Bridging the Gap Between School and Work II

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Bridging the Gap Between School and Work II

• May 12, 2009
• Cherie B. Pressley
• Upstate Regional Education Center

http//personalpathways.sc.gov/upstate/
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• Education Economic Development Act
• Personal Pathways To Success

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• Personal Pathways to Success empowers youth by
  making education relevant to their aspirations
  and abilities, promising a better economy and
  quality of life for everyone in South Carolina.

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Upstate Gap Analysis
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Purposes

• Economic Development/EEDA
• Cherokee, Spartanburg and Union County and Career
  and Technology Education data for changes in
  curriculum offerings
• Student career development needs (career
  specialists and guidance counselors)
• Professional development needs for teachers
• Assist with grants and community services
• Assist with graduation strategies

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Data Collection

• Update of 2004 Analysis
• Primary Archival Sources SCDOE, SCDOC, USBLS,
  USCB, Spartanburg Community College, Upstate
  Workforce Investment Board
• Survey Data classroom teachers, career center
  teachers, other school personnel, students,
  parents, employers

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• Comprehensive career counseling must take into
  consideration not only pay, but also job demand.

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Employment Growth

• Of 361 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas
  (MSAs), Spartanburg MSA ranked 295th for average
  annual employment growth 2000-2007. This
  indicates that the most populous county in the
  Upstate has a low rate of employment growth by
  national standards. However, population growth
  in the Upstate was also slower than the state
  average from 1997 2007, 9.2 compared to 14.2.
  Upstate population growth is expected to
  continue to lag behind sate levels for the
  foreseeable future (S.C. Department of Commerce,
  2008).

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Employment Growth continued

• In 2007, the S.C. Department of Commerce was
  involved in recruiting 15,666 jobs and 4.45
  billion in capital investment to the state.
  Three of every five of these jobs were in the
  manufacturing sector and 34 of these jobs were
  located in counties without urban centers.
  Foreign investment accounted for 31 of all jobs
  recruited.

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Jobs and capital investment by sector for 2007
recruitment include Automotive 3,066 jobs and
1.69 billion in capital investment Plastics
965 jobs and 342.9 million in capital
investment Chemicals 616 jobs and 917.8
million in capital investment Distribution /
Logistics 2,159 jobs and 274.3 million in
capital investment Metal fabrication 1,879
jobs and 236.4 in capital investment
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Top Career Choices as Indicated on Individual
Graduation Plans

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IGP Data
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IGP Data continued
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Data Usage
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New Hire Competence

• Local employers reported that new hires
• Must have expert competence in personal
  qualities (responsibility, self-esteem,
  sociability, self-management, integrity/honesty)
• Must be very competent in basic skills
  (reading, writing, arithmetic, listening,
  speaking), thinking skills (creative thinking,
  decision making, problem solving, seeing things
  in the minds eye, knowing how to learn,
  reasoning), interpersonal relations, and
  acquiring, organizing, maintaining and evaluating
  information.

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Gap Analysis Conclusions

• Schools are not utilizing the data and tools
  available to access regional employment needs
• Neither schools nor employers are utilizing
  WorkKeys to any significant extent
• Schools, and especially career centers, need
  increased classroom and lab space, as well as
  upgraded technology and equipment

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Gap Analysis Conclusions continued

• In the Upstate training is being provided to
  students in specific skills areas that employers
  need
• Employers are willing to provide internships,
  shadowing and apprentice opportunities, and
  students are seeking the same opportunities
• Parents plan for their students to attend college
  at higher rates than students themselves plan to
  attend
• Students would like more access to career /
  college planning activities

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Gap Analysis Conclusions continued

• Degree attainment at Upstate colleges and
  universities is not sufficient to meet projected
  workforce demands in terms of number of degrees
  awarded and degrees by discipline
• Graduation rates must be improved at the high
  school level and the college level
• Preparation in the basic skills and the applied
  skills is critical, and survey results indicate
  that Upstate schools are doing this

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Recommendations

• Continue the establishment of formal and informal
  networks for collaboration and partnerships with
  business, education, and community leaders.
• Continue to convene partners for efficient and
  effective uses of Upstate resources.
• Explore faith-based and community support
  initiatives for after school and preschool
  support programs.

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Recommendations continued

• Provide for professional development needs of
  teachers and counselors.
• Provide students with mentors and provide
  mentoring training.
• Provide for professional development needs of
  teachers and counselors.
• Provide students with mentors and provide
  mentoring training.

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Recommendations continued

• Offer parenting support for student success with
  innovative workplace programs.
• Promote business - based extended learning
  opportunities for students for career planning
  purposes.
• Partner with the educational community for grant
  writing and funding initiatives to increase the
  dollars needed in the Upstate for increasing
  educational attainment initiatives for both K-12
  and higher education, and workplace readiness
  training.

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Recommendations continued

• Foster continued collaborative efforts between
  higher education and K-12 for alignment of
  courses and development of strategies for
  successful transition from K-12 to higher
  education.
• Increase cluster alignment with institutions of
  higher education for students and parent
  information development.
• Update equipment, technology and space in local
  career centers and some school districts.
• Increase the use of workforce projection data in
  the development of curriculum in educational
  institutions.

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Recommendations continued

• Increase career development efforts in the
  schools for students and families through
  management of appropriate duties of career
  specialists and counselors.
• Develop collaborative training programs in
  schools and in the community to enhance ethical
  behavior in the workplace.
• Increase communication efforts to promote
  awareness of community services that provide
  support to students and families in the Upstate

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Recommendations continued

• Continue to connect service providers to increase
  collaboration and decrease duplication efforts,
  as appropriate.
• Assist Union and Cherokee Counties to obtain
  necessary services / providers that are
  currently unavailable.

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Cherie B. PressleyUpstate Regional Education
Center

• http//personalpathways.sc.gov/upstate/