VCCS Employment Services

Planning & Developing a Virtual Employment Centre

Agenda:

Introductions What, How and Why? Features & Technology Costs, Advantages and Limitations

Questions?

What is a Virtual Employment Centre (VEC)?

A highly interactive website

An online “space” where clients can connect with career practitioners, other clients and/or employers

A community “tool” where mediated networking and information sharing can happen

Example:

How is this achieved?

Through interactive features such as:

Video & Audio Clips E-Counselling (a.k.a. Cybercounselling) Online Workshops and Courses (E-Learning) Online Quizzes and Assessments Social Bookmarking Webinars and Podcasting Blogs and Discussion Boards

Why build it?1. Reach more clients using a medium they understand

2. Help clients who can’t meet face-to-face (f2f)

3. Still Relatively Innovative for Community Service Providers

4. Promote your services through client “trusted networks”

5. Recognizes different cognitive preferences of clients

Thinking Styles4 Types

Visual Preferences (V)

Remember what they SEE versus what they HEAR May know what they want to say but have difficulty coming up with the words Usually need to have verbal instructions repeated Respond to colour, art, mapping Like to have a plan; good organizers The See-ers

Clue: Doodle during phone conversations,counselling sessions, classes

Visual Reading/Writing Preferences (VR)

Enjoy reading and would rather read than be read to Like handouts, prefer information in words rather than charts or diagrams Like to use dictionaries, manuals, texts The Reframe-ers

Clue: Often reread silently, rewrite notes, like tojot down ideas

Auditory Preferences (A)

Like to talk through a problem Find writing difficult Remember what they HEAR Don’t visualize well; respond to patterns of sound, speech and music Often good speakers! The Listen-ers

Clue: Talkative, love discussion, repeat words

Kinesthetic Preferences (K) Like to experiment and practice Memorize by WALKING and SEEING Respond to movement, gestures, acting things out Have difficulty remembering a place unless they’ve actually been there The Do-ers

Clue: Hard to sit still during counselling session, may have messy handwriting, gesture a lot when they talk

31km/ 26mins

Large rural area

Few (if any) public transit links

2000+ clients this year Assessment EAS Job Connect IRS Resource Room

VCCS Serves:62.5km;51mins

35km;36mins

20km; 20mins

90km;1hr 22mins

34km;34mins

New Realities = New Issues

Second Career Program

Economic downturn

New strategies?

Context: What is happening in the City of Kawartha Lakes Expansion of broadband Internet service across

the region

Local high schools are teaching in-class lessons while simultaneously broadcasting live online

Local Adult Ed Centre also a Virtual Learning Centre

What is happening in our communities?

Websites are getting ‘deeper’

Computers and Internet connections are getting faster

Web Technologies are evolving

Expectations are changing

Why now?

Technology trends are quickly evolving in terms of what is available and how public perceives it

Emphasis on user input and personalization of

components

This new theme of interactive web is known as Web 2.0

What Our Clients Told Us:

Focus Group of 16 multi-barriered youth aged 16-29

Survey of 142 clients 66% had high-speed Internet at home 51% can use more complex applications 61% engaged in online chat frequently 56% had experience with webcams 54% had used video streaming/videoconferencing

What They Wanted:

58% were interested in online chat (+/- counsellor)

31% liked the idea of attending an online workshop

44% would watch videos of Employer Presentations

50% would watch videos on other topics

Features & Technology

Video Clip Library

Definition: A compilation of video information used as a tool in employment education

(A)

(V)

Putting It Together

2 Options:

Direct users to existing video files in another location (e.g YouTube.com)

Beware of copyright! Can also use hyperlinks to free video files

Record, edit and convert video “in-house” Update web pages easily using an HTML Editor MS Frontpage, Dreamweaver, Coffee Cup NVU, Page Breeze, KompoZer, EVRSoft First Page 06 FREE!

Suggested Hardware

Digital Camcorder Cost $270-$800 (lower end of price range

would be suitable)

Wireless PC Microphone Provides clear, consistent audio

recording for video Cost $100-$130 Audio can also be added later

Suggested Software Windows Movie Maker

Allows: Add music Split and remove portions Insert titles and captions Special effects No cost service; free download

Available on computers using WindowsVery user friendly!

Free Screen Recorder 2.9

Audio Clip Library

Definition: A compilation of audio information used as tool in employment education

Option #1: Provide a library of audio recordings (eg. Employer Presentations)

Option #2: Provide voice readings of written content

(A)

Suggested Hardware and Software

Desktop Microphone $12 - $30

Audio editing software Audacity: FREE download

http://audacity.sourceforge.net

E-Counselling Methods

Use web-based media for service

More than Email; Synchronous

Potential Methods:Live Chat Live Document Sharing

Live Chat Yahoo Messenger ICQ MSN Messenger

Allows collaboration with Yahoo Messenger users Live full screen video and audio messaging Send and receive cell phone text messages Live Chat

Possibilities: establish a time to meet 1:1 or a digital sign-up session for a group

(VR)

(V)

(K)

Zoho.com Live Chat

Free product

Chat box can be embedded directly into your webpage – nice feature!

Anonymous secured meeting space

“Live Support” vs “Shoutbox”

Insert Zoho.com chat box sample here

Live Document Sharing

Online connection with one person or a group collaboration on written electronic documentsscreen sharing and remote assistance

Live Chat is included

Examples: Googledocs.com, Zoho.com, Windows Live Workspace

(V)

(K)

Online Information Exchange

Social Bookmarking Quizzes & Assessments RSS Feeds

WebcastingPodcasting

Social Bookmarking

A method of Human Mediated Search

Search engines such as Google use “metaspiders”

Social bookmarks centralize info others have found on the same topic

“The average person spends 1 hour a day searching online. That means every 2 weeks, our clients are loosing an entire

working day of time.”

Marco Campagna – OCASI

Demystifying Web 2.0 Facilitator

How this works:

Sign up for a FREE account on a social bookmarking site

Copy the website address and add it to your social bookmark

Place links on pages of your website

Quizzes & Assessments

Crossword puzzles

Multiple choice or short answer quizzes

Fill in the blank worksheets

Matching exercises

RSS Feeds

RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication”

A file format for delivering regularly updated information over the web

Users request notification when an addition is made to a webpage through a feedreader

Can be added to your webpage or blog using a feedburner

Podcast subscriptions work this way

Webcasting

An Internet technology that literally broadcasts information: audio or video live (streaming) or ‘on demand’ Unlike typical surfing (which relies on users coming to the

information) webcasting uses push technology (RSS Feeds)

Non-interactive, linear stream of a media file

Could be used to broadcast workshop facilitators or guest speakers

Components of a Podcast

RSS (Subscription Method)

Podcast

Webpage

Client Communications: Blogs and Discussion Boards

A space for clients to learn and to network

Blogging

Open forum communication tool

Can be individualistic or perform a crucial function for your organization

3 basic functions: post links to other sourcescompile news and articles provide a forum for opinions and commentary

(V)

(K)

(VR)

Discussion Board/Message Board

Users post and read announcements on topics of common interest

A popular way to interact online

Easy to navigate and easy to use

Where To Start?

1. Consider Your Context - what makes sense?

Agency & Budget Service Area and Client Demographic Human Resources Current Online Presence

2. Survey Your Clients – where are they?

Where To Start?

3. Take An Inventory – how much do you already know?

Staff training needs Identify a “Champion”

4. Explore Partnerships – who can help you make it happen?

Look within your community for logical partners Who offers training in Web 2.0? Can we collaborate?

Where To Start?

5. Test It Out – when should you ‘go live’? Have we missed anything? Run some test groups or pilots with existing

clients

6. Model the Behaviour – use the tools often! Have staff refer clients to the site and

demonstrate features during f2f sessions Encourage staff to participate in the collaboration

Considerations:

Funding model & where virtual service delivery fits

Organizational capacity to make it work

“The ultimate goal of technology should be to enhance customer relationships and to increase service levels.”

- Dan Trepanier, YMCA of Greater Toronto

(Technology & Career and Employment Counselling – A Compendium of Thought, Counselling Foundation of Canada, 1998)

Questions?

Thank you!

Sonya Hardman

VCCS Employment Services

Email: shardman@careerservices.org

www.careerservices.org