MG&A HANDBOOK FOR CERTIFICTATION IN JOB DEVELOPMENT 2015
Marc Gold & Associates Job Development Certification Handbook Welcome to the Job Development Certification Process! Now that you have completed the 3 day training on Job Development and have decided to work toward certification, this handbook will describe the requirements for certification. The training that you will receive, the mentor who will guide you through this process and the resource materials you have been given will provide a wealth of information to support your quest for certification. This is a process based certification in that you will actually be performing the Job Development process while you learn. For this certification, the lead mentor will be Abby Cooper. Abby has more than 30 years of experience in directing and managing comprehensive, integrated, employment services. She designed and implemented the first community- based supported employment program and one of the first independent living services in Washington State. You will be assigned a personal mentor by Abby after your application has been received and fees have been paid. In order to be successful with certification, you will need to fulfill the following requirements for certification to the satisfaction of the MG&A mentor. 1. In order to fulfill the requirements of the Job Development certification, you will be required to identify an individual with significant disabilities within your agency or locale who wants to work, has been through the MG&A Discovery Process, including the development of a Profile, a Customized Plan for Employment and a Visual Resume, and who qualifies for funding through VR and/or DD services in their state. MG& A recommends that you have a back- up individual in case your initial individual decides to not participate. 2. Complete the Job Development Activity Log that accounts for all time spent during certification, notes and forms as required by the MG&A mentor. Make sure you complete the activity log as you finish each requirement. Page 1
3. Watch the following webinars: MG&A Developing the Concept Portfolio Conducting a Needs/Benefits Analysis Job Development #1 Job Development #2 4. Review the Profile, Customized Plan for Employment (CPE) and Visual Resume of your learning partner and revise as necessary with feedback from your mentor. 5. In collaboration with the management (administrators) of your employing agency (host), and with approval of the MG&A mentor, develop your host agency s essential selling points, sweeteners, hole cards and non- negotiables to be included in the Concept Portfolio and used in negotiation of a customized job for the individual. These must be approved by the executive director of the agency (your mentor will assist you with this). Important Note: If more than one person in your agency is pursuing certification in Job Development, you must work on the negotiables as a team. The negotiables for a particular host agency should be the same for each staff member pursing certification. It is critical that you work as a team since your mentor will determine, individually, that each member understands both the meaning of each negotiable listed and why it was placed in its specific category. 5. a. Develop a Concept Portfolio for your host agency, under the direction of the MG&A mentor, to the satisfaction of the mentor. Use imagery from your agency or from other sources (these other sources must be approved by your mentor). 5. b. Develop a detailed outline or script for presenting the Concept Portfolio to potential employers. Use the Sample Script as a guide for developing your personal script. 6. Set up, conduct and video a Role Play initial presentation for employers with a volunteer local employer, consistent with an interest area of the job Page 2
seeker s CPE. The video must be submitted to the MG&A mentor for approval and feedback. The video needs to have the following components: a. Presenting the concept portfolio- - - 12 minutes; b. Presenting the visual resume 6 minutes; c. Employer questions 7 minutes You will be uploading the video on a private YouTube location for your mentor to review. DO NOT CONFUSE THE REQUIRED VIDEO OF THE ROLE- PLAYING PRESENTATION TO A LOCAL EMPLOYER WITH YOUR PRIVATE PRACTICE VIDEO. Prior to your Role- Play Initial presentation, practice your presentation. A suggested practice schedule is: a. Read and revise the script. b. In a private setting, practice your presentation by reading your script and turning the pages of the portfolio. c. In a private setting, practice without the script. d. Practice with a friend; considering repeating the practice until you are comfortable. e. Practice a presentation with an individual who is an employer. This individual may be drawn from your personal relationship, your agency s board of directors or other source approved by your mentor. 7. Set up and conduct a practice Employer Needs/Benefits Analysis with a local employer, consistent with an interest area of the job seeker s CPE. You are required to complete the Employer Needs/Benefits Analysis worksheet to the satisfaction of the MG&A mentor. The Employer Needs/Benefits Analysis should focus on the setting, the employees and the customers. Use your learning partner s task list from the CPE to guide your analysis. Page 3
8. Based on the Specific Employer s List, make employer contacts, in the sequence identified in the CPE, that result in presentations to potential employers in an effort to negotiate a job for the job seeker that is consistent with the job seeker s conditions for success, interests and potential contributions identified in the CPE. You must fill out the Employer Contact Sheet, the Monthly Job Development Contact List, as well as the Activity Log. You are also required to write up brief notes that describe the strategies used, the employer s reactions and next steps in the process to be used for feedback by MG&A mentors. You should not make more than five contacts without feedback from your mentor. The following activities will be required for each employer to be contacted: a. Target employers to be contacted based on the individual s Specific Employer List from their CPE. b. Conduct at least 1 hour of research for each employer to be contacted using the research form provided by your mentor. c. List any connection or possible referral source for each employer to be contacted d. Determine the most effective manner to ask for an appointment and be prepared to explain your thinking to your mentor. e. Maintain the Employer Contact List(provided by your mentor) for all employer interactions. f. When possible, make initial presentations to potential employers using your Concept Portfolio and Visual Resume. g. Develop notes analyzing each employer presentation noting such items as length of presentation, time break- down of the components listed above in #6, questions raised by the employer, etc. to be discussed with your mentor. (228) 205-4586 Fax (228) 205-4597 www.marcgold.com Page 4
h. When possible, engage the employer in follow- up negotiations that should include the following: tour of the business, needs/benefits analysis, further discussions of the concept, negotiations concerning necessary conditions for success for the job seeker and negotiation of a customized job description. Note: If you contact all employers (minimum of 15 less than 15 will require approval from your mentor) on the CPE list to the satisfaction of your mentor, the requirements of this component are considered to be met, even if a job was not secured. 9. Pass a content test on Job Development at the 70% level. You will have three opportunities to meet the 70% accuracy requirement. Page 5
Responsibilities of the Person Seeking Certification: It is your responsibility to read all documents given to you, including the Job Development handbook, and watch all webinars. You should respond to any emails your mentor sends to you. You should participate in all conference calls set up by your mentor. You must complete all aspects of this certification area within 20 weeks of enrolling to become certified. If it becomes apparent to the mentor that you will not meet the 20 weeks deadline or if you are unable to meet the quality standards expected, the mentor will make one of the following decisions: 1. You may be dropped from the certification process. If this occurs and you wish to start the process over, you must pay a new, lower, fee for certification that pays for the mentor s time. If more than one year has elapsed from the time you took the three day training, it will be necessary to start anew with a full payment for certification. 2. If you require additional mentoring beyond the seven (7) hours provided in your fee, you will be charged an additional mentoring fee of $75/hour. The mentor will make these decisions based on your performance and your response to calls, emails, timelines and requested edits. The mentor will also include the Coordinator of the Job Development Certification, as well as your employment supervisor in reaching these decisions. You must negotiate with your supervisors at work for the release time necessary to complete the activities that are required. You must communicate with your employers to assure that funding is available to support employment opportunities that may be developed as a result of this process. Page 6
Suggested Timelines: The following timelines for Job Development activities can be used in planning your activities: 1. Webinars 5 hours 2. Developing selling points, sweeteners, and hole cards: 2-3 hours 3. Developing the Concept Portfolio: 4-5 hours 4. Develop script 2 hours 5. Practice Needs and Benefits Analysis: 5-7 hours 6 Role- Playing Presentation (includes practice time): 5 hours 7. Employer Contacts: 15 hours Total time: 38 42 hours Please sign the last page of this handbook and send to your mentor to indicate your understanding of the requirements of this certification and your responsibilities in meeting the requirements. Page 7
Please Sign: As an individual applying for certification in Job Development from Marc Gold & Associates, I have read and understand the requirements for certification and my responsibilities involved. Printed Name of Individual Signature of Individual Individual s Agency Date Page 8