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COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery

Leverage virtual technology platforms and software to develop industry-specific opportunities

Each example, to varying degrees, includes the following essential elements:

 Major employers are key.

In both the Charlotte Mayor’s Youth Employment Program (MYEP) and the DTE Energy Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP) examples, major employers (both large and growing) played major roles in the success of their respective programs. Due to their size, they are able to dedicate the human resources, and in some cases the financial resources, to providing summer employment opportunities for youth.

Commitment to growing talent for industries that are high-demand locally.

The MYEP and SYIP both focus on industries that are growing locally. The SYIP includes a focus on specifically growing the energy talent pipeline to ensure it has an ongoing supply of talent, while the MYEP program is focused on exposing youth to local opportunities in the city’s target industries as a talent development strategy and a workforce retention tool.

Robust partnerships improved program funding and programming.

The MYEP was closely connected to the secondary school system — both for funding and for access to teacher mentors — and the SYIP program had close partnerships with the local public workforce system and a youth-focused non-profit. These partnerships enhanced both programs’ ability to pivot quickly from an in-person to a virtual approach.

Leveraged virtual technology platforms and software to deliver engaging, relevant content.

In both examples, the lead organization procured one or more third parties to provide or develop content to use in their virtual internship program. MYEP’s solution was totally customized, while SYIP’s was more “off the shelf,” but in both cases, the use of a blended approach — engagement in a web-based program plus employer-specific activities — allowed the programs to provide a rich, diverse experience.

Virtual pathways consisted of:

  • Skills development provided in partnership with Radius Learning and LinkedIn Learning
  • Work-based adventures to expose participants to the tasks they will face in future roles
  • Coaching sessions with team leads from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
  • Industry interactive sessions with representatives from local employers
  • Life skills sessions focused on developing confidence and professional habits

The design of each pathway included Radius Learning’s 360° Future Skills Fundamentals framework that focuses on the changing skills needed for the next generation of work. Key skill areas include organizational, socioemotional, rational, technological and entrepreneurial. The pathways and the platform were built by Radius Learning in about 90 days


Key Partnerships:

  • City of Charlotte Youth Programs administers the program and is one of the funders.
  • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) CTE provided Perkins funding for 20 Career and Technical Education teachers to mentor youth through the process.
  • The curriculum was developed and provided by Radius Learning and LinkedIn Learning.
  • Radius Learning built the platform.
  • Industry partners included Bank of America, Atrium Healthcare, Siemens, Accenture, Sealed Air, Rare Roots Hospitality, Red Ventures, Balfour Beatty Construction, Corsan, LS3P, Beacon Partners, Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, Project 658, Messer.
  • Although the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council did not provide funding for the project, the organization advocated on behalf of the MYEP, which was very helpful.

Funding:

The total budget of the MYEP program was approximately $474,680 (not including six staff members). Of that, business partners donated approximately $277,280 for student scholarships. The virtual platform (developed by Radius) cost $100,000 of which $72,590 was paid by the City and $27,140 was paid by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Key Challenges:

Leveraging funding streams to pay students.

One challenge identified by the MYEP team was determining how to utilize the various funding streams available to provide monetary compensation to students. The city revised its vendor requirements to allow students to receive scholarships at the end of the program. Youth were classified as “program participants” and staff provided hours completion documentation to the city’s Human Resources Department. An additional 100 students were funded through CMS and turned in weekly timesheets.

Access to technology and the Internet.

The city leveraged federal Perkins funding provided through CMS and corporate donations to ensure all participating youth had access to a Chromebook and hotspot. MYEP provided hotspots to students who were not enrolled in CMS. Although Chromebook limitations caused some students to experience technical issues when accessing the learning platform, the close relationship with Radius Learning allowed the City of Charlotte and CMS to real-time troubleshoot issues for students. Platform developers now have working knowledge of Chromebook limitations and can develop future content that will work with all available equipment provided to the students.

Summary of Project Impact

  • 50-plus professionals engaged with youth
  • 291 youth earned certificates provided by top employers.
  • Youth in the program:
    – Developed new financial technologies with Bank of America
    – Reimagined the city’s infrastructure with Siemens
    – Expanded healthcare access with Atrium
    – Developed sustainable innovations with Sealed Air
    – Designed platforms to support small businesses with Accenture

Steps to Success – Step 3

Step 3a: Employer Partnerships

  1. Sign up employers for 3–5 tracks.
    • Develop concepts for 5 tracks.
    • Share track concepts with prospective industry partners.
    • Scope engagement with executives at prospective employers. Executives communicate hiring challenges and future talent needs.
    • Present employers with custom track concepts resulting from scoping sessions.
    • Sign up 3–5 employers to lead tracks.
  2. Engage employer in scoping pathways
    • Executive assigns a liaison/champion for pathway success.
    • Managers share sample tasks and job assignments for target occupations.
    • HR shares hiring assessments and candidate criteria.
    • Develop pathway and submit concepts for review and collaborative editing with employer.
    • Employer sets target outcomes (ideal number of students, potential hiring commitments) for success.
    • Employer approves pathway
  3. Schedule employer volunteers to engage with youth.
    • Managers upload videos, write welcome messages, and provide introductory letters for each pathway stage.
    • Assign managers to coach/engage with student teams at structured touchpoints throughout the program.
    • Develop and provide for employer review a schedule of programmed interactions for employees engaged in the delivery of pathway program.
    • Schedule 2–3 webinars with SMEs from the company.

Step 3b: Learning and Experience Design

  1.  Develop pathway blueprints
    • Develop learning design architecture and refine with team.
    •  Collaborate with school CTE program to define conditions for student success and scope pathway skills for beginner skill level.
    • Develop blueprint for the required number of hours, outlining authentic work-based tasks to be completed at each stage.
    • Based on employer feedback, adapt pathway for each track.
  2. Develop pathway for each track
    • Define separate assignments and work-based learning tasks for each track based on employer feedback.
    • Build in LinkedIn Learning paths to provide interactive content for each track.
    • Demo a day in the life of a youth participant to partners and refine based on feedback.
    • Submit pathways to partners and employers for collaborative review.
  3. Demo student experience
    • Present experience to select youth participants and get feedback. Refine.
    • Build assessment systems for managers to provide feedback to students at key stages.
    • Schedule interactions between students and managers to align with pathway content.
    • Demo pathways to partners as time allows prior to program launch.

Step 3c: Digital Design and Development

  1. Build pathways with interactive platform
    • Define essential features for each track.
    • Test features on platform.
    • Scope virtual experience and interactive elements.
  2.  Demo and launch virtual pathways.
    • Upload each pathway onto the platform and demo to partners. Test IT infrastructure.
    • License team subscriptions for tools to assign to students.
    • Launch virtual pathways for students to access.

Step 3d: Pathway Delivery Plan

  1. Schedule pathway programming and delivery.
    • Schedule the complete set of interactions between students, industry partners, and volunteers.
    • Work with partners to define conditions for a successful experience for each stakeholder.
    •  Develop, refine, approve pathway management (outcomes strategy) plan.

Cost and Time Commitments:

The MYEP team was able to reimagine this program within 90 days due in large part to their partnerships with CMS and major employers in the region as well as its ability to rapidly procure the services of a learning technology partner.

Additionally, because this was a city-run program, the City of Charlotte Youth Programs staff were able to bring to bear their own staff time to redesign the program. For cities interested in duplicating this model, the time and resources required will depend on a variety of factors including:

  • Existing relationships and coordination with partners and employers
  • Ability to leverage third party vendors to quickly design and develop programming and/or other needed program elements
  • Availability of staff to redesign the program
  • Funding flexibility. Although Charlotte was able to pull this off in 90 days, MYEP leadership noted that additional planning time would have benefited their model and likely allowed for the inclusion of additional pathways and participants.

Chicago

Do:

Act early:

  • Begin to reimagine how to provide services via an asset-based approach.
  • Identify elements and infrastructure currently available to your program.
  • Think about what additional elements, infrastructure, and technology would be nice to have (virtual learning platform, funding for stipends, additional staff support, alignment with in-demand industry sectors, etc.).
  • Identify partners with similar missions and initiatives who may be interested in collaborating. Use your connections across your economic ecosystem to help identify industry partners who can contribute (monetary, work-based learning assistance, etc.).
  • Come to the table with ideas. Be willing to listen to ideas of others.
  • Look for common ground that can help you develop a plan.
  • Do evaluate proven models, such as the Swiss Apprenticeship system that seek alignment between education and employment.
  • Do identify virtual work-based learning experiences that are flexible and offer access to future employment.
  • Do find partners who can deliver online learning platforms that track activity, hours, and progress.
  • Do think about scale and how this project can be scaled up for multiple participants or year-round learning.
  • Do reach out to local school systems to see how goals can be leveraged.

Don’t:

  • Don’t assume funding streams can all be used in the same way. Creative thinking and problem-solving may be needed to identify which program components each funding stream can support and how to ensure documentation requirements are met.



Key Partnerships:

  • DTE Energy provided internal in-kind support from across the company to ensure the success and sustainability of the program.
  • Multiple business units worked to develop the toolkit, provide IT hardware and support, and mentor and engage youth throughout their internships.
  • Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GDYT) is a citywide summer jobs program that trains and employs young adults between the ages of 14 and 24 for up to 120 hours.
  • Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC) is the City of Detroit’s workforce agency and reports to the Mayor’s Workforce Development Board, which was established by the Mayor of Detroit. DESC is also the lead agency for Detroit at Work, which provides job placement, search, training, career advisement and other supportive services to tens of thousands of Detroiters every year. DESC was instrumental in the redesign of the program.

Funding:

DTE and the DTE Foundation provided extensive financial and in-kind resources to support the Summer Youth Internship Program and a corresponding toolkit:

  • The toolkit was funded through in-kind and repurposed DTE corporate funds and developed in partnership with several DTE business units.
  • The DTE IT department set up a mobile laptop and hotspot assignment and support center to ensure all summer interns could successfully access virtual opportunities.
  • The DTE Foundation provides $600,000 every year to fund program operations and student stipends for career pathway interns that work at companies across the region and are registered with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent.
  • DTE dedicates two full-time employees to run its high school intern program; other staff helped as needed to support the transition to a virtual design. During the six-week program, four employees dedicated approximately 25% of their time to support the program.
  • DTE provided funding to GDYT at the end of 2019 to support the purchase of the Educational Data Systems, Inc. (EDSI) and Virtual Job Shadow platforms used for the internship program.

Key Challenges:

Virtual connections pose challenges to initial relationship building.

In the beginning, students took a bit longer to feel comfortable connecting with their mentors and DTE staff. DTE’s Workforce Development team worked to develop engaging programming with interactive segments each day including Motivational Mondays, TikTok Tuesdays, Wellness Wednesdays, and Interactive Thursdays. Mentors and staff also checked in with each student twice daily to build rapport with the students.

Virtual programs still need to help interns develop professional skills, while simultaneously introducing them to the workforce.

Interns need structure that supports both needs, so the program was designed with virtual work, virtual job shadowing, career awareness, essential skills training, mentorship, and networking components in mind.

  • 67% of the program focused on work within assigned business units
    – Job-specific work exposure
    – Virtual mentors
    – Capstone project
  • 33% of the program focused on career development
    – Office and skilled trades training
    – Motivational speakers
    – Virtual tours

Students’ home environments may not be ideal for a virtual internship approach

The program recognizes that students may join from challenging remote work environments or homes that are not ideally suited for remote work. Specific challenges included lack of air conditioning; a private, quiet place to work; and or home environments where students were uncomfortable sharing on camera. Purchasing virtual backgrounds for students can help students feel comfortable to turn on their camera while at home. Program mentors and leaders recognized this, focused on wellness of the student and worked to maintain engagement with students through daily check-ins and interactive programming in spite of these challenges.

Summary of Project Impact

DTE reports the following outcomes:

  • 95% of the 500 youth transitioned to virtual operations
  • 86 high school students (16–18 years old) served
    – 100% transitioned to a virtual internship
    – 80% completion rate
    – 300+ hours volunteered by mentors

DTE is committed to continuous improvement and asked all 500 students to complete surveys at the beginning and the end of the program. Of youth who participated:

  • 83% found it easy/very easy to transition to virtual work
  • 96% agreed/strongly agreed they developed meaningful connections
  • 81% rated their workgroups as highly or generally available and responsive and their leaders at 71%
  • 81% reported an excellent experience with their mentor
  • 60% prefer combination of virtual and on-site work
  • 24% prefer on-site work
  • 14% prefer virtual
  • 88% said the program fully met expectations or exceeded expectations

DTE expects that next year will see a hybrid approach and intends to use the feedback and data collected to improve the program and prepare for next year.

Chicago

Dos:

  • Do consider the high level of internal/in-kind resources that need to be committed both to organize the virtual internship program and mentor participants. The number of internships offered can be scaled, though, to match the available stipend and in-kind resources.
  • Do leverage the internal planning skills of your organization. DTE specifically capitalized on its internal consulting and planning skill set to redesign its programs.
  • Do look for ways to strategically partner with external organizations, identify areas where your missions align and engage leaders with a passion for outcomes. DTE was highly engaged with its local workforce agency and tapped into the experience of that organization and other non-profits.
  • Do communicate regularly with leadership and partners. Maintaining constant communication is important to ensure everyone is on the same page and working effectively and efficiently.
  • Do identify one or two big companies to guide/drive your city’s broader summer youth program, then ask the city’s leaders to bring in other companies for additional support. Include corporate giving and tax incentives in your “what’s in it for me” message.
  • Do use a competitive procurement process to identify vendors. Even if it is a fast process, this is valuable for ensuring that you buy a competitively priced product or service.
  • Do ensure your programming is developmentally appropriate. Youth can’t sit in front of a computer all day and stay engaged! Do remember “purpose” is more important than “process.” Be flexible and don’t let procedural issues become barriers to success.
  • Do expand your network of partners to the state and national levels. This provides opportunities to share your good work and also learn new approaches and strategies from other parts of the state and nation. DTE, specifically, is involved with the Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium, the Center for Energy Workforce Development, the Michigan State Department of Education and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
  • Do ensure you are focused on your company’s internship hiring timeline and discuss with your partners well in advance of the timing needed to source students. It can be overly burdensome or difficult to align your internal processes with external deadlines so it’s important to closely evaluate timelines and collaborate/adjust as needed.

Don’ts:

  • Don’t expect 100% student completion. Some students face challenging personal situations and home environments, and some will experience unexpected situations, e.g., needing to complete summer school due to pandemic-related disruptions in the spring, and may also have more than one job.

Learn more about the Workforce Tactical Guide

COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery

Integrate Programs to Achieve Better Delivery and Cost Savings

Why:

Department, agency, and/or program integration may make sense on a number of fronts. It can lead to cost savings, economies of scale, and efficiencies, as well as the ability to leverage additional sources of revenue. It can also help to join up complementary programming, which can lead to more targeted and effective delivery.


Learn more about the Toolkit

COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery

Help Your Industry to be at the Front of “The New Normal”

Why:

The pandemic is turning the travel industry upside down and has changed the way people think about travel. “The next incarnation of tourism is on its way.”

Do:

  • Do recognize that many governments and DMOs are siloed, risk-averse, and bureaucratic organizations, and will find it very hard to digitally transform. Therefore, partner with brands and technology vendors which are better placed to develop solutions.
  • Do seek innovative business and revenue models, where each party contributes something and each party benefits. Governments and DMOs should not underestimate the value of their authority, bully pulpit, data, audience reach and engagement, relationships, and ability
    to “get things done” in the city.

Don’t:

  • Don’t try to turn a DMO into a tech development company, as this is not your core strength.
  • Don’t undervalue your assets and don’t simply hand over your data. Try to price what it would cost the vendor/partner to purchase these assets or achieve the same benefits on the open market.

Learn more about the Tactical Guide

COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery

Develop partnerships with local stakeholders to quickly identify program gaps and to establish a mentor network

Virtual pathways consisted of:

  • Skills development provided in partnership with Radius Learning and LinkedIn Learning
  • Work-based adventures to expose participants to the tasks they will face in future roles
  • Coaching sessions with team leads from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
  • Industry interactive sessions with representatives from local employers
  • Life skills sessions focused on developing confidence and professional habits

The design of each pathway included Radius Learning’s 360° Future Skills Fundamentals framework that focuses on the changing skills needed for the next generation of work. Key skill areas include organizational, socioemotional, rational, technological and entrepreneurial. The pathways and the platform were built by Radius Learning in about 90 days


Key Partnerships:

  • City of Charlotte Youth Programs administers the program and is one of the funders.
  • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) CTE provided Perkins funding for 20 Career and Technical Education teachers to mentor youth through the process.
  • The curriculum was developed and provided by Radius Learning and LinkedIn Learning.
  • Radius Learning built the platform.
  • Industry partners included Bank of America, Atrium Healthcare, Siemens, Accenture, Sealed Air, Rare Roots Hospitality, Red Ventures, Balfour Beatty Construction, Corsan, LS3P, Beacon Partners, Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, Project 658, Messer.
  • Although the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council did not provide funding for the project, the organization advocated on behalf of the MYEP, which was very helpful.

Funding:

The total budget of the MYEP program was approximately $474,680 (not including six staff members). Of that, business partners donated approximately $277,280 for student scholarships. The virtual platform (developed by Radius) cost $100,000 of which $72,590 was paid by the City and $27,140 was paid by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Key Challenges:

Leveraging funding streams to pay students.

One challenge identified by the MYEP team was determining how to utilize the various funding streams available to provide monetary compensation to students. The city revised its vendor requirements to allow students to receive scholarships at the end of the program. Youth were classified as “program participants” and staff provided hours completion documentation to the city’s Human Resources Department. An additional 100 students were funded through CMS and turned in weekly timesheets.

Access to technology and the Internet.

The city leveraged federal Perkins funding provided through CMS and corporate donations to ensure all participating youth had access to a Chromebook and hotspot. MYEP provided hotspots to students who were not enrolled in CMS. Although Chromebook limitations caused some students to experience technical issues when accessing the learning platform, the close relationship with Radius Learning allowed the City of Charlotte and CMS to real-time troubleshoot issues for students. Platform developers now have working knowledge of Chromebook limitations and can develop future content that will work with all available equipment provided to the students.

Summary of Project Impact

  • 50-plus professionals engaged with youth
  • 291 youth earned certificates provided by top employers.
  • Youth in the program:
    – Developed new financial technologies with Bank of America
    – Reimagined the city’s infrastructure with Siemens
    – Expanded healthcare access with Atrium
    – Developed sustainable innovations with Sealed Air
    – Designed platforms to support small businesses with Accenture

Steps to Success – Step 3

Step 3a: Employer Partnerships

  1. Sign up employers for 3–5 tracks.
    • Develop concepts for 5 tracks.
    • Share track concepts with prospective industry partners.
    • Scope engagement with executives at prospective employers. Executives communicate hiring challenges and future talent needs.
    • Present employers with custom track concepts resulting from scoping sessions.
    • Sign up 3–5 employers to lead tracks.
  2. Engage employer in scoping pathways
    • Executive assigns a liaison/champion for pathway success.
    • Managers share sample tasks and job assignments for target occupations.
    • HR shares hiring assessments and candidate criteria.
    • Develop pathway and submit concepts for review and collaborative editing with employer.
    • Employer sets target outcomes (ideal number of students, potential hiring commitments) for success.
    • Employer approves pathway
  3. Schedule employer volunteers to engage with youth.
    • Managers upload videos, write welcome messages, and provide introductory letters for each pathway stage.
    • Assign managers to coach/engage with student teams at structured touchpoints throughout the program.
    • Develop and provide for employer review a schedule of programmed interactions for employees engaged in the delivery of pathway program.
    • Schedule 2–3 webinars with SMEs from the company.

Step 3b: Learning and Experience Design

  1.  Develop pathway blueprints
    • Develop learning design architecture and refine with team.
    •  Collaborate with school CTE program to define conditions for student success and scope pathway skills for beginner skill level.
    • Develop blueprint for the required number of hours, outlining authentic work-based tasks to be completed at each stage.
    • Based on employer feedback, adapt pathway for each track.
  2. Develop pathway for each track
    • Define separate assignments and work-based learning tasks for each track based on employer feedback.
    • Build in LinkedIn Learning paths to provide interactive content for each track.
    • Demo a day in the life of a youth participant to partners and refine based on feedback.
    • Submit pathways to partners and employers for collaborative review.
  3. Demo student experience
    • Present experience to select youth participants and get feedback. Refine.
    • Build assessment systems for managers to provide feedback to students at key stages.
    • Schedule interactions between students and managers to align with pathway content.
    • Demo pathways to partners as time allows prior to program launch.

Step 3c: Digital Design and Development

  1. Build pathways with interactive platform
    • Define essential features for each track.
    • Test features on platform.
    • Scope virtual experience and interactive elements.
  2.  Demo and launch virtual pathways.
    • Upload each pathway onto the platform and demo to partners. Test IT infrastructure.
    • License team subscriptions for tools to assign to students.
    • Launch virtual pathways for students to access.

Step 3d: Pathway Delivery Plan

  1. Schedule pathway programming and delivery.
    • Schedule the complete set of interactions between students, industry partners, and volunteers.
    • Work with partners to define conditions for a successful experience for each stakeholder.
    •  Develop, refine, approve pathway management (outcomes strategy) plan.

Cost and Time Commitments:

The MYEP team was able to reimagine this program within 90 days due in large part to their partnerships with CMS and major employers in the region as well as its ability to rapidly procure the services of a learning technology partner.

Additionally, because this was a city-run program, the City of Charlotte Youth Programs staff were able to bring to bear their own staff time to redesign the program. For cities interested in duplicating this model, the time and resources required will depend on a variety of factors including:

  • Existing relationships and coordination with partners and employers
  • Ability to leverage third party vendors to quickly design and develop programming and/or other needed program elements
  • Availability of staff to redesign the program
  • Funding flexibility. Although Charlotte was able to pull this off in 90 days, MYEP leadership noted that additional planning time would have benefited their model and likely allowed for the inclusion of additional pathways and participants.

Chicago

Do:

Act early:

  • Begin to reimagine how to provide services via an asset-based approach.
  • Identify elements and infrastructure currently available to your program.
  • Think about what additional elements, infrastructure, and technology would be nice to have (virtual learning platform, funding for stipends, additional staff support, alignment with in-demand industry sectors, etc.).
  • Identify partners with similar missions and initiatives who may be interested in collaborating. Use your connections across your economic ecosystem to help identify industry partners who can contribute (monetary, work-based learning assistance, etc.).
  • Come to the table with ideas. Be willing to listen to ideas of others.
  • Look for common ground that can help you develop a plan.
  • Do evaluate proven models, such as the Swiss Apprenticeship system that seek alignment between education and employment.
  • Do identify virtual work-based learning experiences that are flexible and offer access to future employment.
  • Do find partners who can deliver online learning platforms that track activity, hours, and progress.
  • Do think about scale and how this project can be scaled up for multiple participants or year-round learning.
  • Do reach out to local school systems to see how goals can be leveraged.

Don’t:

  • Don’t assume funding streams can all be used in the same way. Creative thinking and problem-solving may be needed to identify which program components each funding stream can support and how to ensure documentation requirements are met.


Key Partnerships:

  • DTE Energy provided internal in-kind support from across the company to ensure the success and sustainability of the program.
  • Multiple business units worked to develop the toolkit, provide IT hardware and support, and mentor and engage youth throughout their internships.
  • Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GDYT) is a citywide summer jobs program that trains and employs young adults between the ages of 14 and 24 for up to 120 hours.
  • Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC) is the City of Detroit’s workforce agency and reports to the Mayor’s Workforce Development Board, which was established by the Mayor of Detroit. DESC is also the lead agency for Detroit at Work, which provides job placement, search, training, career advisement and other supportive services to tens of thousands of Detroiters every year. DESC was instrumental in the redesign of the program.

Funding:

DTE and the DTE Foundation provided extensive financial and in-kind resources to support the Summer Youth Internship Program and a corresponding toolkit:

  • The toolkit was funded through in-kind and repurposed DTE corporate funds and developed in partnership with several DTE business units.
  • The DTE IT department set up a mobile laptop and hotspot assignment and support center to ensure all summer interns could successfully access virtual opportunities.
  • The DTE Foundation provides $600,000 every year to fund program operations and student stipends for career pathway interns that work at companies across the region and are registered with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent.
  • DTE dedicates two full-time employees to run its high school intern program; other staff helped as needed to support the transition to a virtual design. During the six-week program, four employees dedicated approximately 25% of their time to support the program.
  • DTE provided funding to GDYT at the end of 2019 to support the purchase of the Educational Data Systems, Inc. (EDSI) and Virtual Job Shadow platforms used for the internship program.

Key Challenges:

Virtual connections pose challenges to initial relationship building.

In the beginning, students took a bit longer to feel comfortable connecting with their mentors and DTE staff. DTE’s Workforce Development team worked to develop engaging programming with interactive segments each day including Motivational Mondays, TikTok Tuesdays, Wellness Wednesdays, and Interactive Thursdays. Mentors and staff also checked in with each student twice daily to build rapport with the students.

Virtual programs still need to help interns develop professional skills, while simultaneously introducing them to the workforce.

Interns need structure that supports both needs, so the program was designed with virtual work, virtual job shadowing, career awareness, essential skills training, mentorship, and networking components in mind.

  • 67% of the program focused on work within assigned business units
    – Job-specific work exposure
    – Virtual mentors
    – Capstone project
  • 33% of the program focused on career development
    – Office and skilled trades training
    – Motivational speakers
    – Virtual tours

Students’ home environments may not be ideal for a virtual internship approach

The program recognizes that students may join from challenging remote work environments or homes that are not ideally suited for remote work. Specific challenges included lack of air conditioning; a private, quiet place to work; and or home environments where students were uncomfortable sharing on camera. Purchasing virtual backgrounds for students can help students feel comfortable to turn on their camera while at home. Program mentors and leaders recognized this, focused on wellness of the student and worked to maintain engagement with students through daily check-ins and interactive programming in spite of these challenges.

Summary of Project Impact

DTE reports the following outcomes:

  • 95% of the 500 youth transitioned to virtual operations
  • 86 high school students (16–18 years old) served
    – 100% transitioned to a virtual internship
    – 80% completion rate
    – 300+ hours volunteered by mentors

DTE is committed to continuous improvement and asked all 500 students to complete surveys at the beginning and the end of the program. Of youth who participated:

  • 83% found it easy/very easy to transition to virtual work
  • 96% agreed/strongly agreed they developed meaningful connections
  • 81% rated their workgroups as highly or generally available and responsive and their leaders at 71%
  • 81% reported an excellent experience with their mentor
  • 60% prefer combination of virtual and on-site work
  • 24% prefer on-site work
  • 14% prefer virtual
  • 88% said the program fully met expectations or exceeded expectations

DTE expects that next year will see a hybrid approach and intends to use the feedback and data collected to improve the program and prepare for next year.

Adapt this approach:

DTE developed a detailed 31-page toolkit as a resource to help other organizations create a successful and efficient virtual internship program. The following map was developed by DTE to outline the development process:

Cost and Time Commitments:

DTE and the DTE Foundation provided extensive financial and in-kind resources to reimagine its Summer Youth Internship Program and develop the corresponding toolkit. Additionally, DTE’s ability to leverage the expertise of multiple divisions (IT, HR, Communications, etc.) within its own company contributed greatly to its success.

For companies interested in duplicating this model, the time and resources required will depend on a variety of factors including:

  • Existing internship program or experience with providing internships as part of a city-run program
  • Commitment and support from company (both financial and in-kind)
  • Relationships and coordination with external partners
  • Availability of funding
  • Availability of staff to design, implement, and run the program as well as serve as mentors.
Chicago

Do:

  • Do consider the high level of internal/in-kind resources that need to be committed both to organize the virtual internship program and mentor participants. The number of internships offered can be scaled, though, to match the available stipend and in-kind resources.
  • Do leverage the internal planning skills of your organization. DTE specifically capitalized on its internal consulting and planning skill set to redesign its programs.
  • Do look for ways to strategically partner with external organizations, identify areas where your missions align and engage leaders with a passion for outcomes. DTE was highly engaged with its local workforce agency and tapped into the experience of that organization and other non-profits.
  • Do communicate regularly with leadership and partners. Maintaining constant communication is important to ensure everyone is on the same page and working effectively and efficiently.
  • Do identify one or two big companies to guide/drive your city’s broader summer youth program, then ask the city’s leaders to bring in other companies for additional support. Include corporate giving and tax incentives in your “what’s in it for me” message.
  • Do use a competitive procurement process to identify vendors. Even if it is a fast process, this is valuable for ensuring that you buy a competitively priced product or service.
  • Do ensure your programming is developmentally appropriate. Youth can’t sit in front of a computer all day and stay engaged! Do remember “purpose” is more important than “process.” Be flexible and don’t let procedural issues become barriers to success.
  • Do expand your network of partners to the state and national levels. This provides opportunities to share your good work and also learn new approaches and strategies from other parts of the state and nation. DTE, specifically, is involved with the Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium, the Center for Energy Workforce Development, the Michigan State Department of Education and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
  • Do ensure you are focused on your company’s internship hiring timeline and discuss with your partners well in advance of the timing needed to source students. It can be overly burdensome or difficult to align your internal processes with external deadlines so it’s important to closely evaluate timelines and collaborate/adjust as needed.

Don’t:

  • Don’t expect 100% student completion. Some students face challenging personal situations and home environments, and some will experience unexpected situations, e.g., needing to complete summer school due to pandemic-related disruptions in the spring, and may also have more than one job.

Learn more about Workforce Tactical Guide

COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery

Create an Early Warning System

Create a red-yellow-green flag scoring system for the businesses in your CRM tool, based on the company-specific situation (e.g. plans by the parent company to consolidate, disrupted supply lines, virus outbreak at site), the impact of the pandemic and related economic downturn on the industry sector, and/or the business’ ability to reform and restructure to survive and thrive in a post-pandemic economy.

It may also be useful to ask your US State dislocated worker unit, or local government official in which the site is located to share Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notices about plant closings and mass layoffs.

Target your incentives and supports, and communicate state and federal supports towards the target employers most at risk of plant contraction, closings and relocations.


Learn more about Business Retention Strategies

Business Retention Strategies

COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery

Capacity-Building: Leverage the Strength of Community-Based Organizations


Project Components:

  • NYCEDC invites community-based organizations — including community development financial institutions, refugee resettlement organizations, ethnic business associations, and others — to submit proposals for scalable business concepts for supporting immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses.
  • Up to five organizations were selected by an expert panel to receive $25,000 each to pilot their programs and create a scalable business plan over a period of six months.
  • In addition to seed funding, awardees received technical support and from experts at the Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship at Baruch College, “a model of entrepreneurship education built around the collaboration of an institution of higher education, government and the private sector.”
  • At the end of the pilot period, the most successful and scalable program was selected to receive an additional award of $100,000 as well as promotional support to grow.
  • Examples of program ideas sourced and funded included a childcare business development program focusing on financial literacy, marketing, and help securing loans; a program that hired “roving educators” to provide businesses with information, gather feedback, provide technical assistance, and organize businesses to collaborate on marketing and other efforts; and a grand prize-winning project from the Queens Economic Development Corporation to help immigrants become licensed home improvement contractors, certified by the NYC Dept of Consumer Affairs.

Learn more about the Tactical Guide

COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery

Center programs around local, high-growth and high-demand industries


Key Partnerships:

  • City of Charlotte Youth Programs administers the program and is one of the funders.
  • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) CTE provided Perkins funding for 20 Career and Technical Education teachers to mentor youth through the process.
  • The curriculum was developed and provided by Radius Learning and LinkedIn Learning.
  • Radius Learning built the platform.
  • Industry partners included Bank of America, Atrium Healthcare, Siemens, Accenture, Sealed Air, Rare Roots Hospitality, Red Ventures, Balfour Beatty Construction, Corsan, LS3P, Beacon Partners, Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, Project 658, Messer.
  • Although the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council did not provide funding for the project, the organization advocated on behalf of the MYEP, which was very helpful.

Funding:

The total budget of the MYEP program was approximately $474,680 (not including six staff members). Of that, business partners donated approximately $277,280 for student scholarships. The virtual platform (developed by Radius) cost $100,000 of which $72,590 was paid by the City and $27,140 was paid by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Access to technology and the Internet.

The city leveraged federal Perkins funding provided through CMS and corporate donations to ensure all participating youth had access to a Chromebook and hotspot. MYEP provided hotspots to students who were not enrolled in CMS. Although Chromebook limitations caused some students to experience technical issues when accessing the learning platform, the close relationship with Radius Learning allowed the City of Charlotte and CMS to real-time troubleshoot issues for students. Platform developers now have working knowledge of Chromebook limitations and can develop future content that will work with all available equipment provided to the students.

Summary of Project Impact

  • 50-plus professionals engaged with youth
  • 291 youth earned certificates provided by top employers.
  • Youth in the program:
    – Developed new financial technologies with Bank of America
    – Reimagined the city’s infrastructure with Siemens
    – Expanded healthcare access with Atrium
    – Developed sustainable innovations with Sealed Air
    – Designed platforms to support small businesses with Accenture
Chicago

Steps to Success – Step 3

Step 3a: Employer Partnerships

  1. Sign up employers for 3–5 tracks.
    • Develop concepts for 5 tracks.
    • Share track concepts with prospective industry partners.
    • Scope engagement with executives at prospective employers. Executives communicate hiring challenges and future talent needs.
    • Present employers with custom track concepts resulting from scoping sessions.
    • Sign up 3–5 employers to lead tracks.
  2. Engage employer in scoping pathways
    • Executive assigns a liaison/champion for pathway success.
    • Managers share sample tasks and job assignments for target occupations.
    • HR shares hiring assessments and candidate criteria.
    • Develop pathway and submit concepts for review and collaborative editing with employer.
    • Employer sets target outcomes (ideal number of students, potential hiring commitments) for success.
    • Employer approves pathway
  3. Schedule employer volunteers to engage with youth.
    • Managers upload videos, write welcome messages, and provide introductory letters for each pathway stage.
    • Assign managers to coach/engage with student teams at structured touchpoints throughout the program.
    • Develop and provide for employer review a schedule of programmed interactions for employees engaged in the delivery of pathway program.
    • Schedule 2–3 webinars with SMEs from the company.

Step 3b: Learning and Experience Design

  1.  Develop pathway blueprints
    • Develop learning design architecture and refine with team.
    •  Collaborate with school CTE program to define conditions for student success and scope pathway skills for beginner skill level.
    • Develop blueprint for the required number of hours, outlining authentic work-based tasks to be completed at each stage.
    • Based on employer feedback, adapt pathway for each track.
  2. Develop pathway for each track
    • Define separate assignments and work-based learning tasks for each track based on employer feedback.
    • Build in LinkedIn Learning paths to provide interactive content for each track.
    • Demo a day in the life of a youth participant to partners and refine based on feedback.
    • Submit pathways to partners and employers for collaborative review.
  3. Demo student experience
    • Present experience to select youth participants and get feedback. Refine.
    • Build assessment systems for managers to provide feedback to students at key stages.
    • Schedule interactions between students and managers to align with pathway content.
    • Demo pathways to partners as time allows prior to program launch.

Step 3c: Digital Design and Development

  1. Build pathways with interactive platform
    • Define essential features for each track.
    • Test features on platform.
    • Scope virtual experience and interactive elements.
  2.  Demo and launch virtual pathways.
    • Upload each pathway onto the platform and demo to partners. Test IT infrastructure.
    • License team subscriptions for tools to assign to students.
    • Launch virtual pathways for students to access.

Step 3d: Pathway Delivery Plan

  1. Schedule pathway programming and delivery.
    • Schedule the complete set of interactions between students, industry partners, and volunteers.
    • Work with partners to define conditions for a successful experience for each stakeholder.
    •  Develop, refine, approve pathway management (outcomes strategy) plan.

Cost and Time Commitments:

The MYEP team was able to reimagine this program within 90 days due in large part to their partnerships with CMS and major employers in the region as well as its ability to rapidly procure the services of a learning technology partner.

Additionally, because this was a city-run program, the City of Charlotte Youth Programs staff were able to bring to bear their own staff time to redesign the program. For cities interested in duplicating this model, the time and resources required will depend on a variety of factors including:

  • Existing relationships and coordination with partners and employers
  • Ability to leverage third party vendors to quickly design and develop programming and/or other needed program elements
  • Availability of staff to redesign the program
  • Funding flexibility. Although Charlotte was able to pull this off in 90 days, MYEP leadership noted that additional planning time would have benefited their model and likely allowed for the inclusion of additional pathways and participants.

Chicago

Do:

Act early:

  • Begin to reimagine how to provide services via an asset-based approach.
  • Identify elements and infrastructure currently available to your program.
  • Think about what additional elements, infrastructure, and technology would be nice to have (virtual learning platform, funding for stipends, additional staff support, alignment with in-demand industry sectors, etc.).
  • Identify partners with similar missions and initiatives who may be interested in collaborating. Use your connections across your economic ecosystem to help identify industry partners who can contribute (monetary, work-based learning assistance, etc.).
  • Come to the table with ideas. Be willing to listen to ideas of others.
  • Look for common ground that can help you develop a plan.
  • Do evaluate proven models, such as the Swiss Apprenticeship system that seek alignment between education and employment.
  • Do identify virtual work-based learning experiences that are flexible and offer access to future employment.
  • Do find partners who can deliver online learning platforms that track activity, hours, and progress.
  • Do think about scale and how this project can be scaled up for multiple participants or year-round learning.
  • Do reach out to local school systems to see how goals can be leveraged.

Don’t:

  • Don’t assume funding streams can all be used in the same way. Creative thinking and problem-solving may be needed to identify which program components each funding stream can support and how to ensure documentation requirements are met


Key Partnerships:

  • DTE Energy provided internal in-kind support from across the company to ensure the success and sustainability of the program.
  • Multiple business units worked to develop the toolkit, provide IT hardware and support, and mentor and engage youth throughout their internships.
  • Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GDYT) is a citywide summer jobs program that trains and employs young adults between the ages of 14 and 24 for up to 120 hours.
  • Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC) is the City of Detroit’s workforce agency and reports to the Mayor’s Workforce Development Board, which was established by the Mayor of Detroit. DESC is also the lead agency for Detroit at Work, which provides job placement, search, training, career advisement and other supportive services to tens of thousands of Detroiters every year. DESC was instrumental in the redesign of the program.

Funding:

DTE and the DTE Foundation provided extensive financial and in-kind resources to support the Summer Youth Internship Program and a corresponding toolkit:

  • The toolkit was funded through in-kind and repurposed DTE corporate funds and developed in partnership with several DTE business units.
  • The DTE IT department set up a mobile laptop and hotspot assignment and support center to ensure all summer interns could successfully access virtual opportunities.
  • The DTE Foundation provides $600,000 every year to fund program operations and student stipends for career pathway interns that work at companies across the region and are registered with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent.
  • DTE dedicates two full-time employees to run its high school intern program; other staff helped as needed to support the transition to a virtual design. During the six-week program, four employees dedicated approximately 25% of their time to support the program.
  • DTE provided funding to GDYT at the end of 2019 to support the purchase of the Educational Data Systems, Inc. (EDSI) and Virtual Job Shadow platforms used for the internship program.

Key Challenges:

Virtual connections pose challenges to initial relationship building.

In the beginning, students took a bit longer to feel comfortable connecting with their mentors and DTE staff. DTE’s Workforce Development team worked to develop engaging programming with interactive segments each day including Motivational Mondays, TikTok Tuesdays, Wellness Wednesdays, and Interactive Thursdays. Mentors and staff also checked in with each student twice daily to build rapport with the students.

Virtual programs still need to help interns develop professional skills, while simultaneously introducing them to the workforce.

Interns need structure that supports both needs, so the program was designed with virtual work, virtual job shadowing, career awareness, essential skills training, mentorship, and networking components in mind.

  • 67% of the program focused on work within assigned business units
    – Job-specific work exposure
    – Virtual mentors
    – Capstone project
  • 33% of the program focused on career development
    – Office and skilled trades training
    – Motivational speakers
    – Virtual tours

Students’ home environments may not be ideal for a virtual internship approach

The program recognizes that students may join from challenging remote work environments or homes that are not ideally suited for remote work. Specific challenges included lack of air conditioning; a private, quiet place to work; and or home environments where students were uncomfortable sharing on camera. Purchasing virtual backgrounds for students can help students feel comfortable to turn on their camera while at home. Program mentors and leaders recognized this, focused on wellness of the student and worked to maintain engagement with students through daily check-ins and interactive programming in spite of these challenges.

Summary of Project Impact

DTE reports the following outcomes:

  • 95% of the 500 youth transitioned to virtual operations
  • 86 high school students (16–18 years old) served
    – 100% transitioned to a virtual internship
    – 80% completion rate
    – 300+ hours volunteered by mentors

DTE is committed to continuous improvement and asked all 500 students to complete surveys at the beginning and the end of the program. Of youth who participated:

  • 83% found it easy/very easy to transition to virtual work
  • 96% agreed/strongly agreed they developed meaningful connections
  • 81% rated their workgroups as highly or generally available and responsive and their leaders at 71%
  • 81% reported an excellent experience with their mentor
  • 60% prefer combination of virtual and on-site work
  • 24% prefer on-site work
  • 14% prefer virtual
  • 88% said the program fully met expectations or exceeded expectations

DTE expects that next year will see a hybrid approach and intends to use the feedback and data collected to improve the program and prepare for next year.

Adapt This Approach:

DTE developed a detailed 31-page toolkit as a resource to help other organizations create a successful and efficient virtual internship program. The following map was developed by DTE to outline the development process:

Cost and Time Commitments
DTE and the DTE Foundation provided extensive financial and in-kind resources to reimagine its Summer Youth Internship Program and develop the corresponding toolkit. Additionally, DTE’s ability to leverage the expertise of multiple divisions (IT, HR, Communications, etc.) within its own company contributed greatly to its success.

For companies interested in duplicating this model, the time and resources required will depend on a variety of factors including:

  • Existing internship program or experience with providing internships as part of a city-run program
  • Commitment and support from company (both financial and in-kind)
  • Relationships and coordination with external partners
  • Availability of funding
  • Availability of staff to design, implement, and run the program as well as serve as mentors.
Chicago

Do:

  • Do consider the high level of internal/in-kind resources that need to be committed both to organize the virtual internship program and mentor participants. The number of internships offered can be scaled, though, to match the available stipend and in-kind resources.
  • Do leverage the internal planning skills of your organization. DTE specifically capitalized on its internal consulting and planning skill set to redesign its programs.
  • Do look for ways to strategically partner with external organizations, identify areas where your missions align and engage leaders with a passion for outcomes. DTE was highly engaged with its local workforce agency and tapped into the experience of that organization and other non-profits.
  • Do communicate regularly with leadership and partners. Maintaining constant communication is important to ensure everyone is on the same page and working effectively and efficiently.
  • Do identify one or two big companies to guide/drive your city’s broader summer youth program, then ask the city’s leaders to bring in other companies for additional support. Include corporate giving and tax incentives in your “what’s in it for me” message.
  • Do use a competitive procurement process to identify vendors. Even if it is a fast process, this is valuable for ensuring that you buy a competitively priced product or service.
  • Do ensure your programming is developmentally appropriate. Youth can’t sit in front of a computer all day and stay engaged! Do remember “purpose” is more important than “process.” Be flexible and don’t let procedural issues become barriers to success.
  • Do expand your network of partners to the state and national levels. This provides opportunities to share your good work and also learn new approaches and strategies from other parts of the state and nation. DTE, specifically, is involved with the Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium, the Center for Energy Workforce Development, the Michigan State Department of Education and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
  • Do ensure you are focused on your company’s internship hiring timeline and discuss with your partners well in advance of the timing needed to source students. It can be overly burdensome or difficult to align your internal processes with external deadlines so it’s important to closely evaluate timelines and collaborate/adjust as needed.

Don’t:

  • Don’t expect 100% student completion. Some students face challenging personal situations and home environments, and some will experience unexpected situations, e.g., needing to complete summer school due to pandemic-related disruptions in the spring, and may also have more than one job.

Learn more about the Workforce Tactical Guide

COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery

Build Your Data Capacity and Digital Presence

Action:

Build tools and partnerships to help you better understand and boost your online presence with target travelers.

Why:

The pandemic has increased digital screen time. More and more travelers are searching for travel inspiration online, and they increasingly expect technology to provide them with more personal control over their travel experiences.

In a recent poll, 95% of travelers from 28 countries said they spent free time during the pandemic looking for travel inspiration, with 38% looking at potential destinations at least once a week.

This has created opportunities for destinations to use aggregated, anonymized data, and/or to ask travelers for permission to access personal data to personalize marketing campaigns and offerings — which should achieve significantly higher open and click through rates.

Do:

  • Do recognize that a data platform, particularly one which enables content personalization, will require money, time, and technical skills. It may also require upgrades to, or the replacement of, your tech stack (e.g., visitor data collection system, CRM, content database, suggestion engine, and visitor communication channels — website, mobile app, chatbot).
  • Do talk to your local public transit operator, which may be more advanced, and already using real-time traveler data.
  • Do recognize that a solution for a destination will be more complex than a solution for an airport, shopping mall, or hotel. However, the increased return on investment, in terms of reach, engagement and conversion, will
    also be significant.
  • Do engage a specialist database marketing company to build your solution, and do not try to build it on a public sector technology stack.
  • Do hire a dedicated project manager who has the technical capability to manage your vendor and oversee its work.
  • Do seek a costed menu of options before selecting your preferred solution.
  • Do run a pilot for proof of concept and to demonstrate that the expected return on investment is real.
  • Do seek legal and policy advice before handling personal data — not just to comply with data protection laws, but also not to adversely affect your government’s/destination’s reputation.

Don’t:

  • Don‘t try to turn your DMO into a tech development company, which will never be your core strength.

Learn more about the Tactical Guide

COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery

Engage major employers with the human and financial resources available for summer employment opportunities.

Each example, to varying degrees, includes the following essential elements:

 Major employers are key.

In both the Charlotte Mayor’s Youth Employment Program (MYEP) and the DTE Energy Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP) examples, major employers (both large and growing) played major roles in the success of their respective programs. Due to their size, they are able to dedicate the human resources, and in some cases the financial resources, to providing summer employment opportunities for youth.

Commitment to growing talent for industries that are high-demand locally.

The MYEP and SYIP both focus on industries that are growing locally. The SYIP includes a focus on specifically growing the energy talent pipeline to ensure it has an ongoing supply of talent, while the MYEP program is focused on exposing youth to local opportunities in the city’s target industries as a talent development strategy and a workforce retention tool.

Robust partnerships improved program funding and programming.

The MYEP was closely connected to the secondary school system — both for funding and for access to teacher mentors — and the SYIP program had close partnerships with the local public workforce system and a youth-focused non-profit. These partnerships enhanced both programs’ ability to pivot quickly from an in-person to a virtual approach.

Leveraged virtual technology platforms and software to deliver engaging, relevant content.

In both examples, the lead organization procured one or more third parties to provide or develop content to use in their virtual internship program. MYEP’s solution was totally customized, while SYIP’s was more “off the shelf,” but in both cases, the use of a blended approach — engagement in a web-based program plus employer-specific activities — allowed the programs to provide a rich, diverse experience.

Virtual pathways consisted of:

  • Skills development provided in partnership with Radius Learning and LinkedIn Learning
  • Work-based adventures to expose participants to the tasks they will face in future roles
  • Coaching sessions with team leads from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
  • Industry interactive sessions with representatives from local employers
  • Life skills sessions focused on developing confidence and professional habits

The design of each pathway included Radius Learning’s 360° Future Skills Fundamentals framework that focuses on the changing skills needed for the next generation of work. Key skill areas include organizational, socioemotional, rational, technological and entrepreneurial. The pathways and the platform were built by Radius Learning in about 90 days


Key Partnerships:

  • City of Charlotte Youth Programs administers the program and is one of the funders.
  • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) CTE provided Perkins funding for 20 Career and Technical Education teachers to mentor youth through the process.
  • The curriculum was developed and provided by Radius Learning and LinkedIn Learning.
  • Radius Learning built the platform.
  • Industry partners included Bank of America, Atrium Healthcare, Siemens, Accenture, Sealed Air, Rare Roots Hospitality, Red Ventures, Balfour Beatty Construction, Corsan, LS3P, Beacon Partners, Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, Project 658, Messer.
  • Although the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council did not provide funding for the project, the organization advocated on behalf of the MYEP, which was very helpful.

Funding:

The total budget of the MYEP program was approximately $474,680 (not including six staff members). Of that, business partners donated approximately $277,280 for student scholarships. The virtual platform (developed by Radius) cost $100,000 of which $72,590 was paid by the City and $27,140 was paid by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Key Challenges:

Leveraging funding streams to pay students.

One challenge identified by the MYEP team was determining how to utilize the various funding streams available to provide monetary compensation to students. The city revised its vendor requirements to allow students to receive scholarships at the end of the program. Youth were classified as “program participants” and staff provided hours completion documentation to the city’s Human Resources Department. An additional 100 students were funded through CMS and turned in weekly timesheets.

Access to technology and the Internet.

The city leveraged federal Perkins funding provided through CMS and corporate donations to ensure all participating youth had access to a Chromebook and hotspot. MYEP provided hotspots to students who were not enrolled in CMS. Although Chromebook limitations caused some students to experience technical issues when accessing the learning platform, the close relationship with Radius Learning allowed the City of Charlotte and CMS to real-time troubleshoot issues for students. Platform developers now have working knowledge of Chromebook limitations and can develop future content that will work with all available equipment provided to the students.

Summary of Project Impact

  • 50-plus professionals engaged with youth
  • 291 youth earned certificates provided by top employers.
  • Youth in the program:
    – Developed new financial technologies with Bank of America
    – Reimagined the city’s infrastructure with Siemens
    – Expanded healthcare access with Atrium
    – Developed sustainable innovations with Sealed Air
    – Designed platforms to support small businesses with Accenture

Steps to Success – Step 3

Step 3a: Employer Partnerships

  1. Sign up employers for 3–5 tracks.
    • Develop concepts for 5 tracks.
    • Share track concepts with prospective industry partners.
    • Scope engagement with executives at prospective employers. Executives communicate hiring challenges and future talent needs.
    • Present employers with custom track concepts resulting from scoping sessions.
    • Sign up 3–5 employers to lead tracks.
  2. Engage employer in scoping pathways
    • Executive assigns a liaison/champion for pathway success.
    • Managers share sample tasks and job assignments for target occupations.
    • HR shares hiring assessments and candidate criteria.
    • Develop pathway and submit concepts for review and collaborative editing with employer.
    • Employer sets target outcomes (ideal number of students, potential hiring commitments) for success.
    • Employer approves pathway
  3. Schedule employer volunteers to engage with youth.
    • Managers upload videos, write welcome messages, and provide introductory letters for each pathway stage.
    • Assign managers to coach/engage with student teams at structured touchpoints throughout the program.
    • Develop and provide for employer review a schedule of programmed interactions for employees engaged in the delivery of pathway program.
    • Schedule 2–3 webinars with SMEs from the company.

Step 3b: Learning and Experience Design

  1.  Develop pathway blueprints
    • Develop learning design architecture and refine with team.
    •  Collaborate with school CTE program to define conditions for student success and scope pathway skills for beginner skill level.
    • Develop blueprint for the required number of hours, outlining authentic work-based tasks to be completed at each stage.
    • Based on employer feedback, adapt pathway for each track.
  2. Develop pathway for each track
    • Define separate assignments and work-based learning tasks for each track based on employer feedback.
    • Build in LinkedIn Learning paths to provide interactive content for each track.
    • Demo a day in the life of a youth participant to partners and refine based on feedback.
    • Submit pathways to partners and employers for collaborative review.
  3. Demo student experience
    • Present experience to select youth participants and get feedback. Refine.
    • Build assessment systems for managers to provide feedback to students at key stages.
    • Schedule interactions between students and managers to align with pathway content.
    • Demo pathways to partners as time allows prior to program launch.

Step 3c: Digital Design and Development

  1. Build pathways with interactive platform
    • Define essential features for each track.
    • Test features on platform.
    • Scope virtual experience and interactive elements.
  2.  Demo and launch virtual pathways.
    • Upload each pathway onto the platform and demo to partners. Test IT infrastructure.
    • License team subscriptions for tools to assign to students.
    • Launch virtual pathways for students to access.

Step 3d: Pathway Delivery Plan

  1. Schedule pathway programming and delivery.
    • Schedule the complete set of interactions between students, industry partners, and volunteers.
    • Work with partners to define conditions for a successful experience for each stakeholder.
    •  Develop, refine, approve pathway management (outcomes strategy) plan.

Cost and Time Commitments:

The MYEP team was able to reimagine this program within 90 days due in large part to their partnerships with CMS and major employers in the region as well as its ability to rapidly procure the services of a learning technology partner.

Additionally, because this was a city-run program, the City of Charlotte Youth Programs staff were able to bring to bear their own staff time to redesign the program. For cities interested in duplicating this model, the time and resources required will depend on a variety of factors including:

  • Existing relationships and coordination with partners and employers
  • Ability to leverage third party vendors to quickly design and develop programming and/or other needed program elements
  • Availability of staff to redesign the program
  • Funding flexibility. Although Charlotte was able to pull this off in 90 days, MYEP leadership noted that additional planning time would have benefited their model and likely allowed for the inclusion of additional pathways and participants.
Chicago

Do:

Act early:

  • Begin to reimagine how to provide services via an asset-based approach.
  • Identify elements and infrastructure currently available to your program.
  • Think about what additional elements, infrastructure, and technology would be nice to have (virtual learning platform, funding for stipends, additional staff support, alignment with in-demand industry sectors, etc.).
  • Identify partners with similar missions and initiatives who may be interested in collaborating. Use your connections across your economic ecosystem to help identify industry partners who can contribute (monetary, work-based learning assistance, etc.).
  • Come to the table with ideas. Be willing to listen to ideas of others.
  • Look for common ground that can help you develop a plan.
  • Do evaluate proven models, such as the Swiss Apprenticeship system that seek alignment between education and employment.
  • Do identify virtual work-based learning experiences that are flexible and offer access to future employment.
  • Do find partners who can deliver online learning platforms that track activity, hours, and progress.
  • Do think about scale and how this project can be scaled up for multiple participants or year-round learning.
  • Do reach out to local school systems to see how goals can be leveraged.

Don’t:

  • Don’t assume funding streams can all be used in the same way.
    Creative thinking and problem-solving may be needed to identify which program components each funding stream can support and how to ensure documentation requirements are met


Key Partnerships:

  • DTE Energy provided internal in-kind support from across the company to ensure the success and sustainability of the program.
  • Multiple business units worked to develop the toolkit, provide IT hardware and support, and mentor and engage youth throughout their internships.
  • Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GDYT) is a citywide summer jobs program that trains and employs young adults between the ages of 14 and 24 for up to 120 hours.
  • Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC) is the City of Detroit’s workforce agency and reports to the Mayor’s Workforce Development Board, which was established by the Mayor of Detroit. DESC is also the lead agency for Detroit at Work, which provides job placement, search, training, career advisement and other supportive services to tens of thousands of Detroiters every year. DESC was instrumental in the redesign of the program.

Funding:

DTE and the DTE Foundation provided extensive financial and in-kind resources to support the Summer Youth Internship Program and a corresponding toolkit:

  • The toolkit was funded through in-kind and repurposed DTE corporate funds and developed in partnership with several DTE business units.
  • The DTE IT department set up a mobile laptop and hotspot assignment and support center to ensure all summer interns could successfully access virtual opportunities.
  • The DTE Foundation provides $600,000 every year to fund program operations and student stipends for career pathway interns that work at companies across the region and are registered with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent.
  • DTE dedicates two full-time employees to run its high school intern program; other staff helped as needed to support the transition to a virtual design. During the six-week program, four employees dedicated approximately 25% of their time to support the program.
  • DTE provided funding to GDYT at the end of 2019 to support the purchase of the Educational Data Systems, Inc. (EDSI) and Virtual Job Shadow platforms used for the internship program.

Key Challenges:

Virtual connections pose challenges to initial relationship building.

In the beginning, students took a bit longer to feel comfortable connecting with their mentors and DTE staff. DTE’s Workforce Development team worked to develop engaging programming with interactive segments each day including Motivational Mondays, TikTok Tuesdays, Wellness Wednesdays, and Interactive Thursdays. Mentors and staff also checked in with each student twice daily to build rapport with the students.

Virtual programs still need to help interns develop professional skills, while simultaneously introducing them to the workforce.

Interns need structure that supports both needs, so the program was designed with virtual work, virtual job shadowing, career awareness, essential skills training, mentorship, and networking components in mind.

  • 67% of the program focused on work within assigned business units
    – Job-specific work exposure
    – Virtual mentors
    – Capstone project
  • 33% of the program focused on career development
    – Office and skilled trades training
    – Motivational speakers
    – Virtual tours

Students’ home environments may not be ideal for a virtual internship approach

The program recognizes that students may join from challenging remote work environments or homes that are not ideally suited for remote work. Specific challenges included lack of air conditioning; a private, quiet place to work; and or home environments where students were uncomfortable sharing on camera. Purchasing virtual backgrounds for students can help students feel comfortable to turn on their camera while at home. Program mentors and leaders recognized this, focused on wellness of the student and worked to maintain engagement with students through daily check-ins and interactive programming in spite of these challenges.

Summary of Project Impact

DTE reports the following outcomes:

  • 95% of the 500 youth transitioned to virtual operations
  • 86 high school students (16–18 years old) served
    – 100% transitioned to a virtual internship
    – 80% completion rate
    – 300+ hours volunteered by mentors

DTE is committed to continuous improvement and asked all 500 students to complete surveys at the beginning and the end of the program. Of youth who participated:

  • 83% found it easy/very easy to transition to virtual work
  • 96% agreed/strongly agreed they developed meaningful connections
  • 81% rated their workgroups as highly or generally available and responsive and their leaders at 71%
  • 81% reported an excellent experience with their mentor
  • 60% prefer combination of virtual and on-site work
  • 24% prefer on-site work
  • 14% prefer virtual
  • 88% said the program fully met expectations or exceeded expectations

DTE expects that next year will see a hybrid approach and intends to use the feedback and data collected to improve the program and prepare for next year.

Chicago

Do:

  • Do consider the high level of internal/in-kind resources that need to be committed both to organize the virtual internship program and mentor participants. The number of internships offered can be scaled, though, to match the available stipend and in-kind resources.
  • Do leverage the internal planning skills of your organization. DTE specifically capitalized on its internal consulting and planning skill set to redesign its programs.
  • Do look for ways to strategically partner with external organizations, identify areas where your missions align and engage leaders with a passion for outcomes. DTE was highly engaged with its local workforce agency and tapped into the experience of that organization and other non-profits.
  • Do communicate regularly with leadership and partners. Maintaining constant communication is important to ensure everyone is on the same page and working effectively and efficiently.
  • Do identify one or two big companies to guide/drive your city’s broader summer youth program, then ask the city’s leaders to bring in other companies for additional support. Include corporate giving and tax incentives in your “what’s in it for me” message.
  • Do use a competitive procurement process to identify vendors. Even if it is a fast process, this is valuable for ensuring that you buy a competitively priced product or service.
  • Do ensure your programming is developmentally appropriate. Youth can’t sit in front of a computer all day and stay engaged! Do remember “purpose” is more important than “process.” Be flexible and don’t let procedural issues become barriers to success.
  • Do expand your network of partners to the state and national levels. This provides opportunities to share your good work and also learn new approaches and strategies from other parts of the state and nation. DTE, specifically, is involved with the Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium, the Center for Energy Workforce Development, the Michigan State Department of Education and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
  • Do ensure you are focused on your company’s internship hiring timeline and discuss with your partners well in advance of the timing needed to source students. It can be overly burdensome or difficult to align your internal processes with external deadlines so it’s important to closely evaluate timelines and collaborate/adjust as needed.

Don’t:

  • Don’t expect 100% student completion. Some students face challenging personal situations and home environments, and some will experience unexpected situations, e.g., needing to complete summer school due to pandemic-related disruptions in the spring, and may also have more than one job.


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COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery

Invest in Capacity Building of Nonprofits

Why:

In this way, you are extending their ability to do local outreach, leveraging additional funding sources, and building neighborhood capacity to deliver local programming.

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