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Proper recruitment and assessment of incoming students is one of the
most important factors in determining the long-term success or failure
of a Brownfields Job Development and Training program. |
Over time, our Brownfields Job Development and Training program will be judged by the quality and motivation of students entering the workforce. Unfortunately, the importance of this activity is often undervalued. The old "cookie cutter" model which accepts all candidates, runs them through a standard curriculum, and produces a functional, employable worker is not compatible with Brownfields Job Development and Training programs.
Every Brownfields Job Development and Training program student is unique. Each one's individual success will collectively determine the value and sustainability of the program. Good recruitment and assessment is a critical step in building your brownfields program.
Good recruitment and assessment results in positive and satisfied program participants who feel they have made the best decision for their future. Inadequate recruitment and assessment efforts can result in a class of unmotivated students, high incompletion, and low placement and retention rates.
 Worst of all, inadequate efforts leave participants feeling neglected and disappointed in the program.
Student recruitment and assessment may appear as separate issues. However, they should be integrated. While recruitment of motivated, eager students is a good start, a well-developed, individual training plan is necessary to avoid academic failure. Improper assessment and lack of a solid individual training plan results in students attempting to master subject matter that requires skills and knowledge not yet acquired. Complete training plans provide students with developmental education that may be necessary to insure a solid knowledge base on which to build.
The environmental field's complex nature, along with health and safety issues, demands that incoming students receive careful review from your staff. In some cases, however, brownfields training program staff has minimal input regarding the selection of incoming students because participants are recruited and assessed by other agencies. Often program recruits come from multiple sources. When other agencies provide students, the loss of control in the recruitment phase could severely limit the development of a successful program.
Not only will the program suffer, but careless or under-trained workers can impact the safety of coworkers or themselves on certain jobs. Given these considerations, your Brownfields Job Development and Training program staff should insist on retaining final control over incoming students. See OSHA's "Fatal Facts" (http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/toc_FatalFacts.html)
Because the environmental field is so diverse, not all environmental occupations are potentially dangerous. The field encompasses jobs for a range of personalities and physical statures. However, you can create successful matches between student abilities and occupational demands by using individual training plans coupled with a comprehensive student assessment program.
Consider the following activities as part of your recruitment and assessment effort.
Step One – Student Recruitment
- General awareness materials
- Detailed program information
- Application materials
Step Two – Assessment
- Entry skills and knowledge assessment
- Physical assessment
- Candidate interviews and expectations
- Acceptance and student contracts
- Individual learning plans
- Mid-term skills and knowledge assessment
- Exit skill and knowledge assessment
Back to Index of Recruitment and Assessment
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