WHAT is "placement"?

Placement is a term used to describe the development, implementation, and coordination of a world-class work-based learning system for students that meets all local, state, and federal requirements and guidelines.

WHAT is the role of a Placement Coordinator?

Placement Coordinators assist students, who are in the process of completing or have completed their program at the Saginaw Career Complex, by helping them obtain appropriate placement in work-based learning experiences that relate to their program of study. They also work closely with business and industry to prepare youth for careers in high-demand, high-skilled jobs, as well a, assisting them with their employment needs.

WHAT is work-based learning?

Work-based learning, or on-the-job training, is a structured, well organized program at the workplace that is an effective strategy for developing a skilled workforce.

WHAT work-based learning options are available for students?

Unpaid Work Experience--Job Shadowing

• Students get first hand information about careers
• Students visit real job sites
• Students observe and ask relevant questions
• Students get to see role models
• Supplements student career planning
• Short duration—at least one-half day
• Exposes students to a wide range of career options
• Connects career planning with real careers

Unpaid Work Experience--Exploratory Experience (E/E)

• Students complete an unpaid work experience at business and industry training sites
• Short duration—one day to three weeks
• Allows students to practice academic, occupational skills, personal management and employability skills
• Students gain valuable experiences and skill training under the close observation of a training site
• Provides students with the realities of the world of work and better prepares the student to focus on a career goal
• Employers have an opportunity to appraise and offer guidance of future employment or education

Paid Work Experience--Approved Cooperative Education

• Combines Saginaw Career Complex learning programs with structured, paid part-time employment
• Training agreement and plan details student and employer roles and responsibilities
• Placement staff and employers monitor training and student progress—the student receives a grade based upon the evaluation
• Allows the student to put into practice, in a real work situation, what the student is studying in school
• Provides valuable skill and training opportunities

School-to-Registered-Apprenticeship (STRA)

• Program is registered with the U.S. Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training
• Provides structured on-the-job learning opportunities connected to in-demand jobs/careers
• Program is designed and operated by the private sector
• Training is based on industry skill standards

WHO are the placement coordinators at the Saginaw Career Complex?

HOW may I be involved in the placement program at the Saginaw Career Complex?

Students must be enrolled in a program at the Saginaw Career Complex in order to be involved in the placement program. All students are expected to participate.

WHERE will work-based learning experiences take place, and with whom?

The Saginaw Career Complex has developed working relationships with many local businesses, which cover a wide variety of career areas. This allows the placement coordinators to place students in positions that complements both the program at the Complex and the career goals of the individual students. Each placement will allow the students to gain first-hand work experience in the REAL world, which enables the students to apply their skills and knowledge in the work environment while they are beginning to build a network of professionals who recognize their abilities.

WHAT special programs, designed for work-based learning experiences, are available for students at the Saginaw Career Complex?

The Saginaw Career Complex, along with business and industry, provides opportunities for students to become involved in various programs that will further their education/career and promote learning in the REAL world. Such programs require students to meet requirements for the position, provide a resume to the employer, show evidence of good personal management and employability skills, display communication skills, and interview with the panel of prospective employers. Some positions will also require students to complete requirements set forth by the individual company.

In addition to employment, students will benefit from these programs in many different ways: students will begin to build a networking system of people who know their skills, talents, and abilities; they will gain training in the career area that interests them; they will be gaining teamwork skills; students will develop better communication skills; and they will be learning for real life as they link learning with earning.

The following special, work-based learning programs are available at the Saginaw Career Complex:

• Automotive YES-The Automotive YES program addresses a growing need among dealerships nationwide---a scarcity of qualified entry-level technicians. Automotive YES is designed to develop partnerships between participating dealerships, independent automotive service business, and local educational facilities to prepare young people for challenging, well-paid careers in automotive service. The Saginaw Career Complex is one of eight such facilities at the high school level in Michigan, and has developed working partnerships with General Motors, Daimler Chrysler, Ford Motor Company and local independent automotive service businesses. In order to offer the AYES curriculum, a participating school must be certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).

• MECA-The MECA initiative is an exciting way to educate students both in school and on the job. It represents a mutually beneficial partnership between businesses, labor, and the Saginaw Career Complex. MECA stands for Manufacturing, Engineering, Construction, and Automotive—areas of industry where demand for skilled workers is high---and so is the pay. Students involved in the MECA program are learning for REAL life as they are introduced to skills through integrated school- and work-based learning. Many are paid as they learn on the job-both during the school year and in the summer. Skilled trades mentors, at Saginaw Metal Casting Operations, work side-by-side with students, serving as workplace role models and technical advisors. Students are offered technical training in areas where the demand for skilled workers is high.

• MTP-The Manufacturing Technology Partnership brings industry and education together to help train today's students to be the skilled work force oftomorrow. Students are given on the job training at Delphi Automotive Systems, as well as training in the lab/classroom at the Saginaw Career Complex. Students from various programs at the Complex, with the mentoring of talented individuals at the work site, will become the skilled labor force of tomorrow in the manufacturing industry. Students will have the opportunity to be gainfully employed as part of their educational program.

•Delphi Manufacturing Operations Management Program-The purpose of the Delphi Manufacturing Operations Management Program is to train and mentor future plant managers in an effort to meet the need for qualified individuals to fill the positions that exist in the manufacturing industry. In an effort to "grow their own", Delphi Automotive Systems will allow students, who have the desire and ambition to enter the management arena, to gain first-hand experience in all levels of operations as well as in management positions. Their learning activities and experiences will take them to the manufacturing floor, the office, and the skilled trades areas where they will work with engineers, plant managers, and skilled trades persons. Mentoring, by Delphi Automotive Systems employees who are knowledgeable and well trained in the manufacturing industry, will enable students to gain an understanding of the current, past, and future issues that influence the manufacturing industry. While in high school, students will spend three hours a day in the Delphi Manufacturing Operations Management Program, and will also be sponsored through their post-secondary education with summer employment.