Technology & Career Services - Group 7

Tool
Blog
Service
Have a blog online that discusses the problems accessing employers and employment related issues and resolutions to the barriers posed by the clients.

Concerns
The time it takes to input the information into a coherent format
Setting appropriate access permissions

Benefits
Creative resolutions
Allow funders to read the exchange

Support
Agency support - committment to monitoring the tools

Technology & Career Services - Group 6

Technology Tool
networking tools
facebook or ning.com

Service Idea
Networking group for clients to extend an online program after the session ends.

Concerns
getting client buy in to use the platform
privacy - identifying the different elements of informed consent between structured program and voluntary post-program networking

Benefits
incorporating social networking into platforms clients are using
able to connect with people they wouldn't normally connect with - extend beyond the other program participants

Supports Required
time for monitoring the site
technology support
encouraging the group to learn self-monitoring as well

Resources
facebook
ning.com

Technology & Career Services - Group 5

Technology Tool
e-learning space

Service Idea
Deliver online career service workshops and make workshops available for registered users - both live (facilitated) and downloadable (self-directed)

Concerns

privacy and confidentiality
the amount of training for staff and wondering what kind of training for students/clients is -required for them to learn online
tech support
power outages
creating norms in the workshop
ethical alignment

Benefits
reach more people
easily accessible
easy to update content of workshop materials
data management
low cost

Supports Required
tech support and training
digital video camera
participation in the workshops

relevant course content
cost

Technology & Career Services - Group 4

Technology Tool
Create a MOODLE site for individual and group client service

Service Idea
E-Learning which encourages social networking (blogging & info sharing) delivered from an e-learning platform that allows for expansion of services as the clients/organization or contractor learns more technically.

Start with Moodle and use this platform to share information, deliver instructions and use as a curriculum/data management system.

Eventually create groups in Moodle for interactive student/client opportunities.

Concerns
People are concerned about security and sharing personal/identifiable information. Part of the solution is to use common sense - think about the context of the conversation.

Benefits
Saves you time, allows for document and information sharing and eliminates some time spent on searching/researching and identifying sources.

Supports Required
Training and organizational/client buy-in to technology and to maintain.

Technology & Career Services - Group 3

Technology Tool
Wiki

Service Idea
As a tool for Career Practitioners to share resources and information to relay current job market information, career fairs, and educational prospects.

Maybe a multi-organization wiki to keep track of career fairs

Concerns
Use of confidential information - controlled, in part, by permissions
Administration
Management of users
Cost
Familiarity with the technology, is everyone able to use the tool?
Fear of retribution from management
Resistance of technology
Theft of ideas - if site does not have limited access (ie: during RFP development)

Benefits
Convenient involvement
Flexible
Collaborative
Records chronological change
Improves transparency - everything is recorded

Makes information accessible for rural and remote users
Sharing of knowledge
Team building - input of ideas
Social announcements
Benefits the physically challenged

Supports Required
Internet
Computer
Idea
Willingness
Computer skills
Buy in to use and maintain

Resources

(http://www.wikispaces.com/)

Technology & Career Services - Group 2

Technology Tool
Wiki - PBwiki (http://www.pbwiki.com/)

Service Idea
To facilitate communication between facilitators who all work with the same clients, at different times, in different classes/sessions.


Concerns
Privacy - which can be addressed with archiving past information
Maintenance - who will do this? How will we have enough time to keep up?
Work-life balance- how to manage the opportunity this presents of checking into the site at night and over-working?

Benefits

Captures information – beyond paper and saves trees J
Immediate feedback
Speeds up the time required for “catch up” of client process and enhances service delivery time
Offers a venue for facilitators that are ill or away to connect in and provide support or stay updated on progress
For clients – it offers an equal opportunity for air-time

Supports
Money
Time
Training on how to use it
Tech maintenance – who will clean it up?

Technology & Career Services - Group 1

Technology Tool
Social Networking site, with blog (http://www.ning.com/)

Service Idea
Navigate site to find parts that are of interest to individual. Based on that create your own profile.
Administrator will invite people to the site in order to register.

You Can:

- upload data and photos and videos
- create your own profile upon invitation
- when you want to network or connect with people you invite people to be your friend by clicking on an avatar on the page
- upload links like a you tube presentation
- link to personal web page
- for blog you need to add a tap called forum and here you can start a discussion

Concerns
- need for technological savvy
- integrity of site, what will be done with the info on the site
- who will be able to gain access to the site
- confidentiality
- how much time would it take to administer the site
- employers permission
- funders approval for this information to be developed
- monitoring content

Benefits
- increasing peoples computer literacy
- networking opportunities
- create special interest groups within the umbrella of the organization
- keep previous participants connected
- links to educational opportunities
- success stories
- job leads
- resource for info interviews and connecting with people in the field that you are looking at

Supports Required
- labour and tech knowledge
- training for people to use site
- training for people to use computers
- access to computers
- access to internet
- funding
- approved as part of the contract that you negotiating
- approval of organization
- buy in from the group participants

ENET Groups at Work!

Enet members are busy identifying new ways to incorporate technology into career services!

Integrating Technology Into Career Services

With so much new technology available, why have we been so slow to incorporate technology into our services? There still seems to be reluctance about the use of e-learning, online communities, and social media.

What exactly are we afraid of?

This panel presentation will explore the fears and benefits that exist in the career practitioning community. All of the panel members have experience using and integrating technology in career and education programs and will offer their own unique perspectives about the opportunities and challenges technology brings.

The participants of this training session will mark the debut of ENET's Training Day Blog! Through group activities, participants will explore ideas and strategies for using various technology in career services. View the following posts to see their pictures and learn about their ideas!

This session was delivered on Sept. 10, 2008.