E&ES
Section description
Section I: Making the case
Many employers are unaware of the opportunities that workforce development partnerships offer them. How might you “sell” an employer not just on workforce development, but on your organization’s offerings?
Introducing Workforce Development Opportunities
When employers connect with E&ES to receive business services, they are encouraged to refer any candidates they have been interviewing independently to E&ES. Business Account Executives check to see if the candidate is eligible for WIOA funding. If so, the employer may be able to incorporate the hire into their OJT plan. This is called a reverse referral.
Section II: Keeping employer interest
So you’ve connected with an employer. Now comes the work of keeping their interest and staying top of mind, despite how busy they may be. How do you stay memorable and persuasive after the first connection?
Handling Objections from Employers
Objection: “Federal programs require too much paperwork”
Solution: E&ES provides employers with an outline of an OJT training plan to customize and adopt.
Section III: Evaluating partnership potential
The first connections with an employer aren’t just an opportunity to sell your services. They’re also a great time to better understand an employer, their practices, and their values to determine if they are a good fit for you, and how you can best help them.
Collecting Employer Information
When employers are interested in the On-the-Job-Training Program (OJT), they are asked to complete the OFT Pre-Award Checklist to assess eligibility. This data is used to create an employer profile in Career Connect.
Employers complete a simple interest form on the E&ES website. Upon receipt of an interest form, Business Account Executives connect with the employer to schedule and conduct initial discovery meetings to assess the employer’s needs. BAEs aim to leave the initial discovery meeting with a job order to begin showing the effectiveness of the workforce ecosystem immediately.
Evaluating Employer Suitability
Business Account Executives utilize a spreadsheet to populate the OJT agreement. There are fields embedded in the spreadsheet that help BAEs determine eligibility.
Section IV: Building a partnership
While this report is limited to the interactions with employers leading up to the establishment of a partnership, some technical aspects of partnership building are explored here.
Sharing Information About Subsidies and Tax Credits
E&ES shares materials with employers to provide an overview of the services offered and the available opportunities.
Utilizing Job Fairs
E&ES collaborates with employers to plan and host hiring events, either in-person or virtual. The team handles the logistics of developing event marketing, registering attendees, and sharing the event with our network of job seekers. Business partners can host events at their worksite or one of E&ES’ 20+ locations.
Section V: Organizational practices
Working well with employers isn’t merely a question of skilled, knowledgeable individuals. There are practices and decisions made on an organizational level that can make employer partnership initiation easier and more successful.
Organizational Structure, Resourcing, Staffing
Business Account Executives (BAEs) recruit and engage employers. They are located in E&ES’ local offices in Maywood and Bronzeville and at Richard J. Daley College and Olive-Harvey College.
Collaborating with Other Organizations
When an employer profile is created in Career Connect a check is performed to determine whether the employer already exists in the system. If they do and their account shows activity within the prior six months, E&ES will connect with the organization to align efforts. Collaborating with other organizations may result in a shared placement, where both organizations will be credited with the placement.
