For Managers, Administrators, and Policymakers

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Building and Supporting a System of Professional
Development for Youth Service Practitioners

• For Managers, Administrators, and Policymakers

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National Collaborative on Workforce and
Disability for Youth

• Strives to ensure that youth with disabilities
  are provided full access to high quality services
  in integrated settings in order to maximize their
  opportunities for employment and independent
  living. www.ncwd-youth.info
• Funded by U.S. Department of Labor's Office of
  Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).

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Presenter Contact Information

• Curtis Richards
• Institute for Educational Leadership and the
  National Collaborative on Workforce and
  Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth)
• [phone] richards_at_iel.org www.iel.org
• GeMar Neloms
• National Youth Employment Coalition
• [phone] gn_at_nyec.org www.nyec.org

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Workshop Objectives

• In this workshop, we will
•  
• Provide an overview of the knowledge, skills and
  abilities (KSAs) that youth service professionals
  need to work most effectively with youth
• Explore how the KSAs can inform the creation and
  strengthening of effective professional
  development systems
• Examine strategies for supporting and
  strengthening professional development systems

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Survey of youth practitioners finds youth workers

• Feel least proficient in
• Conducting individualized assessment planning
• Designing and delivering programs
• Receive the least training in
• Building relationships with employers
• Connecting to community resources
• Conducting individualized assessment planning

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Professional development for practitioners
benefits youth and society
Systematic high quality professional development
Increased practitioner satisfaction, retention
and skills
Increased economic independence and
self-sufficiency for youth
Improved youth outcomes
Improved practice
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Professional development for practitioners is a
good investment

• Staff turnover can cost an organization 29-40 of
  the positions salary when factoring for
  recruiting, hiring, training and lost
  productivity
• Professional development can decrease staff
  turnover by increasing practitioner job
  satisfaction and confidence

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Professional Development System Characteristics

• 1. The required knowledge, skills and abilities
  (KSAs) of youth service practitioners in the
  organization have been identified
• 2. Job descriptions, recruiting, hiring and
  training practices reflect these KSAs
• 3. Program or process is in place and provides
  support to oversee professional development

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Professional Development System Characteristics

• 4. Staff have meaningful opportunities to
  develop and practice new knowledge and skills
• 5. Staff participate in identifying important
  areas for professional development
• 6. Staff have personalized development plans
• 7. There is a method to assess staff attainment
  of required KSAs

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Professional Development System Characteristics

• 8. Adequate time and resources are allocated to
  professional development
• 9. Professional development is provided in areas
  of need and aligned with organizational mission
  and goals
• 10. Recognition of youth service practitioners
  with relevant and adequate KSAs is consistent and
  systematic

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Serving ALL youth requires specialized knowledge

• 30-40 of youth in foster care attend special
  education classes
• 36 of high school dropouts have learning
  disabilities and 59 have emotional or behavioral
  disorders
• 75 of youth in juvenile justice system have
  some type of disability
• See Why Professional Development? Info Brief
  for source information

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KSAs 10 Competency Areas

• Knowledge of the Field
• (theory, law, professional ethics)
• 2. Communication with Youth
• (respect, listening, diversity, advocacy)

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KSAs 10 Competency Areas

• 3. Assessment Individual Planning
• (informed choice, tools, track progress)
• 4. Relationship to Family Community
• (engage family, connect to community)

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KSAs 10 Competency Areas

• 5. Workforce Preparation
• (skill-building, coaching, job matching)
• 6. Career Exploration
• (tools, engage employers, market trends)

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KSAs 10 Competency Areas

• 7. Relationships with Employers
• (recruit, engage, mediate, train, support)
• 8. Connection to Resources
• (identify, network, collaborate, market own)

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KSAs 10 Competency Areas

• 9. Program Design Delivery
• (know systems, manage groups, evaluate)
• 10. Administrative Skills
• (referrals, team work, time management)

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Youth Services Endorsement

• The National Association of Workforce Development
  Professionals (NAWDP) offers a Certified
  Workforce Development Credential (CWDP)
• An additional specialty certification known as
  the Youth Services Endorsement is based on the 10
  KSAs
• Information on the Youth Service Endorsement can
  be found at www.nawdp.org

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Professional Development System Road Map

• Assess Identify the strengths and gaps in the
  KSAs of your organization
• Plan Identify strategies, resources and outcomes
  for professional development develop
  professional development plans for the staff
  and organization
• Build
• Strengthen Provide formal and informal
  professional development opportunities

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KSA Tools and Resources

• KSA Assessment for Organizations and Systems
• KSA Assessment for Practitioners
• KSA Professional Development Plan for
  Practitioners

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Strategies to support professional development

• Building consensus
• Setting requirements
• Maximizing and blending funding streams
• Requiring professional development goals in RFPs
  across systems
• Providing opportunities and funding for training

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Additional KSA Resources

• KSA Hot Topic (On-line, audience-specific pages)
• Why Professional Development? Info Brief
• KSA On-line Study Guide (with objectives,
  activities, demonstration of learning
  resources) See http//www.ncwd-youth.info/ksa/inde
  x.html

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Training Curricula and Other Initiatives for
Professional Development and Youth Work

• Global Career Development Facilitator
• http//www.cce-global.org/credentials-offered/gcd
  fmain
• Advancing Youth Development Curriculum
• http//nti.aed.org/Curriculum.html
• Next Generation Nonprofit Leaders Program
• www.humanics.org
• Council on Rehabilitation Education
• Disability and Rehabilitation Curriculum and
  Rehabilitation Counselor Education Courses
• http//www.core-rehab.org/