Sponsored by NTACT, Rich Luecking discusses the process of developing partnerships among stakeholders focused on the employment of youth with disabilities. Here’s an additional resource on this topic recommended by Rich, The Way to Work.
LIVE PRESENTATION: November 19, 2015 Recording Available.
ONLINE DISCUSSION: Questions and answers with Rich Luecking!
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Hello. Please share your questions and strategies about establishing partnerships and include any resources that you find helpful.
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What specific questions do you have about strategies for establishing school-community-business partnerships?
We are in a large county and the employer needs are high, so it is a great time to implement this. You mentioned it is best to have one contact; which is not an option in our county. How do you suggest we approach employers in a way that can be efficient and not overwhelming? We have a large employment initiative and staff from VR, Social Services, the Workforce Center, Community Corrections etc. are contacting employers. Do you see a crossover for this when all these departments have the same need (employment for clients); however, for different purposes (i.e. criminal record vs disability)?
Employer contacts by multiple entities in a large county is a ripe situation for collaboration. First it is important to understand that employers for the most part do not hire based on a categorical label, e..g, based on disability label, corrections status, etc. They are looking for partners they can trust to meet specific workforce needs. One approach in this situation is to engage the various player into a partnership where the partners jointly determine how to best present themselves to the community’s employers. Protocol might include: how to share job leads, a common repository of employer contacts, etc. At the very least, it is often helpful to decide on a protocol that says that once one professional or organization develops a relationship with an employer, then that organization becomes the single point of contact for that employer through which other partners should go through before making a separate contact with that employer. Also, it is important to solicit employer input into the operation of multiple agency collaborations as that input will be very helpful in insuring that the collaborations are designed to meet employer needs, not just the needs of the employment service entities.
What resources do you use to establish and manage partnerships?
Two resources that folks may find useful:
A Guide to Developing School-Community-Business Partnerships. Available for download at: http://www.transitionta.org/postschool
The Way to Work: How to facilitate work experiences for youth in transition. Regarding engaging businesses and employers, there is a chapter on recruiting employers, and a chapter on sustaining partnerships with them. This book is available to order from: http://www.transcen.org