Best Practices Winners

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NILG BEST PRACTICE WINNERS

 PROGRAM DETAILS

2006 Arizona Public Service - Academy for the Advancement of Small Minority and Women Owned Enterprises (AAAME)

With the philosophy that strong communities need to have strong large AND small business in order to succeed, the APS/AAAME program was created in 1997 at the direction of the Officers of APS to ‘do more’ - to create and implement a program with sustainable tools and resources for individuals and business in our community. While everyone understands the need for strong corporate members, it is the small, new companies that provide the economic stimulus to all communities with their creativity and innovation.The new, emerging, growing business, often owned by minorities and women, are vital to the economic engine of communities as they employ more people andlease/purchase more space in their communities. They are the vital spark that propels a community forward and APS supports their development and growth.

With this in mind, APS/AAAME has become a proven program that helps small, minority and women business owners compete with other business and achieve economic success. AAAME participants have grown in terms of gross revenues, employees hired and commercial space leased and purchased. Just in the past three graduating classes, there is 55% increase in gross revenues from the time they started AAAME to graduating two years later. Many AAAME companies increase their gross revenues and employee counts more than 50% from the time they start AAAME to the end of their two year program. They have received many awards in the communities they serve, including the Greater Phoenix Chamber Small Business of the Year Award and the ASU Spirit of Enterprise Award. They are becoming the next generation of community leaders, building their communities one success at a time.

The APS Academy for the Advancement of Small, Minority and Women Owned Enterprises (AAAME) is a two year business mentoring program designed, sponsored and administered by Arizona Public Service. Since 1997, 87 small business in the Phoenix metropolitan area have attended business training classes, built networks, developed resources and met with individual advisors all geared toward assisting them in reaching their next level of business success.

This focused and integrated mentoring has resulted in 52 AAAME graduates, with 28 companies currently in some phase of the AAAME process. All of these businesses have gained knowledge, support, insight, resources and skills that have allowed them to succeed and thrive in their chosen business. Many of the AAAME companies have increased their revenues and net profits, increased their workforce, strengthened their market position and increased their business space which adds to the economic impact to the area. In addition, several AAAME companies have been recognized for their achievements through various award programs.

What is AAAME?

AAAME is a two-year business mentoring program which is a combination of business skill training, one on one mentoring, group projects and individualized goal setting and action plans. AAAME CEO’s meet at least twice a month as a group, at least once a month with their assigned advisors and once a month with the AAAME Director.

The AAAME program combines the following elements:

 
1.  

   it is a two year commitment

2.  

   there is no cost to the AAAME participant

3.  

   it utilizes the resources of several community based organizations as well as individuals who contribute to small business

4.  

   it is a combination of classroom training, group projects and individualized company action plans and meetings

5.  

   It is a personalized approach towards mentoring which holds the business owner accountable for his or her own success.

6.  

   There is a continual assessment of the AAAME participant’s implementation of the program elements as it relates to the two year business targets.

7.  

   It is peer to peer mentoring via the CEO twice a month meetings.

While these factors are unique and valued in the community, AAAME is really about the successful implementation of solid business practices, utilizing a wide variety of delivery methods and the continual assessment of each AAAME participant’s progress in the program

AAAME is supported and endorsed by the President of APS and the AAAME Executive Board, a panel of 5 APS Executives. Since its inception in 1997, AAAME continually works to update and improve the training and mentoring methods so that the greatest impact is achieved. Training programs have been developed specifically for small business that is not available within our community. APS strives to be a community leader in providing real programs with real results. We bring together the individuals and groups that want to help with those that are ready to incorporate the assistance to grow their business. APS Officers meet with AAAME participants throughout the year to obtain feedback and insight. At the direction of these officers, the AAAME Director implements the day to day operations of AAAME. The AAAME Director performs all functions to ensure the day to day operations occur as well as develops strategic initiatives for the future activities of AAAME.

As a result, AAAME companies are growing, flourishing and thriving. While each AAAME company defines their own success, it can be seen that each company has moved forward towards their goals, they are empowered to make choices that help them compete with other business, that help them hire more individuals and be able to make choices to improve their lives and their communities. On an average, AAAME companies will increase their gross revenues at least 50% from the time they start AAAME to the end of their two year program. This increase continues after they graduate because they have the skills to make business decisions which enable them to achieve their goals.

 AAAME companies are able to compete, to win, to succeed and to lead others to succeed….thereby creating stronger communities across Arizona.

Submitted By:

 

Arizona Industry Liaison GroupManager
 Workforce ServicesArizona
 Public Service Company
 (602) 250-3233

 

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 2005 PSE&G Associate Degree Program in Energy Utility Technology

PSEG is the parent company of Public Service Electric & Gas Company (PSE&G), one of the largest combined electric & gas utilities in the United States and NJ’s oldest publicly owned utility company. PSE&G services more than 1.6 million gas customers and 2 million electric customers in the state of New Jersey. Our service territory covers 2,600-square-miles. There are 6,400 employees employed by the utility and the company’s revenues total $4.0 billion. Our company is committed to delivering safe, reliable gas and electricity and improving the quality of life in the communities we serve.

The Business Challenge

A needs assessment completed in 2002 indicated that our workforce was rapidly aging. The average age of a utility employee in our company is 44. We also learned that 27% of our workforce would be eligible to retire within the next five years. A significant loss of skills and technical knowledge would be lost as a result of the retirements. We also found that few young people were interested in technical trade careers and even fewer were able to pass the pre-employment tests associated with the technical jobs within our company. As a result, PSE&G, like many other of our nations electric and natural gas utilities, faced what experts predict will be a major staffing crisis.

 The Solution

To address this serious concern, PSEG partnered with the state’s community colleges, high schools and vocational schools to develop a workforce development program that has begun to successfully address this issue.

Business objective

 
•  

  To develop a continuous pipeline of diverse talent for employment in entry-level technical trade positions at PSE&G & PSEG fossil.

•  

  Establish a commitment to education that would generate renewed interest in the technical trade careers within our company.

Background

PSEG created its first-ever Energy Utility Technology Degree Associate Degree Program in partnership with Mercer County Community College in January 2003. Since its inception, the program has expanded to included Essex County College (ECC) and Middlesex County College (MCC) in NJ, and public high schools and vocational high schools. Students enrolled in the program are provided employment with the utility upon completion of the degree. We chose to partner with the community colleges to help address the basic-skills gap that exists in candidates interested in entry-level positions and because they are more affordable for inner city students.

The program curriculum combines regular classroom training with technical apprentice level training at PSE&G’s Edison Training and Developmental Center. Students are required to take five utility courses and complete two paid internships at the company’s field locations. Students can earn from $15.00 to $17.00 per hour in an internship. The program also offers students training in safety, resume writing and interviewing and employability skills. Our employees mentor students on the job and in the classroom. Nine apprentice positions are available through the program, which has been endorsed by three participating unions: the O.P.E.I.U.; Local 855 and the I.B.E.W. Student progress is monitored during their internship. They are required to complete a job checklist that verifies their knowledge and ability to do the job. The supervisor completes a performance appraisal on each student. If a student completes the utility degree, performs well on his/her internships and meets the company’s other requirements, they will be offered an employment opportunity with PSE&G.

The program also benefits students in New Jersey’s urban high schools and vocational schools. In partnership with the community colleges, the company is teaching one of the program’s five utility courses for college credit to seniors at the following schools: Newark Technology High; Essex County Vocational Schools, Trenton Central High School and Mercer County Vocational School.

The program was recognized by Chartwell’s Best Practices for Utilities and Energy Companies and the Office of Affirmative Action’s National Industry Liaison Group as a best practice. PSE&G’s program is also being used as a model by the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD), an industry nonprofit created to develop workforce development tools that will help to address utility industry shortages.

Program Results

The program has met – if not exceeded – expectations thus far. To date -- PSEG has hired 36 students from the program into its technical trades area. Eighteen of the candidates have been diverse (either black, Hispanic, or a woman) and 18 have been white. There have been 22 graduates of the program. The program recently hired its first black woman (from ECC) – Monique Wade – as an apprentice engineering technician and its first student as a mechanical operator in the company’s fossil generation area. There are currently 51 students enrolled in the program. One of the program’s goals is to become a prototype for Utility Business Education Coalition’s national Center of Excellence. The program will expand in 2006 to include Passaic County Community College.

Executive Level Commitment & Involvement

Former PSE&G president Al Koeppe conceived the utility degree program. As a result, the program has received continuous support and commitment from our current president, Ralph Izzo; our vice-president – gas, Peter Cistaro; and our vice-president – electric, Ralph LaRosa. The executives participate in student graduation and in classes. They’ve shared with our students what they think it takes to be successful in our company. The program also has been included in numerous executive speeches where it has been cited as a important corporate educational and workforce development initiative that is helping our company tap into the state’s diverse talent.

What makes our business initiative valuable is that it can be used as a model for other businesses/utilities that are in need of developing a diverse pipeline of talent for employment. Our program is already being considered as a workforce development prototype for the utility industry.

Submitted By:
 Jeffrey J. Smith NERC ILG
 PSEG, Newark, New Jersey
 (973) 430-6540

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 2005 Goodwill Industries: Southern Piedmont

Careers in Banking

The objectives of the Careers in Banking Program (CIB) is to identify individuals in the Charlotte community who have barriers to employment, but who are motivated to participate successfully in the workplace, and then to train and to place them into productive employment which will provide opportunities for career advancement.

Goodwill’s Occupational Skills Training program is unique within the greater Charlotte area in its provision of a training, counseling, placement, and career development system focused on targeted industry sectors. Program seeks to integrate business community employment needs with program graduates to increase community employment and to increase individual economic self-sufficiency of graduates.

Originally, in 1991, the program’s objectives were two-fold: 1) to provide the necessary training to individuals, certified as being severely disabled, with the necessary skills to achieve gainful employment and 2) to provide financial service companies in the Charlotte area with a source for both increasing their employment of disabled workers and to fill some of their jobs with the highest number of vacancies.

Shortly after the initial start-up, the program was expanded to include ALL individuals with barriers to employment (i.e. the disadvantaged, the under employed, etc.)

Through a collaborative effort between Goodwill Industries and a small group of volunteers from various area Financial Institutions, initial calls were made on senior-level executives within the 7 primary and mid-sized banks in the area to first determine and then obtain their commitment of volunteer support in this effort.

Support was defined as follows:

 
1.  

   Identifying key individuals within their companies who could assist in determining the primary jobs needing to be filled and to provide a brief explanation of the basic skills required

2.  

   Providing volunteers, after job identification, to assist in defining program admission criteria, defining and assisting in the development of the training curriculum, developing testing criteria, and defining program graduation standards

3.  

   Guaranteeing at least one interview for program graduates, when requested

4.  

   Providing on-going volunteers to serve on the program’s Business Advisory Council in order to retain the needed business focus in a changing environment, to assist in keeping the training relevant to the requirements of the position, and to identify other potential opportunities for program enhancement and growth.

Buy-in was achieved easily because objectives of both partners could be achieved.

Goodwill Industries – To provide workforce development efforts that enable individuals with employment barriers to achieve their highest level of personal and economic independence

Financial Industries –To demonstrate their on-going commitment to actively participate in efforts to improve the quality of life in their communities (The bonus to area companies is that while achieving this objective, they also obtain an additional source for meeting their business/employment needs and helping to ensure diversity in their workforce.

Because the program initially targeted the severely disabled population, it was essential to obtain the on-going involvement and support of Vocational Rehabilitation as a referral source. In addition, Goodwill actively called on other program referral sources, and continues to do so.

The original Business Advisory Council was comprised of representatives from six major/mid-sized banks, representatives from Goodwill Industries, and a representative from Vocational Rehabilitation. Representatives from the business community identified one key entry level position in the banking industry that would take no more than 12 weeks of training to qualify individuals with employment barriers; one with sufficient vacancies each year, to place program graduates. In addition, the selected job would be one with potential to lead to successful careers within the banking industry. The program began with a focus on the Proof-Encoding position.

The division of actual duties of the members of the Business Advisory Council is covered under “How the Program/Project Works”.

Beyond the support originally requested from the financial institutions, these companies went beyond expectations in the following ways:

 
1.  

   One company donated sufficient funds for the building of a new training room at Goodwill Industries for the sole purpose of providing the necessary facilities for this program.

2.  

   Two other companies donated, used but operating, proof-encoding machines needed for training.

3.  

   Other companies donated program supplies

4.  

   While the training room at Goodwill was under construction and an instructor was in the process of being hired, two companies donated use of their classroom space, use of their proof-encoding training machines, and provided an instructor and using existing company curriculum for the first class.

5.  

   One company contacted two of its primary vendors to develop, produce, and deliver specialized-banking documents, and negotiated with its machine maintenance vendor to service Goodwill’s equipment charging only for parts, not labor.

Goodwill provides: Administrative Assistant, 23 proof encoding machines, 2 classroom/training areas, 1 FTE Coordinator and 3 FTE Instructors, 28 classroom computers and leverage with other funding sources.

This program would be easy to replicate within the banking industry and in other industries where positions can be identified that require only a short period of training and there are sufficient openings in the position to provide the placements and career opportunities for the program graduates. A fairly recent addition to the program’s curriculum addresses employee needs resulting in meeting company needs to reduce turnover, to increase productivity, to embrace change, and to create loyalty.

In general, the program was designed to involve representatives from the banks in active roles during every stage of the training and placement processes.

Division of Duties

 
1.  

   Business Representative Activities:

Members of the Business Advisory Council and other volunteers from the business community either serve as a formal member of one four sub-committees or participate as a business expert support volunteer. (Described Below)

Business Advisory Sub-Committees:

 
1.  

   Selection Committee – Members of the Selection Committee are responsible for defining trainee selection criteria including minimum formal education required, work experience needed/desired, areas to be tested in pre-screening and minimum acceptable scores, reviewing application packages, conducting candidate interviews, and making a final selection of trainees.

2.  

   Curriculum Committee – Members of the Curriculum Committee are responsible for defining the course content to ensure trainees are presented appropriate subject matter, for aiding in the development of actual course materials and training delivery schedules, and for reviewing and updating curriculum, as needed. In addition, members may serve as guest speakers about various topics (i.e. goal setting, business conduct, dress, etc.) and providing certified trainers to deliver curriculum modules addressing employee needs resulting in improvements to overall job performance.

3.  

   Evaluation Committee – Members of the Evaluation Committee conduct trainee mid-course-evaluations determining whether each trainee’s progress is sufficient to allow the individual to qualify for the next phase of training, In addition, the committee is responsible for identifying deficiencies in program instruction and/or content, and assists with corrective action, as appropriate.

4.  

   Placement Committee – Members of the Placement Committee assist in identifying and securing job sites for qualified trainees, assist in improving trainee job seeking skills by delivering training on interviewing skills, conducting mock interviews, assisting with development of work resumes, etc.

Business Expert Support Volunteer may perform one or more of the following duties:

 
1.  

   Participate in trainee selection process

2.  

   Participate in mid-term evaluations

3.  

   Assist by conducting mock interviews

4.  

   Assist by delivering interviewing skills training

5.  

   Arrange and conduct on-site tours of actual bank work environments

Goodwill Staff

 
1.  

   Advertises the training classes and sends announcements to the NC Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Employment Security Commission, Department of Social Services, and other agencies.

2.  

   Continues to seek additional program referral sources

3.  

   Conducts all pre-screening of program applications, conducts assessments and tests.

4.  

   Maintains training schedules and secures needed volunteers to complete selection process, complete mid-term evaluations, serve as guest speakers, conduct tours, etc.

5.  

   Conducts primary program training content and assists trainees in establishing goals and developing action plans to improve performance during the training period.

6.  

   Provides opportunities for remedial work if trainee is experiencing performance difficulties during his probationary employment period.

7.  

   Maintains an automated database reporting employment results of program graduates at 30, 60, 90 days and 1 year.

 
The program includes skills training in proof operation, customer service, basic employability skills, and personal finance. There is a mid-term evaluation to evaluate the student’s progress and to establish goals.

Key activities that are included in the program are:

 
1.  

   Short-term curriculum based, structured skills training designed to address technical skills required, soft skills of employment (work ethic, attendance, conflict), and basic personal computer skills.

2.  

   Tours of targeted industry sectors with classroom speakers from Charlotte area businesses.

3.  

    Individualized training plans, customized evaluations.

4.  

   Mentoring by Business professionals who serve on the program’s Business Advisory Council.

5.  

   Career counseling, job development and placement assistance.

6.  

    Post-placement follow-up to insure retention and career development.

7.  

   Dress for success interviews and clothing

The goals of the program are:

 
1.  

   Persons successfully completing the training gain skills in targeted industry sector services.

2.  

   Persons successfully completing the training obtain jobs in targeted industry sector positions.

3.  

   Persons successfully completing the training retain their jobs.

At the conclusion of the training, there is a graduation ceremony. At the graduation ceremony, students are recognized for their individual achievements that occurred during the training program.

Benefits of the Program

 
•  

  Program equips persons with limited marketable skills with skills that are relevant in the targeted industry sectors.

•  

  Program addresses the targeted industry sectors needs for qualified candidates.

•  

  Program meets employers’ needs for individuals trained in the soft skills of work ethic, dealing with supervisors and colleagues, handling change, etc

•  

  A significant collaboration in 2004-2005 was the partnership with Wachovia Bank. The effort was developed and piloted in the 2002-2003 fiscal year and was formally implemented in 2004. Through this collaboration trainees in Occupational Skills Training are provided with a structured Employability Skills Program as part of the class curriculum. Trainees attend weekly classes facilitated by a volunteer from Wachovia. Both Wachovia volunteers and OST staff are certified to train the Achieve Global curriculum. The current impact of this collaboration is the opportunity for trainees to learn skills proven to increase success in the marketplace and to interact and network with industry professionals.

•  

   Collaboration with Goodwill’s Business Advisory Council formed for this program is significant. Key partners include leaders and associates of area banks and businesses who impact trainees through training, evaluations, volunteering, and placement opportunities.

•  

  The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Workforce Development Board through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) has expanded referrals to the program and impacts trainees by providing counseling, childcare and transportation assistance.

•  

  This program has been extremely beneficial to those individuals who have received the training and job placements. It has provided them with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and to be and to feel productive.

•  

  The success of the Careers in Banking Program has led to training programs in two other occupational areas. These include call center customer service representatives and hospitality occupations

•  

  Provides an additional source for area businesses in obtaining qualified applicants to fill jobs identified as having high levels of vacancies.

 
•  

  Provides employers with a low-cost means of contributing to their communities in which they do business and to achieve DIRECT measurable benefits in return.

Challenges of the Program

 
•  

  Challenges of the program include continual adjustments to the program so that it remains consistent with the needs of the banking industry which assures continuous placement opportunities.

•  

  Another challenge is the continuous recruitment of volunteers from the banking industry to be a part of the program. Due to career changes and relocations, there are always volunteer vacancies to fill. The committee has been very diligent in filling vacancies as they occur in order to have sufficient volunteers for all of the committees. Fortunately, there are a core group of volunteers who have been a part of the program since it beginning.

 Outcomes

The program has been in place since 1991. Accurate records have been kept since 1999. During the past six years there have been 571 individuals accepted into the program, 445 (78%) graduated, and 219 (49.2%) of the graduates were placed into jobs.

 
•  

  78.1% of the placements were minority

•  

  85.4% of the placements were female

•  

  20.1% of the placements were individuals with a disability

Given the barriers to employment that the individuals have when they enter the program, the nearly 50% placement rate of graduates is very high. Without the training, these individuals would not have been the best qualified for vacancies at the banks.

Submitted By:
 David P. Thomas Charlotte Area Liaison Group
 BB&T
 Human Systems Compliance Manager
704-954-3503

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