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Training Structure: Set Up and Scheduling

Page history last edited by Pahniti Tom Tosuksri 12 years, 9 months ago

Description: Many digital inclusion programs have multiple partners with multiple training locations. How do manage multiple sites while scheduling classes at times most convenient to your target population? A note section is available below for you!  

 

Time: Monday 11:30-12:30

 

Location: Allen Room

 

Facilitator: Dawn Spearman, Matrix Human Services

 

Notes: We're talking Creativity!

 

Training in other locations! Make partners with local community organizations.

 

Find places that are offering other services and trainings for our clients and train it. We get in-kind for partner organizations' trainers too! 

 

OUTSOURCE - in a good way.

 

Dawn's specialty is volunteerism.

 

Take off the Electives from CYC's hands and let someone else do that.

 

University of Minnesota & Family Job Training programs - recruit from there.

 

Rolling electives in the basic curriculum. Cover things like Web & Financial Literacy.

 

Scheduling sometimes can be a nightmare...

     Dropped from 5 wk sessions to 4 - Students select their own electives and they are responsible for completing it and submit to the instructors.

     30 hour program - dropped the 6 hours of electives. 

     "Email sessions are like birthing twins?!?!?!?" Everyone agrees...

 

This approach - allows us to bring in EXPERTS to teach the materials and spreads out the training work.

 

What can we do with seniors to make it meaningful to them?

 

Keith Young from Detroit - Outsourcing labs and managing - 7 locations.

The crowd also has multiple locations.

Some have mobile labs. (Laptops)

 

Trouble? 

Scheduling.

Access to the internet in Appalachia.

Geographical areas. (Too far - not on the bus route - don't feel safe in the evening)

Making sure that a consistent message is delivered as related to the program

Lack of attendance at each site 

     Classes are scheduled out 3 months! Some are scheduled week-to-week - in both instances - people still don't come in! Overbooking used but folks still don't show!

 

Solutions?

Go right to the clients!

Senior living - if they are in assisted living - get the caregivers on the same page because they're responsible. Build relationship with the caregivers. 

Create an Excitement level! Clients will beat YOU to the classroom. Perks help.

 

Detroit has been blessed with 1750 laptops & Clear 4G internet - Muni Wi-fi. Just went up! Perks!

 

Hook 'em clients - make them Want it.

"When someone had a cell phone 5 years ago, they were the 'stuff.'" The internet should be the same way.

 

Question - Do you start a class that isn't full?

Combine class? Condense curriculum.

 

Regardless of how many are there - give them the best experience as they're the best salespeople for you.

 

Come up with more innovative ways to cater the training to the clients and make it relevant and fun. Word of mouth will spread.

 

"Does the Boss know how to teach?" Lead by example! Best thing you can take from this to get folks involved.

We are SALESPEOPLE. David Ellington from Cleveland says this is a requirement from bosses, which will allow them to hear the clients and their concerns, and better advise their instructors and shape the program based on the direct feedback.

 

Faith-based organizations, picnics, food pantries - generate a buzz in the community.

 

How many heard about the program from someone else? ALL OF THEM.

 

When on the phone to remind - Not just a reminder about the time - but a spark of interest by reminding them of what they're going there for! We're going to do this, this, and this, and you're going to learn this, etc.! Be OVER-EXCITED!

 

Did you Know? Video - great way to establish interest because they're looking at the rest of the world too! Show in the orientation, the first session.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8

 

Ex-cons - Returning Citizens - a population that has a requirement for training helps with attendance.

 

Find organizations that have an existing client base.

 

"Matrix is a Human Service agency. We work with People - not SBA's not clients, not a number, but PEOPLE." They identify all issues and refer as a helpful resource. Gives additional buy in because people like to be helped. Surveys help gauge interest and issues, and INFORM.

 

Instructors have personal relationship with clients. Act as counselors in addition to computer trainers. UTILIZE THEM FOR THE TALENTS THEY HAVE - they can bring more to the table than you think!

 

Online scheduling - they don't put schedules online because people were showing up for classes without registering. Orientations are used as the funnel so you can manage the waiting list.

 

What do Seniors like to do that is now available online?

Detroit - Gambling, perhaps? Find their interest.

Scare them into coming - job skills, resume building, etc.

Healthy eating, Ebay

 

Creativity Lives - interactions.

 

GED Training - teach them computers, givem' one, and they can study on their own. Finding partners to help once that shows its success!

 

PeopleMover.com - Online directory for local non-profits to connect us all.

 

School districts - bringing things online - work with them!

 

Approaching Businesses - 

Go over someone's head ~

 

How do we schedule to prevent overlap?

Excel sheets - by Hand!

Google Calendars & Docs

Dropbox

 

Consistent scheduling - start & stop at the same time. Morning, Afternoon, Evening - two classes per week

Consistency with programming - our trainers train - and we train trainers to train.

     All locations do basics - advanced classes are in an open lab setting, in Detroit.

 

6-week span has worked the best - best buyin least dropoff best information retaining.

 

15 minute grace period to help with the working population

 

How do we work with a very small population?

Encourage more word of mouth marketing

Schedule full classes before they start

     Where do we go?

          Churches

          School

          Community Festivals

          Re-entry programs

          Doctor's offices

 

Solve a problem, using the internet, that they didn't know they had. Generate a buzz.

Comments (2)

David Keyes said

at 12:08 pm on Jun 27, 2011

Thanks. Here are a few notes I picked up on from Dawn Spearman, Matrix Human Services & Keith

They do a two minute survey of the participants. Goal is creating a relationship with the participants.
Show people that you care about them. Not just whether you have a computer at home.
Need to allow and encourage staff to be on the phone reminding and sparking participants. Make them feel welcome, help them orient to what will happen
Detroit starts with a 1 hour orientation session. People sign up for class there. They put the curriculum up, but not class schedule. Want people to call and get into right class. They also use Did You Know video (slower version) on YouTube for the orientation.
Ask what will make it better for you, what will get you here?

Offer as part of training to connect them to other services and go online to find that (eg childcare or transportation.)
Approach to trainers is that they are all also assigned to another task using their talents (eg volunteer orientations, database)

Offer a range of subject area programs (Elective classes): Theirs include healthy eating, shopping.
Trainers have to be engaged with the community they serve.

Dawn Spearman said

at 11:47 pm on Jun 27, 2011

Thank You for your comment Dave. It seems as though we had almost the same conversation a year ago. We are serving people in the process of creating SBA’s. Community Engagement is the key to finding partners, having accessibility to other labs free of charge, finding volunteer trainers, and finding future funding.
Scheduling is the easy part. Getting your community invested is what makes the difference! Get excited, stay excited!!!

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