The Career Readiness Planning Institute
The purpose of the planning institute is to share models for statewide alignment around the certificate and to provide support as the leadership team from your state adapts the material to the specific needs of your state. The models are based on lessons learned and best practices from the leading states. These models will help your team to develop: (1) specific goals for your state, (2) a budget for the statewide implementation, and (3) Return on Investment (ROI) calculations to quantify the benefits of statewide alignment around the certificate in financial terms.
The Planning Institute – A Seminar and Planning Event
The planning institute is designed to help the leaders in your state with your program. It would be optimal if the 10 to 15 key leaders in your state that will be responsible for the planning and leadership of the certificate program attend. Additional suggestions for membership in your “Guiding Team” are provided on page 9.
While we are calling this an institute, the sessions are essentially a three-day seminar with a mix of training and technical assistance to help your state make your plan and budget.
The following models have been developed to assist with this effort:
- The Statewide Alignment Model
- The Eight-Step Alignment Process
- Penciltucky Budget Illustration
- Skills Now! – A Case for Urgent Action to Build the Skills of America’s Workers
- Goal #1 – Employer Engagement (including the Employer Handbook)
- Goal #2 – Learning: Improving Workplace Relevant Skills
- Goal #3 – Skill Certification Systems (including NAM, NCCER, etc.)
The event will run for 3 days. Participants are asked to arrive the previous day, if needed. We will spend all day on day one learning about the above models. The key emphasis is on the Alignment Model, the Eight-Step Process, the Penciltucky Budget, and Employer Engagement. The Skills Now presentation will be used as an overview and introduction. It is recommended that each participant download Skills Now! and read the presentation ahead of the sessions so that all participants are ready to work immediately upon arrival. The career coaching model and the certificate systems will not be a prime focus but are provided so the team is fully informed of potential next steps that deal effectively with the alignment of “soft skills” and occupational skills with the certificate. There will be exercises and time for discussion so that the team has adequate time to absorb the material and begin application to the state’s specific needs.
Example outlines for Michigan and Oklahoma Institues are provided in the document links to the right. Institute agendas are customized to best meet the needs of the group.