Key Takeaway: Colleges today face specific and unique challenges as they help their students out of the classroom and into the workforce. This session offers practical and strategic tools to help bridge the “Skills Gap” that students coming out of college face today as well as tools which help engage everyone’s participation in improving employment outcomes for your Graduates. Description (paragraph form) With an increased pressure on Institutions of Higher Learning to substantiate their course offerings with respect to employability; now more than ever, programs designed to specifically address soft-skills are the only viable way to prepare the student and close the “skills gap” that exists in the job market today. More and more recent college graduates struggle to gain entry into their field due to what employers claim is a lack of hands on experience, professionalism and business acumen in students coming directly out of college. Join highly-rated speaker Ann Cross for this interactive and engaging presentation about the benefits of incorporating soft-skills training through experiential learning into the student experience. For those who already have soft-skills training as part of your course offerings, this workshop will share some of the best practices from around the country. The Sparrow Group has visited dozens of campuses in the last five years, and has seen what works, as well as the common mistakes and missed opportunities. This is not a theoretical workshop, but rather a workshop that focuses on practical, tactical programs that you can implement immediately. You’ll hear stories of success, see data that supports outcomes, and leave with tools that you can take back to the campus and use to improve employment outcomes.

1. “Bridging the Skills Gap”
It Takes a Village!

2. About Us
The Sparrow Group
Proven Student Engagement Success
The sparrow is known for being nimble, quick, loyal,
and attentive to details, and for unusual vision which
enables them to see opportunity from a great distance.
2© Copyright 2012 The Sparrow Group. www.sparrowgroup.biz

3. Introduction
What You’ll Learn Today:
• The Skills Gap relationship to market conditions
• The factors, causes, and effects of the skills gap
on your institution
• The five key areas of focus for solving the skills
gap
• Tactical, practical tools to engage the entire
institution in employment outcomes
3

4. Why is this topic important to you?
4
W
e
are
looking
fortactic..
W
e
need
datato
suppor...
Soft-skillsisourgreatest...
New
ideas!
25% 25%25%25%1. We are looking for tactical
tools for campus-wide
engagement.
2. We need data to support
the importance of soft
skills.
3. Soft-skills is our greatest
obstacle to graduate
employment.
4. New ideas!

5. Assessing your students’ soft-skills
readiness
5
M
ajority
are
w
ellprepared.
M
ajority
are
som
ew
hat...
M
ajority
are
illprepared.
M
ajority
can’tspellsoft-s...
25% 25%25%25%1. Majority are well prepared.
2. Majority are somewhat
prepared.
3. Majority are ill prepared.
4. Majority can’t spell soft-
skills , let alone practice
them!

6. Defining the “Skills Gap”
6
The American Society of Training and Development
(ASTD) –
ASTD defines a skills gap as a significant gap between an
organization’s current capabilities and the skills it needs to
achieve its goals.

7. Current Market Conditions
• More than half (53 percent) of U.S. companies report a major challenge in
recruiting non-managerial employees with the skills and knowledge needed
• In a recent poll by ASTD taken by 1,179 organizations, 79% report a skills gap
within their organization
• The Most Noticeable Gaps are in:
 Leadership & Executive Level Skills
 Basic Skills
 Emotional Intelligence
 Creative/Innovative Skills
 Communication/Interpersonal Skills
7
1 Bureau of Labor Statistics 2011
2 Bridgeland, J., Milano, J., & Rosenblum, E. (2011). Across the great
divide: Perspectives of CEOs and College Presidents on America’s
higher education and skills gap.

8. The Gap
8

9. The Root of the Problem
9
In a survey of more than 400 major employers …
• 42% rated the overall preparation of high school grads
for entry level jobs as deficient
• 73% rated their leadership skills deficient
• 70% rated graduates deficient in both professionalism
(work ethic) and critical thinking (problem solving)
• 54% rated grads creativity/innovation skills deficient
McKinsey Global Institute. (June 2011). An
economy that works: Job creation and America’s
future. Retrieved from http://www.mckinsey.
com/mgi/publications/us_jobs/pdfs/MGI_us_jo
bs_full_report.pdf

10. Solving the Problem in Five Areas of
Focus
10
Skills
Gap
Early Tenure
Personalized
Mitigation
Soft-Skill
Education
Throughout
Experiential
Learning
Employer
Partners

11. At which stages are you purposefully
reinforcing soft-skills
11
EarlyTenure
Continuing
stu...
Pre-Graduation
Extern/Interns...
Alum
ni
Allofthe
abo...
17% 17% 17%17%17%17%
1. Early Tenure
2. Continuing student
3. Pre-Graduation
4. Extern/Internship
5. Alumni
6. All of the above

12. 12

13. Establish a Baseline
13
• 5 Assessment Points
– Within Month 1
– Early Term
– Mid-Term
– Late Term
– 1 Month prior to Externship/Internship
• 10 Professionalism Criteria
– Reflects behaviors and characteristics deemed critical to
success in today’s workplace
– Reflects attributes, tools, practices and skills equipping a job
seeker to compete for desirable positions
Student “Employ-Ability” Scorecard

14. 14

15. Employ-Ability Progress Report
15
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Comm Attitude Timely Reliable Organized Image Feedback Team Integrity Application
New Student
Early Tenure
Mid-Tenure
Near Graduation
Graduation

16. Personalized Mitigation- “AAA”
• Ability
– Tutoring
– Mentoring
– “Buddy System”
• Aptitude
– Experiential Learning (McGraw Hill Learning Solutions)
– Adaptive Learning (McGraw Hill “Connect” or “Aleks”)
• Attitude
– Self Driven Assessment Modules and Reports
– Professionalism Workshops
– Reward & Recognition Programs
16

17. If you polled your staff- who would THEY say is
responsible for teaching soft-skills?
17
CareerService...Education
StudentServic...
Extern
site
m
a...
It’sthestude...
No
one
Everyone
14% 14% 14% 14%14%14%14%
1. Career Services
2. Education
3. Student Services
4. Extern site managers
5. It’s the student’s
responsibility
6. No one
7. Everyone

18. On-Going Soft-Skills Education
It Takes A Village!
• Career messages reinforced in all areas of campus (TOMA)
• Professionalism at all times (language is important)
• Staff and Faculty participate in campus life
• Office hours clearly posted and observed
• On-the-spot recognition for desired behaviors
(asking good questions, dressing well, good teamwork, excellent accountability)
• Model excellent employment behavior (on time, dress appropriately, deliver grades on
time, etc.)
• Every experience reinforces professionalism
– Syllabi
– Faculty observations
– Faculty feedback reviews
– Attendance calls
18

19. Top of Mind Awareness (TOMA)
19

20. Sample Reports-Student Outcomes
20

21. Which of the following topics are you
conducting purposeful instruction for?
21
Professionalis...
Social-M
edia
Im
ageInterview
ingJob
Search
Extern/Interns...
Allofthe
abo...
14% 14% 14% 14%14%14%14%
1. Professionalism
2. Social-Media
3. Image
4. Interviewing
5. Job Search
6. Extern/Internship
Prep
7. All of the above

22. 22

23. Maximizing Social Media to
Get A Great Job
Realize Your Career Potential-
The Power of Professionalism
Writing a Winning Resume &
Cover Letter
Soft-Skills Workshops
 Create your Online Brand
 Facebook Do’s & Don'ts
 Linked In Benefits
 Create your LinkedIn Profile
 Brainstorm your Connections
 Homework-Self Assessment
 Identifying Non-Verbal Behaviors
 7 Keys to Exhibiting
Professionalism
 Importance of staying current in
their industry
 Do’s & Don’ts of a Professional
Image Exercise
 Homework, Self-Assessment of
Professionalism Skills
 Basics of writing a resume and
tailoring it to each desired job
 Foundations of a strong cover letter
 Practice networking
 Lessons about job search readiness
 Homework, Create Resume & Cover
Letter
© Copyright 2012 The Sparrow Group. www.sparrowgroup.biz

24. How to Conduct a
Successful Job Search
Interview Strategies for
Success
 Pinpoint their Desired Job
 Create a “You Brand”
 5 Essentials of Preparing
Properly
 Targeting a Company or
Specific Job
 Practice networking
 Making a Good First Impression
 How to Answer Interview Questions
 10 Most Asked Interview Questions
 Researching a Company
 7 Steps for Preparing
Soft-Skills Workshops-cont.

25. Preparing for Externship
 Preparing for Externship
 Making a Good First Impression
 Competency Exercise
 Do’s & Don’ts During Externship
 Confidence Exercise
 Making the Most of Externship
 Asking for the Job
Preparing for Externship
© Copyright 2012 The Sparrow Group.

26. Soft Skills Workshops
26

27. Soft-Skills Workshop
1. Maximizing Social Media to
Get a Great Job
2. Conducting a Successful Job
Search
3. Writing a Winning Resume &
Cover Letter
4. Interviewing Strategies for
Success
5. Realizing your Career
Potential- The Power of
Professionalism
6. Intern/Externship Excellence-
Your Open Door to a New
Career!
27

28. 28
The Workshops include the following:
• The facilitator’s guide – everything you need to know to deliver the workshop
successfully
• The student workbook- an interactive workbook for students to utilize for each
workshop with activities, pages for notes and resource pages.
• Workshop Evaluation – This is for your students to complete so you’ll have feedback
about how to improve your presentation next time you deliver it, and you’ll also learn
about the other programs that they want to see
• Presentations – Not all workshops require the use of Power Point. Fundamentally we
believe that unless Power Point adds to the learning, we don’t use them.

29. Why
Intern/
Externship
Work?

31. CareerBuilder Stats
Survey Reinforces Importance of Experience
81% 80%
68% 64%
59%
50% 50% 46%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
From the report: “Opportunities in Education: Strategies for Private Sector Colleges 2011,” Presented by CareerBuilder

32. Experiential Learning Offerings- For
All Programs!
32
• Student
– Practice what they’ve learned
– Gain practical experience
– Potential hire to full-time work
• College
– Evidence of program excellence for accreditors
– Evidence of program employment outcomes
– Student satisfaction
– Key competitive advantage for recruiting/admissions

33. Impact of Experiential Learning
33
1. 83% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the
statement that “work/internship experience acquired
before, or during graduate school, results in greater
employment opportunities upon graduation.”
2. Undergraduates in a business school were more likely to
receive job offers if they had completed an internship
3. Intern alumni had higher salaries than non-intern alumni
1) Cassidy, 2010
2) Gault, Leach and Dewey, 2010
3) Gault, Reddington and Schlager, 2000

34. Employer Partnerships
Businesses are beginning to realize the
importance of collaborating with local education
institutions, and vice versa.
“Colleges need businesses to serve as working
advisors so that curriculum has relevance and
value for their organizational goals and
employees’ knowledge and skills,”
-Patricia Claghorn, Dean of Continuing Education and Institutional
Advancement for Gloucester County College (GCC) in Sewell, New Jersey.
34

35. Employer Partnerships
• Advisory Board/PAC Committees
• Guest Speaking
• Curriculum Review
• Highlight Business
– Culture
– Benefits
– Uniqueness
35

36. Ann Cross
Executive Partner
The Sparrow Group
across@sparrowgroup.biz
www.sparrowgroup.biz
http://www.linkedin.com/in/anncross
Martha Lanaghen
President
The Sparrow Group
martha@sparrowgroup.biz
www.sparrowgroup.biz
http://www.linkedin.com/in/marthalanaghen
Questions??
Thank you!
Please feel free to contact us with additional questions.

37. Resources
• Community college programs help fill skills gap in U.S. (USA
Today, 04/09/2012)
• The Skills Gap: A Quick Note (Forbes, 06/08/2012)
• Does a Skills Gap Contribute to Unemployment? (New York
Times, 07/09/2012)
• The skills gap: Myth or reality? (Star-Tribune, 08/05/2012)
• 8 Steps for Closing the Skills Gap (Huffington Post,
08/21/2012)
• Solving the Manufacturing Skills Gap (The Atlantic,
09/06/2012)
• Skills gap is hampering labor market (The Hill, 09/09/2012)
37