business partnerships 1. topics employment: understanding the landscape who are your primary...

Business Partnerships

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Topics

• Employment: Understanding the Landscape

• Who are Your Primary Customers?

• What Do Employers Need?

• Expanding Your Employer Base

• Adding Value to Business

• Building Sustainable Partnerships

• Customizing Your Approach

• Working Smarter…Not Harder2

Employment

Understanding the Landscape

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National Snapshot

According to the National Council on Disability:

• The Federal government operates a large number of programs designed to assist in the fostering of employment relationships.

• Despite considerable effort and investment, an employment rate for working-age Americans with disabilities of less than one-half that for the population as a whole.

• Data show lower incomes when people with disabilities do work and generally higher levels of poverty.

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Understanding Barriers

• While we know there is a pool of talented workers with disabilities, many barriers exist.

• We need to relieve employers of the range of fears and misconceptions that surely have prevented, and may continue to prevent, all too many from taking full advantage of the productive potential of workers with disabilities.

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Myths & Fears• There is a lack of full understanding of

why myths, fears, and stereotypes about people with disabilities continue to persist among employers.

• We must factor in these potential barriers when developing our outreach strategies.

• What myths and attitudinal barriers have you experienced and how have you addressed them?

National Disability Policy: A Progress Report National Council on Disability January 15, 2008

http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2008/pdf/RevisedProgressReport.pdf 6

Business Partners

Dual Customer Relationship

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The NationalVR-Business Network and the

Institute on Rehabilitation Issues (IRI) on VR Business Partnerships

What Can we Learn from this Model in Building Partnerships

with Employers?

Source: PowerPoint developed by Kathy West-Evans, Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), Director of Business Relations, http://www.rehabnetwork.org/busrel/

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Key Concepts

• Customer-Driven Networks

• Building and Sustaining a Business Partnership Network: “One Company” Approach

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Dual Customer Approach

• This term describes a customer service strategy that recognizes both INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES and EMPLOYERS or business as a customer.

• We are responsible for educating employers about the benefits of accommodations and assistive technology.

• This requires a dual customer approach in the delivery of services.

32nd IRI, "The VR-Business Network: Charting Your Course“ located at http://www.rcep6.org/IRI/tmpt/publications.htm#32nd

Dual Customer Approach

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NationalVR-Business Network

• Through this national network, there is a Point of Contact in each public VR state agency.

• Beyond this VR initiative, there may be many other priorities and projects of the public VR agency.

• Are you connected to these initiatives and can this be a potential “market” for your outreach efforts to employers?

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What Do Employers Need?

Putting your ear to the ground

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Understanding the Need

• Experts predict that by 2010 the American economy will support 168 million new jobs, yet there will only be 158 million workers to fill them.

• Add to this shortfall the increasing need for technology skills and the millions of seasoned workers—baby boomers—who are reaching retirement age.

• High unemployment continues to be a serious problem for the disability community. Only 32% of Americans with disabilities aged 18 to 64 are working, but two-thirds of the 68% who are unemployed would rather be working.

Provided by the Stacy Kyle of the PA Business Leadership Network, www.pabyln.org

Employers’ Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New

Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce, The Conference Board

• The future U.S. workforce is here—and it is woefully ill-prepared for the demands of today’s (and tomorrow’s) workplace. Among the most important skills cited by employers:

• Professionalism/Work Ethic• Oral and Written Communications• Teamwork/Collaboration and• Critical Thinking/Problem Solvinghttp://www.conference-board.org/Publications/describe.cfm?id=121 15

Targeting High Growth Clusters, Labor Market Analysis

• It is important for you to understand the potential impact of the labor market:– Priority career clusters– Growing industry– Projected employment trends

• To begin your labor market analysis, it is helpful to review your State’s Labor Statistics website

http://www.bls.gov/ro3/home.htm#data 16

The Bottom Line

How can you address the bottom line of employers?

• The bottom line of economics• The bottom line of procedures and

process• The bottom line of safety• The bottom line of efficiency• The bottom line of cost-effectiveness• The bottom line of workplace community• Many more…

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What VALUE do you Offer an Employer?

• Help the business save or make money• Expand the business• Increase their customer base• Solve a problem• Use old things in a new way• Improve the way things are being done

now• Respond to a problem in the community• Capitalize on or respond to a trend• What are your ideas? 18

Affiliating with Business Organizations

Questions to consider:• What business organizations exist in your

area?• What services do they provide?• Can you join?• Can you provide continuing education?• Can you include your information in their

literature, publications, websites, etc.?• What business organizations exist and

how have you affiliated with them to outreach to employers? 19

In Their Own Words: Employer Perspectives on Youth with Disabilities

in the Workplace

The following items are a few that these employers suggest for practitioners:

• To recruit companies for work experiences, market the competent service of the professional or organization representing youth with disabilities and the potential benefits to the company. Avoid charitable appeals based on disability.

In Their Own Words: Employer Perspectives on Youth with Disabilities in the Workplace, National Center on Secondary Education and Transition 2004,

http://www.ncset.org/publications/essentialtools/ownwords/default.asp 20


in the Workplace

• Get to know the industries and companies in your area; careful screening and matching are not possible without this knowledge.

• Seek out and cultivate internal champions who can advance the concept and the value of such work experiences within companies.

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in the Workplace

• Be ready to provide both formal and informal disability awareness training, tailored to the needs and circumstances of the company.

• In the long run, it is important to continue to seek out and listen to the voices of employers. With improved focus on the employer’s needs, there is good reason to expect improved adult employment outcomes for youth with disabilities.

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Listening to What Employers Need

• To forge successful partnerships with business, it is important to connect with and understand their “world”.

• How do you connect with the pulse of business in your state to fully understand the needs of employers, prior to designing your approach?

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Expanding Your Employer Base

Capacity Building Efforts

Source: Beyond Traditional Job Development, Denise Bissonnette, http://www.diversityworld.com/Denise_Bissonnette/index.htm

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Twelve Ideas for Expanding Your Employer Base

1. Start with People you Know

2. Keep up with National, State & Local News

– Industry trends, upcoming meetings/events, changes in local organizations and companies, business leaders

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3. Read Business Journals, Magazines and Other Newspapers

– Local business news, new products and services, Chamber of Commerce news, new businesses

4. Attend Meetings where People get Together on a Regular Basis for a Common Purpose

– Chamber of Commerce, community organizations, professional associations, volunteer groups 26


5. Attend special state, city, town and neighborhood events

– Public hearings, city council meetings, community development meetings

6. Join local, state and national organizations

– Identify networking opportunities (e.g. Retail Merchant’s Association, Educational Councils, Independent Insurance Agents) 27


7. Make Presentations to Clubs, Meetings, Conferences or Classes

– Who is in need of a luncheon speaker?

8. Attend Job Fairs and Conferences

9. Sponsor Training or Educational Events for Employers

10.Hold Special Events Involving Employers with the Program and Participants

– Award banquets, job shadowing days 28


11.Initiate and/or maintain contact with employers through mass and targeted mailings

– Promotional brochures, flyers, invitations, articles, newsletters, surveys.

12.Learn about Local businesses by using directories, journals and other written and/or electronic resources

– Library, service clubs, chambers, universities

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Expanding your Employer Base

• What strategies have you used to expand your employer base? What challenges have you experienced?

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Adding Value to Business

From an employer’s perspective

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Refining our Approach: An Employer’s Perspective

• Our approach can make or break future opportunities for individuals with disabilities to gain employment with those businesses that we contact.

• Language is key! Eliminate the use of the field’s jargon.

• Focus our materials on the benefits to employers.

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We will watch 20 minutes of the video streaming entitled “Adding Value to Business” presented by Erin Riehle, Project SEARCH, Children’s Hospital of Cincinnati to:

We will hear how we are perceived by business and why we should provide quality services.

Source: Training & Technical Assistance for Providers funded by Office of Disability Employment Policy, US Department of Labor, located at http://www.t-tap.org/. To view Erin’s presentation and supporting materials, click on http://www.t-tap.org/training/onlineseminars/riehle/riehleseminar.htm.

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What are they key points made in the video that impact your approach with employers?

Building Sustainable Partnerships

What is the impact of your behavior?

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Building Strong & Sustainable Partnerships with Employers Depends

on…• Trust• Reliability• Deliverability • Responsiveness• Consistency• Quality• Sustainability• Flexibility

32nd IRI, "The VR-Business Network: Charting Your Course“ located at http://www.rcep6.org/IRI/tmpt/publications.htm#32nd

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Building Partnerships with Businesses: Person-to-Person

• TRUST– Respect for each business partnership– Shares information with trusted

colleagues as needed• RESPONSIVENESS

– Timely response to partners, business, and individuals with disabilities

– Respects sense of urgency for requests

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• DELIVERABILITY– Delivers what is promised– Accurately defines services for

customers within capacity to deliver• CONSISTENCY

– Maintains comparable level of deliverability with all customers

– Ensures quality and consistency in services to business

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• QUALITY– Ensures services meet or exceed

expressed needs and standards of customer

• SUSTAINABILITY– Ensures staff are prepared to meet

changing needs of dual customer– Ensures smooth & seamless transition if

contact changes– Ensures the framework to build effective

networks is strong

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Council for Corporate & School Partnerships: Checklist for

PartneringThe following steps provide a road map for

creating, implementing, sustaining and evaluating partnerships between schools, community partners and businesses. The recommendations are designed to help leaders respond to the many opportunities – and challenges – that arise through long-term relationships.

Source: A HOW-TO GUIDE FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS, Council for Corporate & School Partnerships

(http://www.corpschoolpartners.org/guide.shtml)

Highlights of the Checklist for Partnering

• PRELIMINARY PLANNING – Determine how a partnership could enhance the

student experience.– Identify potential partners.

• LAYING THE FOUNDATION – Develop an understanding of each partner’s

desired level of involvement. – Assess the impact of the partnership on students. – Ensure that students and members of the

community are engaged. – Collaborate with partner to identify partnership

activities. 41

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Highlights of the Checklist for Partnering

• IMPLEMENTATION – Ensure that activities provide an opportunity for

students, teachers, and business employees to interact with each other and the community.

• SUSTAINING THE PARTNERSHIP – Secure explicit support and concurrence for the

partnership at all levels of the school and business.– Communicate regularly about intended and actual

outcomes. – Ensure both partners are publicly and privately

recognized.• EVALUATION

Customizing Your Approach

Targeting your audience

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Targeting your Audience within Businesses

• Personnel Management• Diversity Staff• Risk Management Department• EEO Initiative• Health & Safety Office• Training & Development Area• Many others…• What audiences have you targeted?

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Be Clear on Your Purpose

• What is that you hope to achieve? What is your motivation?

–Short-Term

–Long-Term

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Communicating with Employers

• Be clear on your deliverables – Demonstrate the value of your

information• State your interest and purpose up front• Produce and share clear and concise

materials and documents• Offer a menu of options, cover the

basics, and let the employer direct you to his/her needs/interests. Build on the employers’ ideas.

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Communicating with Employers

• Keep your descriptions simple.• Focus on the benefits rather than the

features of your program.• Speak the employer’s language

– No lingo!

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Defining your Service Options• Information sharing

– Written and/or electronic media• Self paced training opportunities

– Web based• Length of training

– Once and done– Realistic length of training module

• Capability of offering professional certification credits

• Other options you have defined?48

Defining your Methods of Delivery

• What is the timeliest means to deliver your message?– In Person Meetings– Webinars– Teleconferencing– Other

• What methods of delivery have you attempted and how has it worked? What is the length of your program? How often, if ever, is it repeated?

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Determining your Modes of Communication

• How do you plan to contact employers with your outreach materials? How might this vary, depending upon your targeted audience?– Telephone– Written Materials– Electronic Communication– Website Advertisements– Other

• What modes of communication have you used and how has it worked for you?

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Designing your Outreach Materials

• What is it that you have to offer employers that they may value?

• Create your outreach materials to reflect these “values”– Be clear and concise– Introduce your organization– Describe your purpose– Define your deliverables

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Recap of Topics

• Employment: Understanding the Landscape

• Who are Your Primary Customers?

• What Do Employers Need?

• Expanding Your Employer Base

• Adding Value to Business

• Building Sustainable Partnerships

• Customizing Your Approach

• Working Smarter…Not Harder52

business partnerships 1. topics employment: understanding the landscape who are your primary...

Documents

employers need

vr business partnershipswhat

business partnership

national network

director of business

national snapshotaccording

national disability

public vr agency