April 2000
Career CONNEXTIONS
With an ever-changing world, it is more difficult than ever for employers to find skilled workers, but more importantly to find workers prepared for the challenges ahead. In an effort to help, Workforce Development Services of Northern Indiana is implementing the Career CONNEXTIONS program in Marshall County and the surrounding area. This partnership effort includes United Way of Marshall County/Marshall County Community Foundation, Northern Indiana Vocational Services, NIESC and area school corporations. With an office located in the United Way/Community Foundation offices, Allison Keiser, CONNEXTIONS Coordinator for Workforce Development Services, has been establishing the base of this program starting with the area schools. This program provides an opportunity to do something meaningful about the connection of education and the community's economic and civic prosperity.
Pathfinder, a web-based database created by VisionLink, Inc., is a valuable tool to help both partners achieve this mutual goal. Called Career CONNEXTIONS locally, this brokering tool allows a single point of contact for businesses and schools to more effectively manage and coordinate youth opportunities - community service, job shadowing, internships, co-operative experiences, tours, and other activities. Area schools have been embracing this idea and many have participated in training for their school-designated coordinators. Over 15 area school representatives came to Culver High School on March 8 for training on the system and will now be recruiting their area businesses to utilize the system instead of the outdated phone call based system.
"This system will allow businesses, students, schools and parents a choice in developing career goals for our future workforce" stated Keiser. The need for phone calls will not be totally eliminated, but will come from one single school contact for each business. Opportunities listed in the system will be accessible to students and teachers in a four county area including Marshall, Kosciusko, Elkhart and St. Joseph, greatly expanding a businesses exposure in the community while streamlining the process.
Key benefits to employers are numerous. As the employer, you gain a single point of contact for speakers, tours, internships, jobs and youth opportunities that you offer to schools and young people. You can describe the skills you need and the opportunities and services you provide. Most importantly, you can efficiently coordinate your support of multiple schools and partnerships while expanding your opportunities to others accessing the system. You also have the opportunity to limit your participation, based on availability or business activity, or to decline a request at any time. You determine your level of participation in the system. Evaluation and report modules are available to you through the County Coordinators.
You can join
Career CONNEXTIONS at http://pfconnextions.communityos.org or view the information to see what CONNEXTIONS is all about.
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