Summary
Innovation is on full display as adult participants in The Jobs Partnership of Florida’s LifeWorks employability program are using job simulations and virtual interviewing experiences typically used in corporate hiring processes to maintain momentum and gain an advantage in a marketplace challenged by the effects of a health pandemic.
LifeWorks by Jobs Partnership is an innovative, free training and development solution for people who are under or unemployed in Central Florida. For instructors and coaches, this Orlando non-profit relies on a deep network of community partners that includes Orange Technical College, part of Orange County Public Schools. These trusted partnerships also open doors for additional industry specific training and eventual job placement.
Program Uses Virtual Hiring Technologies to Maintain Momentum in Career Planning
Even before country-wide shutdowns were in place to mitigate the global health pandemic, adult training and educational programs were optimizing virtual learning spaces. To augment online learning, onsite job visits and mentoring days were scheduled for strategic industries. When in-person contact was restricted, these valuable touchpoints were no longer an option.
Recognizing the value of interacting with actual workers while experiencing a day on-the-job, administrators of The Jobs Partnership of Florida’s LifeWork class saw a solution in job simulations, which are typically used to evaluate job candidates in hiring. These immersive, online experiences are based on real work scenarios and are considered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to offer the highest level of accuracy in predicting job performance.
A job simulation with broad appeal is Employment Technologies’ EASy Simulation® Virtual Customer. Using high-end graphics and a compelling storyline, the Virtual Customer simulation immerses participants in a series of realistic workplace situations and assesses three skill areas: problem solving, interpersonal effectiveness, and conscientiousness.
Employers receive the assessment results in a report that can also be used as an onboarding guide, noting suggestions for learning activities to improve specific behaviors. For vocational training, the same data makes an ideal guide for career coaching. In a risk-free environment, students gain an awareness of their skills strengths and explore career options.
Another resource from Employment Technologies that has proven invaluable, especially during COVID-related challenges, is EASyView® Virtual Interview practice.
“We never could have imagined how useful and timely this tool would become in the midst of social distancing,” says JP Program Manager Lorrenza Vandiver. Prior to EASyView®, participants prepared for interviews with in-class instruction and occasional onsite mock interviews with volunteer business leaders. Now they can practice in their homes using the same interview technology leading companies are using every day.
Available on any smart device, EASyView® presents participants with standard interview questions, enabling them to record their responses, critique their performance and face any type of interview with skill and confidence.
“They now know what to expect in a virtual interview, as well as the entire process of virtual hiring. And greater confidence leads to more job offers,” concludes Lorrenza.
Both the simulation and virtual interviews are managed by Jobs Partnership personnel through an online user-friendly dashboard administered by Employment Technologies. The only equipment required to participate in either is an internet supported device.
This article was provided by Nancy Schneider on behalf of Employment Technologies. You can contact Nancy at [email protected].
