assistance recipients, persons with disabilities, non-English speakers, 55+ workers, youth ages 14-22,           limited English proficiency and veterans,
• Promising practices that focus on sector initiatives, green jobs, serving special populations and youth and successful community partnerships and
•  Build the professional capacity and/or personal growth of mid-level managers, frontline supervisors and frontline workers.

     
Multi-part presentations that overlap two or more workshop sessions are permissible; however, your design should address benefits for attendees who may only attend one workshop session.

Proposals must contain the name of the presenter or lead presenter, organizational affiliation, address, telephone number, fax number, and email address, working title of the workshop and a description of the workshop’s content and format; i.e. classroom style, panel, etc.  If the workshop is intended as a multi-part presentation, this information should be contained in the proposal. Proposals should be submitted by July 16, 2010. Proposals should be emailed to Patricia Roman, GSETA Workshop Consultant at: proman531@yahoo.com.

Workshop Information and Logistics

Workshops will be 75 minutes. This time period includes time for questions and answers.

All session rooms will be supplied with a flip chart, screen, podium, and electrical outlet with power strip, projector table and table microphone.

Presenters must provide their own LCD projectors and laptops. These items are available for rental from the hotel.   Payment will be the responsibility of the presenter.

The GSETA Conference Committee will schedule all workshops. Special requests must be made along with the initial proposal submission.

Proprietary sales promotions will not be permitted. The determination as to whether or not a workshop is a solicitation for income generating business will be at the discretion of the GSETA Conference Committee.

Panel presentations should consist of a moderator and no more than four (4) individuals. A lead individual, responsible for all communication with GSETA must be identified and complete contact information for that person must be provided in the proposal.

Presenters are responsible for the cost of duplication and shipment of all Conference materials.

Presenter Registration and Hotel Information

All workshop presenters must register for the Conference. Discounted registration fees for presenters are $50.00 on the day of the presentation only.

Conference events will take place at Bally’s Park Place and Casino Resort located on Park Place and the Boardwalk (1900 Pacific Avenue), Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Contact Bally’s at 1-800-345-7253 between the hours of 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday to take advantage of the special conference room rates, which are available on a 1st come-1st serve, limited basis:  $119 per night at Bally’s main building, $89 per night for the Claridge (walk-way access to Bally’s) and $139 per night in Bally’s Tower. (Note:  In accordance with NJ law, an additional $7.00 Room Assessment fee, 14% Atlantic City tax fee as well as a NJ State Tourism promotional fee of $3.00 will be charged. Rates are for single or double occupancy. Reservations must be made by September 7, 2010 in order to reserve rooms at these rates.

Presenters will be responsible for making their own reservations. All costs incurred including travel to and from the Conference are the responsibility of the presenter(s).

Target Deadlines:

· The due date for proposals is July 16, 2010.
· Target date for acceptance notification:  August 6, 2010.
· Deadline for program publication information:  August 27, 2010.

The Rise of the Unpaid Internship

Unpaid internships are on the rise, not only for college and high school students, but also for seasoned job seekers who are unemployed and either trying to keep their skills current or move into a new career. For both job seekers and employers, this can be tricky territory, however. The USDOL has specific rules governing unpaid internships that must be adhered to in order for employers to avoid violating Wage and Hour rules.

Here are some resources for One-Stop Career Center staff to use in advising businesses and job seekers on the ins and outs of unpaid internships:

• The Unpaid Intern: Legal or Not?--An article from the New York Times that includes a link to the six federal legal criteria that must be satisfied for internships to be unpaid. Staff and employers should be aware of these criteria.

• Do's and Don'ts Of Unpaid Internships--from Business Week. 

• Starting Fresh with an Unpaid Internship--includes success tips for older interns.

Friday Link Round-Up

Welcome to Friday and to this week's Link Round-Up.

• Employer Partnerships Toolkit--Although produced for the UK, this toolkit features some great self-assessment tools, including tools to assess the health of your partnership and the skills partners may need to participate effectively.

• Five Vital Lessons--Another partnership toolkit from the UK.

• Sector-Based Solutions for Addressing Gender Disparities Webinar--The National Network of Sector Partners recently conducted a webinar on using sector-based strategies to address gender disparities in employment. You can access both the webinar and a great summary of its contents through this link to the PathwaysPA blog.

• Creating PostSecondary Pathways to Good Jobs for Young HS Dropouts--Highlights examples of innovations in policy, program delivery, pedagogy in adult education, youth development and dropout recovery, and postsecondary education. Although published in 2008, this paper is still very relevant today.

• Topics in PTSD--These training modules can provide you with valuable information on the basics of post-traumatic stress disorder. Produced by the Department of Veteran's Affairs.

Which Jobs Are Susceptible to Offshoring?

Although a year and a half old, this analysis (PDF) of those jobs most susceptible to off-shoring, published by the BLS, offers some interesting insight into the future of many jobs. It also offers food for thought for job seekers who are making decisions about the skill development opportunities in which they should invest their time and money.

Four questions are used to determine if an occupation is likely to be outsourced:

1. To what degree can the inputs and outputs of the occupation be transmitted electronically, or otherwise be easily and cheaply transported? 
2. To what degree do the duties of this occupation require interaction with other types of workers? 
3. To what degree is knowledge of social and cultural idiosyncrasies, or other local knowledge, needed to carry out the tasks of this occupation?
4. To what degree can the work of the occupation be routinized or handled by following a script?

Some key findings from the report include:

• More than half of the jobs found to be likely candidates for off-shoring are professional/technical occupations.

• Virtually all mathematical science and computer-related jobs are susceptible to offshoring.

• Wages and educational levels in the most susceptible group were generally lower than average, although overall, offshorable occupations requiring a bachelor's degree are expected to grow faster than those requiring an associate's.

• As a group, those jobs most susceptible to offshoring represent 20% of total employment.

You can learn more by downloading the report here (PDF).

Friday Link Round-Up

Here are some links for this lovely June Friday. . .

• Unemployment Insurance and the Long-Term Effects of Lay-offs--From Till Marco von Wachter, Associate Professor of Economics at Columbia University. The news is not good--persistently lower wages lasting 15-20 years, rise in job instability for 10 years, reduction in health for up to 20 years and a rise in application and entry into disability insurance.

• Transportation to Work Toolkit for Business Community--"The Transportation to Work Toolkit for the Business Community gives businesses the information they need  to assist their employees in achieving a timely, cost-efficient commute that promotes productivity and job satisfaction. Explore the toolkit's flyers, fact sheets, resources and examples of transportation initiatives undertaken by employers nationwide."

• LinkedIn Helps You Find the Right People to Follow on Twitter--Twitter and LinkedIn are two of the most powerful tools for networked job seekers to be using. This post shows you how to use LinkedIn to find more people to follow on Twitter.

• Sustainability Toolkit--Although developed for the High Growth Job Training Initiative and Community-Based Job Training Grants, this Toolkit is useful for any kind of sustainability planning. 

• Professional Suicide: How to Not Get Hired--Tips on what you need to avoid if you don't want to stand out for the wrong reasons in a job search.