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GCS Training - mCommunity Programme

mCommunity Job Club

Programme Outline

For partner organisations

                             

Table of Contents

Introduction

Job Club Components

Frequency

Duration

Structure

Proposed Accreditation

Summary

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Introduction

The mCommunity project has developed a mobile app for teaching and learning based on the Moodle Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with an individual learning and planning tool (eILP) and facilities to incorporate instant messaging and social media functionality. 

mCommunity Job Club is an important tool for results-orientated job search activities and further training.  The primary function of the mCommunity Job Club is to provide accredited training and job seeking opportunities for participants who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).  NEET participants have an opportunity to gain further soft skills, and to receive direction and additional leads by the mCommunity programme and partner agencies.

mCommunity Job Club is intended to help provide support and focus to NEETs and Graduate NEETS.  It should be a dynamic (ie. flexible and changing) programme that prepares participants for effective job search activities and personal development.  The end-goal of this programme is securing employment and gaining an accredited course.

The purpose of this guide is to provide an explanation of the basic components of mCommunity Job Club so partner agencies are able to identify, support and refer individuals onto this programme.

mCommunity Job Club Components

The Job Club structure should be flexible to accommodate the needs of a particular individual, group or the programme.  The following is the core structure in which the mCommunity programme will be working and facilitating partner agencies in identifying and referring participants onto the project.

Frequency

mCommunity Job club is most effective when completed once a week.  When it is done daily, it can become repetitious and rarely is able to provide updated information of significant value to warrant a daily club.

Depending on the individual needs, an eight to ten-week training program will be offered to ensure participants gain the necessary skills and assist them with increasing basic job search and job retention skills.  The focus is soft-skill development for participants.  Although mCommunity Job Club has some of those elements, the primary focus is on the actual up-skilling of participants with accredited training, job leads and direct employment search activities.

The best days to actively contact employers about employment are usually Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Those are the days the participants should be out, pounding the pavement, instead of in a workshop. Therefore if the mCommunity Job Club will is to help define a participant’s job search plan, it is best to have it on a Monday and Friday.

The Monday and Friday sessions are focused on new leads for the week and structuring that week’s plan.  Usually the Friday session is used to debrief about that week’s job search. Participants have an opportunity to share their experiences with peers and provide tips on dos and don’ts they learned from specific employer interactions or their expectations. The mCommunity Job Club will also be providing job leads and additional information regarding the job market.

Considering of the frequency a partner agency chooses, it is important to have a clear purpose for the mCommunity job club. 

Duration

The mCommunity Job Club is held once a week for face-to-face support and training delivery, the mCommunity Job Club lasts 1 ½ - 3 hours.  All other intervention and support through the mCommunity online training programme will be arranged and agreed on an individual basis.

The number of participants in the mCommunity Job Club can also dictate the length of the sessions.  Obviously, it takes 5 people less time to discuss their job search plans and training than it does 20 people. The mCommunity Job Club will be running face-to-face confidence building and pre-employment activities on an individual and group basis depending on participant numbers attending the sessions.

Structure

As stated earlier, the mCommunity Job Club structure or format can vary widely, depending on the individual participant needs referred by partner agencies onto the programme.  .

The following is the proposed structure for the Job Club:

Participant Registration & Introductions

 - Eligibility criteria

 - ILP

 - Project forms

Introduction to mCommunity Project

  - Programme overview

  - Mobile learning concept

  - Introduction to mCommunity App & Moodle

Mobile Device (Nexus 7 Tablet) - Project agreement form

- Course delivery (timeline + deadlines)

    - Continued support

    - Face-to-face (one-to-one and group work)

    - Online support (designated and agreed times) 

  

Job Club Support

  - Face-to-face and online support

  - Job search

  - Applying for jobs

  - Job interview preparation

  - Presentation interview preparation

  - Course delivery and support (for accredited training)

Employment Program Layout

  - Job search (skills match, techniques & tips)

  - CV Writing Skills

     - CV paper/Electronic

     - Video CV

  - Job application forms

     - Paper based forms

     - Online/electronic forms

  - Improving confidence and self-esteem skills

  - Working as part of a team (team work/building activities)

  - Looking the part

  - Interviewing Skills

    - Interview questions (types & tips)

  - Presentation Skills

Evaluation & Progress

Proposed Accreditation

The mCommunity will be accessing each individual participant through an Individual Learning Plan (ILP). The programme offers three choices of accreditation: AGORED CYMRU, ITQ (QCF) and City & Guilds accredited outcomes. The following accredited courses will be around IT and Media. The programme will be offering courses from Level 1 to Level 3 depending on the individual needs.

Summary

mCommunity Job Club is a good platform to assist NEETs and Graduate NEETs with their confidence and immediate job search action plans.  It helps develop a support system as well as a means for a programme to meet with participants to share the most up-to-date information on the labour market.

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More about Donald...

Donald Clark was CEO and one of the original founders of Epic Group plc, which established itself as the leading company in the UK e-learning market, floated on the Stock Market in 1996 and sold in 2005. Describing himself as 'free from the tyranny of employment', he is a board member of Ufi, Cogbooks, LearningPool and the Brighton Arts Festival.

Donald has been involved in major film, games, simulations, social media and mobile projects. He is an evangelist for the use of technology in learning and has won many awards, notably the 'Outstanding Achievement in e-learning Award'. He has advised on e-learning for many global, public and private organisations, and is a regular speaker at national and international conferences...... also a regular (and controversial) blogger on e-learning!

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