Recruiting into Program
STEP-UP used to go out to schools and organizations to reach out but now they are big enough and well-enough established. Students apply online (Link to STEP-UP's internship application). Students meeting criteria are invited to job training. STEP-UP uses a CRM software (Microsoft PowerObjects) to track student progress.
Work Readiness Training
STEP-UP provides different trainings tailored to two different tiers: Achieve and Discover. Students attend one of four scheduled day-long Saturday training sessions. Their material is based the Department of Labor Skills to Pay Bills program. Students are evaluated (both self evaluations and instructor) and ranked.
Students going to more challenging internships (health care) are given additional training. They also offer extra trainings like financial literacy.
Mock Interviews
One day mock interviews at the Convention Center. Everyone invited back goes through the mock interviews (about 80%).
Rankings
This is how they determine if a youth is work ready:
Youth completes application and qualifies for program
Youth is invited to attend training and successfully completes training (miss their training makes them ineligible to proceed)
Youth is invited to partake in mock interviews (they’re evaluated by interviewer and they determine if participant is ready or not to proceed; they use a certain evaluation that she is in the process of sending me. Basically it’s whether they answered questions well and professionally and had a successful interview)
Youth is invited to apply for an internship
Youth applies for internship and interviews. The supervisor determines if they are a good fit or not.
Job Shadowing
STEP-UP does not offer a job shadowing program. Some of their employers informally offer job shadowing as part of the internship experience.
Employer Recruitment and Training
Employer Selection Guidelines
Provide teen-appropriate internship
6 weeks long
15 hours per week
What else?
Training
Safety
Child labor laws
What else
STEP-UP loses about 10 employers and gain 10-15 new employers in the program each year. For new employers they provide training up front and check in with those employers more than repeat employers during the internship period.
Internships
Students are matched with employers and go through an interview process. The employers can choose not to hire the students and an alternative students may be provided. If there is still no match than the opening remains open.
Step-Up Achieve: Opportunities for youth 16-21 in the private sector businesses, public agencies or non-profits. These are youth who they feel are considered work ready and have the highest abilities.
Step-Up Discover: Opportunities for youth between 14-21 in entry-level summer jobs (i.e. park and rec). This is for students who have limited work experience and prepares them for Achieve internships.
Step-Up Explore: Opportunities for youth 14-21 to be a part of specialized work and training. This tier is specifically for those youth who are from recent immigrant families, have special needs and/or need additional support.
Other
2 site visits for each internship
End of year party for interns and employers
Send out weekly updates to employers and interns
Measuring Youth Outcomes
STEP-UP partners with MHA Labs to use their youth assessment tools around skill building. They had originally used the tool as both a pre- and post-internships, but with only 8 weeks for the program, it was too much work for the supervisors. They still hear from the supervisors that the assessment requires too much time even after changing to only a post-internship evaluation. And the questions are not as appropriate for the 14-16 year old teens as they are for the older youth.
They are also measuring the following outcomes:
High school graduation rate
College enrollment/persistence
Attendance
Behavior
Grades and test scores
STEP-UP does not measure any specific SEL outcomes except the ones in the MHA Labs assessment.
Evaluations
Surveys are given out to students before and after work readiness training. Questions attached below.
They have an informal program evaluation.
Suggestions from Tammy
Keep it simple and focus on quality, do not stretch.
Be picky the first year, we don’t want to over-commit ourselves and our resources.
Keep a scale that’s manageable
Leverage partnerships
Use simpler technologies as we are starting with fewer numbers.