Regional approach to career development for high school and college

students

Jenny Govoni, Joliet Junior College

College Changes EverythingJuly 11, 2013

What is Career Connects Will & Grundy County?

Career Connects Will & Grundy brings together education and businesses to help students and job seekers achieve their goals and address communities’ workforce development needs.

Career Connects Will & Grundy is fully integrated with Career Cruising.

Career Connects and Career Cruising provides powerful tools for students, job seekers, educators and community businesses.

Genesis The high school BEST program housed at Joliet Junior College would get calls from our local feeder high schools.

- Do you have a nurse to come speak to my anatomy class?

- Do you have an accountant to come speak to my consumer education class?

- Do you have any local companies hiring high school graduates?

The coordinator of the program would do his best to find a nurse, accountant and local companies for Wilmington High School, Joliet Township, Plainfield School District, etc.

The willing nurse is willing to share her expertise, not just at Wilmington, but is available to help out when she can at any local high school. Other local high schools would not know this nurse is available and would either miss the opportunity to have her speak with students or would use up precious time, trying to locate a nurse.

IDEA: Why not have a one-stop-shop that pools all businesses and local professionals interested in sharing their company and expertise with the education community. Too bad we don’t have a web-based software platform that all the schools use ... Or do we? Career Cruising is already used in all area high schools for basic career exploration.

Implementation

2010:

Idea

Advisory board formed

Funding sources

Advisory board meets

Key stakeholders engaged

Feb 2011

Hired 2 p/t business recruiters

Planned launch event

Recruited businesses

April 2011

Community Launch event

Summer 2011

Recruit

Recruit

Recruit

Sept 2011

School Launch

Hosted school launch

Trained educators

Implementation (cont.)

2012:

Recruit & Train

Sept 2012

Hosted professional development for educators

Today

How does Career Connects impact: Students

• Career development activities • Submit questions to real working people • Receive targeted communication about

job opportunities • Gain access to local labor market

information

How does Career Connects impact: Educators

• Student engagement• Teacher interaction with students • Parents can search for colleges and

scholarships• Links school activities to local community• Identify companies that offer employment

or career development activities • Connection with companies • Track students use of the features

How does Career Connects impact: Businesses

• Communicate with students and job seekers • Create visibility for your company• Inform about attributes they look for

when hiring• Promote the local community

How can businesses get involved in Career Connects?

1. Set up a company profile2. Become a career coach3. Offer career development activities

Successes Challenges

Relationship building

Provide career paths for students

Local connection

Funding Student

engagement

Contact Information:

Jenny Govoni | Joliet Junior College jgovoni@jjc.edu | 815-280-1518