Preparation for the Real World: An Entrepreneurship

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Preparation for the Real WorldAn
Entrepreneurship Workforce Readiness Training
Model
Presented by Nia Imani Fields Manami Brown
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Today we will discuss

• Introduction to the Maryland 4-H Entrepreneurship
  Workforce Readiness (EWR) Model
• Key Components of EWR Model
• Implementation
• Project Outcomes Evaluation

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But before we begin

• Ice Breaker!

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How did this all begin?

• Program Goals
• Teach youth/adult 4-H teams facilitation skills,
  and curricula on workforce readiness and
  entrepreneurship programs targeted to middle and
  high school youth in educational settings.
• Teach youth/adult participants the connection
  between personality assessment and career choice.
• Increase the number of 4-H entrepreneurship and
  workforce programs statewide.
• Increase dialogue/recommendations for creative
  community collaborations around workforce
  readiness and entrepreneurship programming.
• Transfer what they have learned by implementing
  business ventures in their educational programs
  and/or communities (via entrepreneurship clubs,
  workshops, newly developed businesses, etc.).

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Training Teams
Baltimore City Team
Baltimore County Team
Montgomery County Team
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Workforce Entrepreneurship Partnership

• The research on Workforce Readiness (WR)
• Increased academic success
• Enhanced decision making skills
• Increased opportunities for higher paying jobs
• Leads to community economic prosperity
• The research on Entrepreneurship programs
• National survey reports 4 in 10 young people ages
  8-21 are interested in owning their own business
• 99.9 of U.S. companies are small businesses
  (gt500 employees)
• Leads to community economic prosperity
• Natural collaboration between Workforce Readiness
  Entrepreneurship
• Skills gained from WR can prepare youth to be
  successful Entrepreneurs.
• Research shows that these program areas
  contribute to the overall well being and healthy
  development of youth.

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Sample Activity

• The Interview

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Importance of Youth/Adult Partnerships

• The research on Youth/Adult Partnerships
• Youth benefit from partnerships with adults when
  they are seen as individuals who are competent
  and able to contribute to important decisions
  that impact their communities.
• Associated with a decrease in risk behaviors,
  stronger communication skills and leadership
  experience, increased status and stature in the
  community, and improved competencies and
  self-esteem.
• Youth-targeted programs that involve youth in the
  program design, implementation, and evaluation
  stages are
• inclined toward increased relevancy and
• effectiveness.

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Sample Activity

• Two truths and a Lie

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Key Elements of Model
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Program Delivery
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Implementation

• Funded with a 15,000 grant to develop a
  statewide EWR training model.
• A needs assessment survey was administered via
  Zoomerang to 4-H educators.
• Recruited and trained EWR 4-H youth/adult teams
  from Baltimore City, Montgomery and Baltimore
  counties. (Tier 1)
• The EWR youth/adult teams participated in
  Train-the-Trainer Workshops and team building
  activities between June-October. Curricula
  included
• Be the E Entrepreneurship and Getting into the
  Act along with other supporting training,
  resources and materials.
• EWR youth/adult teams lead statewide training
  reaching 16 youth and 31 adults, representing 11
  counties/city. (Tier 2)

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Implementation Continued

• 7 youth/adult teams, representing 5 counties/city
  were awarded mini-grants to implement programs in
  their local communities with an intended reach of
  200 youth/adults (Tier 3)
• Overview of the different EWR Models within the
  mini-grant proposals
• Camp
• Club
• Afterschool Programs
• Community Programs
• Networking Activity

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Outcomes and Evaluation

• Process Evaluation
• What we learned about project implementation
• Outcome Evaluation
• What the teams learned and accomplished

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EWR Process Evaluation

• Train the Trainer End of Session Responses
• Relevant
• High quality
• Useful
• Worthwhile
• EWR Training for County/City Teams End of Session
  Responses
• I learned a lot and it was a good experience.
• Everything went very smoothly.
• It was long, but worth it.
• Very organized! Nice to see the teamwork.
• Too much information in time allotted for
  training
• Tier 1 Overall Experience Quotes
• It was so much fun!
• I am prepared to consider business ownership and
  for job opportunities.
• I can prepare my resume without hesitation.
• I am no longer afraid to participate with people
  that doesn't necessarily come from my side of the
  tracks.

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EWR Outcomes

• Number of Youth/Adult Teams Trained
• 3 Training Teams (11 youth 5 adults)
• 11 County/City Teams (16 youth 31 adults)
• Knowledge Assessment
• Trainers and Trainees gained knowledge in the
  four key areas Personality Traits, Workforce
  Readiness, Entrepreneurship, Facilitation
  (pre/post tests)
• Knowledge Transfer
• Mini-Grant Proposals submitted by 7 teams
• 7 programs delivered in 4 counties and Baltimore
  City

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Resources

• Castellano, M., Stringfield S., Stone III, J.R.
  (2003). Secondary career and technical education
  and comprehensive school reform implications for
  research and practice. Review of Educational
  Research, 73(2), 231-272
• Entwisle, D.R., Alexander, K.L., Olson, L.S.
  (2000). Early work histories of urban youth.
  American Sociological Review 65(2), 279-297.
• Hughes, K.L., Bailey, T.R., Karp, M.M. (2002).
  School-to-work Making a difference in education.
  Phi Delta Kappan 84(4), 272-279.
• Israel, G.D., Beaulieu, L.J., Hartless, G.
  (2001). The influence of family and community
  social capital on educational achievement. Rural
  Sociology 66(1), 43-68.
• Kauffman- The Foundation of Entrepreneurship.
  (2007). Young People Want to Be Their Own Boss to
  Realize Their Ideas. www.kauffman.org. March 25,
  2009
• National 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System, Inc.
  (2004). Be the E Entrepreneurship.
• National 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System, Inc.
  (2004). Get In the Act.
• Russel, S., Polen, N., Hoffman Tepper, K.
  (2008). Building Partnerships for Youth.
  http//cals cf.calsnet.arizona.edu/. March 24,
  2009
• Schoenhals, M., Tienda, M. Schneider, B.
  (1998). The educational and personal consequences
  of adolescent employment. Social Forces77(2),
  723-7

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Contact Information

• Nia Imani Fields
• University of Maryland Extension
• 410-666-1025
• Nfields_at_umd.edu
• Kendra Wells
• University of Maryland Extension
• 301-314-7317
• klwells_at_umd.edu
• Alganesh Piechocinski
• University of Maryland Extension
• 301-590-2804
• algapie_at_umd.edu
• Manami Brown
• University of Maryland Extension
• 410-856-1850 ext. 111
• mbrown4_at_umd.edu