Structured Support Services Implementation

Canvas, the NCTC Learning Management System, is utilized by QEP faculty to provide a platform to access rubrics, utilize a course guides, build a repository of course content and support materials, and collaborate with other faculty in creating program-specific lessons and assignments that build employability skill awareness, articulation, and opportunities for application. Collaboration for curriculum design between academic deans, division chairs, and faculty members supports comprehensive and consistent content development within the programs/pathways.

Two semesters prior to scale-up into the new programs, the instructional dean and division chairs will begin meeting to choose which of the identified employability skills will be implemented, identify faculty for content development, and build rubrics and curriculum maps. One semester before the scale-up, identified faculty will be introduced to the QEP Faculty Task Force led by the QEP director and the instructional liaison for QEP outcomes and procedures. Faculty will begin building program-specific content and preparing for implementation into courses.

Support for instructional implementation is provided through multiple methods. Focus is given to providing space for collaboration, communication, and guidance while allowing instructors the flexibility to individualize and adapt employability skills lessons to their specific program pathways.

Faculty Task Force

The QEP Faculty Task Force is critical in creating relevant and applicable employability skill content for instruction. This task force will be populated by program faculty, division chairs, QEP faculty liaison and a career coach. Division chairs will choose faculty to create Aspire to be Hired lessons/assignments aligned with the needs of their programs/pathways. Following the initial act of content creation, faculty will remain on the task force to provide career development opportunities, feedback, continuous monitoring, and suggestions for QEP effectiveness. Faculty will be appointed to the task force the semester before program implementation and added to the QEP Faculty Canvas course. A career coach is assigned to the task force and will be responsible for coordinating task force meetings and career events.

The Faculty Task Force will:

• Participate in kick-off meeting and training, recorded, and available in Canvas course. • Create three content/assignments that introduce, reinforce, and assess each identified employability skill related to specific programs. • Provide additional training to program colleagues. • Meet two times per semester. • Host one career development event per semester.

Canvas Course

Aspire to be Hired: QEP Faculty Course has been designed to provide for collaboration and guidance. The Canvas’ course goal is to provide a repository of employability skill content, idea prompts, discussions, announcements and deadlines. It is also the official housing location for all Aspire to be Hired signature assignments, official rubrics, and the QEP course guide, which provides the framework for content/assignment requirements to meet the program outcomes. (Appendix H).

Rubrics

Rubrics were created by instructional deans, division chairs, a faculty liaison, and the QEP director to provide a consistent measure to be used throughout all Aspire to be Hired implemented courses. One rubric will be created for each employability skill. At this time, rubrics have been created for four of the eight employability skills being used for Aspire to be Hired, including ethical decision-making, problem solving, professional communication, and teamwork/collaboration. Additional rubrics will be built as programs add employability skills. The rubric provides a 3-point scale of Above Average (3), Average (2), Below Average (1), and No Submission (0). The rubric’s goal is to measure students’ understanding of specific employability skills (not assessed individually but as a part of a student’s ability to demonstrate the employability skill), and the program outcome of articulation. (Appendix I).

Employability Skill Course Guide

Division chairs, the QEP faculty liaison, and the QEP director will create a course guide of employability skills to assist faculty in meeting the QEP program outcomes (i.e., intentional instruction towards awareness, articulation (describe and discuss), and application). The course guide will provide a consistent outline for structure and allow for flexibility to meet program needs (Appendix J).

Structured Support Services Implementation

The Career Services Center will set goals and program objectives to align with the QEP’s mission and program outcomes. Career Services will provide training and

resources for career coaches to increase professional career development, specifically focusing on employability skills training. Career coaches were previously assigned program areas of specialty and tasked with researching career fields to provide relevant and accurate career development support for the programs assigned. Additionally, career coaches have chosen specific employability skills from the QEP’s identified skills to research and develop career services content. (Appendix K).

Course-Assigned Career Coaches

Each career and technical education program and course section will be assigned a designated career coach. Students will be assigned to a career coach during their first course that delivers Aspire to be Hired content. The career coach will outreach and engage with faculty and students to facilitate co-curricular employability skills training. Coaches will be mindful and adaptable to meet students where they are to provide relevant career development training.

Career coaches will connect with faculty and students to provide multifaceted services. Division chairs will create curriculum maps that identify the courses in which their chosen employability skills will be implemented each semester. Career coaches will be assigned to each class/faculty to partner in providing employability skill training. The QEP director will collect relevant student enrollment data and assign students to career coach rosters. Career coaches will utilize rosters to outreach to students, as well as track student appointments, activities and services. Outreach will provide students with relevant opportunities and resources. Career coaches will utilize Canvas, email, text messaging, and personal contact information to connect with faculty and students. Each career coach completes the NCTC Student Coach Training certification and will continue to enhance, research, and develop their knowledge and skills to provide accurate and relevant training to students and graduates. Career coaches will provide employability skill-specific workshops, videos, resources, and skills coaching.

Career Services Employability Skills Programming

Career Services will provide workshops and seminars consistent with the employability skills being taught each semester. Awareness of specific employability skills, as well as the importance of employability skills, is encouraged through live and virtual training that supports current course content. Various Career Service events that support skill articulation and application will be scheduled each semester, such as employer panel discussions, Power Half Hour seminars, and leadership development activities. The campus events calendar, department and institution social media, and the monthly Completion and Career Newsletter (distributed to all first-year students) will provide notification and information on upcoming career development programming (Appendix L).

Canvas provides multiple opportunities to engage students in their career development. The CareerLab in Canvas is a public course that will provide resources to students, faculty, and staff. The course will include career development and exploration articles, videos, resource pages, and links. Additionally, Career Services will partner with the NCTC Advising department and include a module in the All Student Advising group in Canvas. All currently enrolled NCTC students will be participants in this group. The Career Service module within this group will provide job postings (through CareerLion by Handshake), career exploration and development resources, resume resources, and other college and community resources. All module content will be reviewed and updated monthly. The First-Year Experience course will include a Career Development module with an Aspire to be Hired assignment. All first-time-in-college students will register for this course.

Career coaches will utilize a multifaceted approach to provide structured yet flexible services to meet faculty and students where they can receive services. Below are examples of the career development platforms that students can receive either in-person or virtually. • Individualized Career Coaching • Presentations, Workshops, and Seminars • Virtual Career Development - Skills 2 Succeed Academy (30 modules) - Student Lingo - Candid Career (74 professional employability modules; 8 NACE competency modules) - Purepost - Purepost Knowledge Center (30 modules) - CareerLion by Handshake - StrengthsQuest Assessment and Coaching - SkillsBuild by IBM (15 modules) - What Can I Do with This Major? - NCTC Career Services YouTube • CareerLab on Canvas • Career Fairs and Events

College-Wide Awareness Activities

With the development of Aspire to be Hired, awareness of career services will increase across the institution. Faculty in targeted courses will be required to integrate career services presentations in their classroom and partner with career services and Aspire to be Hired task forces to provide specialized career development directly to current students. Examples include career coaches providing a resume development workshop in the classroom, partnering with faculty and local employers to provide mock interviews to the entire class, and providing immediate feedback to students on portfolio, resume, and interview skills.

Career Services staff will increase engagement and collaboration with Student Services partners: advisors, Success Coaches, counselors, Enrollment Guides, recruiters, dual credit advisors, the Office of Student Life, Alumni Services, Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment committees, and EDI representatives. Career coaches will participate in FAQ sessions provided through advising, teach First-Year Experience courses, provide additional career development support for all FYE instructors, and participate in Student Services events, alumni “Lunch and Learn” presentations, and various awareness activities.

Career Services and the QEP director will increase participation, presentations, and awareness opportunities in Instructional Council, at In-Service events, and at instructional, support service, and leadership meetings.

The QEP will provide the following college-wide awareness activities and resources.

• First Year Experience (with an Aspire to be

Hired module) • All Student Advising Group in Canvas (with an

Aspire to be Hired module and resources) • Welcome Back Week, a community and wellness resources event for all NCTC students • Completion Center Monthly Newsletter • Instructional Council updates and presentations • District Leadership presentations • Faculty and Staff In-Service • Advisory Committee presentations • Faculty In-Service presentations • Staff In-Service presentations • Instructional Program Preview Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment data indicated employers desired increased engagement with students and that students benefit from experiential learning opportunities. QEP task forces will provide collaboration and interaction between stakeholders, build communities dedicated to the professional development of students through cross-collaborative events and training. Leadership opportunities will exist for students through participation in and collaboration with professionals.

The QEP will also rely on task forces, managed through the Career Services Center, to bring additional stakeholders into the conversation.

Task Forces

The QEP’s success will depend significantly on creating a culture of employability. Implementation of multiple QEP task forces seeks to create broad-based institutional and community support, engagement, and commitment by all stakeholders. The QEP task forces allow for active engagement in the professional employability training of students by faculty, employers, community members, and staff. Each task force provides a platform for a specifically interested population while providing opportunities for cross-collaboration.

Task forces will meet regularly, deliver career development programming, and provide a connection between students and employers. Task Force members will be added as Aspire to be Hired scales into additional programs. The Professional Partners Task Force will include local employers and professionals. The Ambassador Task Force will include students and alumni.

Professional Partners Task Force

In response to the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment mentioned earlier, the QEP will increase and improve communication with external constituents. The Professional Partners Task Force will connect the college with community partners to provide training and opportunities to students and graduates. This task force will be populated by local employers, community partners, various professionals from the college, and a career coach. Employers will be recruited from Advisory committees, NCTC Foundation department, and career services employer partners. Community members will be recruited through agencies engaged with Career Services and other student support departments and Foundation partners. NCTC Human Resources, college leadership, and industry professionals will be internally recruited.

The Professional Partners Task Force will:

• Began recruiting members in Summer 2021. • Kickoff in Fall 2021. • Meet at least one time per long semester. • Provide at least two career events per long semester. • Offer career development opportunities, including job shadowing, career panels, mock interview sessions, and employer expectations training.

Ambassador Task Force

The Ambassador Task Force will engage students and alumni to provide leadership opportunities and connect them with industry professionals. This task force will consist of students from included programs and pathways, students seeking leadership opportunities, students seeking increased career readiness skills, graduates seeking leadership and training opportunities, and career coaches. Students will be recruited from various programs and groups on campus to represent their interests and share career development opportunities with a broader audience. Students will remain on the task force post-graduation as alumni, and alumni will be recruited in partnership with the Alumni Coordinator. A vital component of the Ambassador Task Force is interaction with the Faculty and Professional Partners Task Forces. The Ambassador

Task Force will:

• Begin Spring 2022. • Meet at least two times per long semester. • Identify at least one member to participate in

Faculty and Professional Partner meetings. • Identify at least one member to participate in the career presentation of other task forces. • Present at least two Peer Career Development opportunities each semester. • Participate in the Student Leadership Conference. • Partner with Career Coaches in career development presentations.