Tools to Assess the Needs of Your Plus 50 Population American Association of Community Colleges Funded with a grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies 1.

Tools to Assess the Tools to Assess the Needs of Your Plus 50 Needs of Your Plus 50 PopulationPopulationAmerican Association of Community Colleges

Funded with a grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies

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Practice: Attendance PollPractice: Attendance Poll

In the chat room, please type your name, the name of your organization, your location, and the number of people attending with you today.

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Access to Webinar MaterialsAccess to Webinar MaterialsToday’s session will be recorded and made available on the Plus 50 website:

http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/

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PollPoll: Have you ever conducted a : Have you ever conducted a needs assessment?needs assessment?

Yes

No

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PresentersPresenters

Nancy Latham, Director of Research and Evaluation, LFA Group

Emily Boer Drake, Senior Consultant, LFA Group

Heather Ellison, Program Planner, Continuing Education, St. Louis Community College

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Presenter:Nancy Latham, Director of

Research and Evaluation, LFA Group

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Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

By the end of today’s webinar, you will be able to:

Discuss the purpose and benefits of performing a needs assessment.

Identify the components of the Needs Assessment Toolkit and describe how each may be used.

Embark on selecting the toolkit components that best suit the needs of your organization.

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What is a Needs Assessment and Why What is a Needs Assessment and Why is it Important?is it Important? A needs assessment is conducted to help organizations

identify the demand for specific services.

It provides a foundation for future decision-making, effective planning, and appropriate action.

It can also help to make the case for programs and services to funders, and to your college’s leadership.

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The Plus 50 Needs Assessment ToolkitThe Plus 50 Needs Assessment Toolkit

Developed by the AACC and LFA to help community colleges conduct a needs assessment for the purposes of developing workforce training and career development programming for their local Plus 50 population.

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Five Basic Components of a Needs Five Basic Components of a Needs AssessmentAssessment

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Local employer and industry needs, and information about growth occupations in your area.

An estimated size of your local Plus 50 population.

Market Sizing Instructions for Sizing the Market

for plus 50 Workforce Education

Programming

Market Sizing Tool

Tools in the Section

Toolkit Section

Assessment of Local Employer

and Industry Needs

Assessing Local Employer Needs

Five Basic Components of a Needs Five Basic Components of a Needs Assessment, Assessment, continuedcontinued

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A description of the needs, interests, constraints, and preferences of the local Plus 50 population

Survey Development

Guidelines

Survey Development

Survey Administration

Survey Analysis

Sample Survey

Survey Administration

Guidelines: How to Administer a Needs Assessment Survey

Survey Analysis Guidelines

Sample Survey Analysis Plan

Tools in the SectionToolkit Section

Five Basic Components of a Needs Five Basic Components of a Needs Assessment, Assessment, continuedcontinued

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A description of the needs, interests, constraints, and preferences of the local Plus 50 population

Focus Group Guidelines: How to

Plan for and Facilitate a Focus

Group

Conducting Focus Groups

and Using Focus Group Data

Sample Focus Group Questions

Tools in the SectionToolkit Section

Summarizing Focus Group Results

Five Basic Components of a Needs Five Basic Components of a Needs Assessment, Assessment, continuedcontinued

Recommendations for program development and design.

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Basic information about potential competitors and collaborators.

Writing your Needs

Assessment Report

Sample Discussion Questions for Group Reflection on your

Data

Sample Needs Assessment Report

Outline

Sample Recommendations

Introduction to the Toolkit

What might your Needs Assessment

Include?

Tools in the SectionToolkit Section

Remember!Remember!

You do not need to use every

component of the toolkit to build your needs assessment!

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Getting Ready for a Needs AssessmentGetting Ready for a Needs Assessment

Assemble a needs assessment implementation team.

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Create a timeline and work plan.

Develop a budget.

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Presenter:Emily Boer Drake

Senior Consultant, LFA Group

Assessing Local Employer NeedsAssessing Local Employer Needs

The goal of this tool is to help you identify:

– What skills local employers need most.

– The high growth occupations that exist in your area.

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Assessing Local Employer Needs, Assessing Local Employer Needs, continuedcontinued

Useful resources for information on local business and occupations include:

– Your college’s Workforce Development department.– The Chamber of Commerce.– The Workforce Investment Board (WIB).– Community Economic Development Associations.

You may also access publicly available data

Reference the toolkit component Assessment of Local Employer and Industry Needs

for valuable online resources.

Market SizingMarket Sizing

Allows you to estimate the number of potential Plus 50 learners in your area.

Helps community colleges make decisions regarding:– How extensive their

offerings should be.

– The extent to which they should tailor offerings.

– How to price courses for Plus 50 students.

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Overview of Market Sizing StepsOverview of Market Sizing Steps

1. The total Plus 50 population in your area.

2. How many people in your area are interested in Plus 50 programming.

3. What percent of your target market can afford Plus 50 programming.

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Utilize information from the US Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and recent research in the field to determine:

Overview of Market Sizing Steps, Overview of Market Sizing Steps, continuedcontinued

You only need Excel, You only need Excel, Internet access, and the Internet access, and the Market Sizing ToolMarket Sizing Tool in in the toolkit to effectively the toolkit to effectively

complete the three steps complete the three steps of market sizing!of market sizing!

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Presenter:Nancy Latham, Director of

Research and Evaluation, LFA Group

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Gathering Information from Your Local Gathering Information from Your Local Plus 50 Population: Surveys & Focus Plus 50 Population: Surveys & Focus GroupsGroups

Conduct a survey when: It is important to you to collect

data from a wide range of local Plus 50 population.

You have access to someone who is comfortable with quantitative analysis.

You have adequate time and resources available.

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Gathering Information from Your Local Gathering Information from Your Local Plus 50 Population: Surveys & Focus Plus 50 Population: Surveys & Focus Groups, Groups, continuedcontinued

Conduct a focus group when:

You want more narrative, in-depth information than you can collect from a survey.

You would like to collect data from your population relatively quickly.

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Survey DevelopmentSurvey Development

The fundamentals:The fundamentals: Identify what it is you want to know.

Think about whether the questions you include will get you the information you want.

Figure out if your questions ask what you think they are asking.

For an example of how a Plus 50 survey may be presented, refer to the Sample Survey in your toolkit.

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Survey AdministrationSurvey Administration

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You will need to decide who you will survey and how you will reach them.

Two basic groups that you may wish to target include:

– Current students age 50 and older at your college.

– Those in this age group from the broader community.

Survey Administration, Survey Administration, continuedcontinued

Surveys may be administered online or on paper.

Refer to the toolkit for advantages, disadvantages, and guidelines for each.

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Survey AnalysisSurvey Analysis

• Analysis is using data to reveal information that is important to making decisions.

• When included in a report, the analysis tells the story of survey results to others.

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Survey Analysis, Survey Analysis, continuedcontinued

• Basic survey analysis can be done by anyone comfortable with numbers – you don’t have to be a statistician!

• For more involved analysis, consider bringing someone experienced in working with survey data onto your team.

Refer to the Survey Analysis Guidelines in your toolkit to determine the questions your data can answer, the type of

analysis to do, and how to present and interpret results.

Survey Analysis, Survey Analysis, continuedcontinued

There is There is no one right no one right wayway to present your to present your

data and communicate data and communicate the results of your the results of your

survey!survey!

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Presenter:Emily Boer Drake

Senior Consultant, LFA Group

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Conducting Focus GroupsConducting Focus GroupsFocus groups: Allow a deep, detailed collection of information about

people’s interests and preferences. Collect qualitative information from a small group of

people. Are structured around a set of predetermined

questions that aim to stimulate conversation and spark ideas from participants.

Refer to Focus Group Guidelines in the toolkit for tips on planning, writing questions for, and

facilitating a focus group.34

Using Focus Group DataUsing Focus Group Data

Using notes and/or recorded transcripts from the focus group, summarize the results by:

– Finding common themes and sub-themes.

– Identifying unique and creative insights.

– Using direct quotes from focus group participants.

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Presenters:Nancy Latham, Director of

Research and Evaluation, LFA Group

Heather EllisonProgram Planner, Continuing

Education, St. Louis Community College

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Writing Your Needs Assessment Writing Your Needs Assessment ReportReport

Convene your implementation team or advisory group to discuss:

– The data you’ve gathered.

– What this data means and what is most meaningful.

– What recommendations emerge from the findings.

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Writing Your Needs Assessment Writing Your Needs Assessment Report, Report, continuedcontinued

Write your final report by incorporating contributions from the group and fine-tuning, as necessary.

See the Sample Needs Assessment Report Outline and Sample Recommendations in the

toolkit for examples of what you might include in your report.

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Questions & AnswersQuestions & Answers

Please enter any questions you have about the content covered in today’s session in the chat room.

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http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/publications.html

Where do I find the Needs Where do I find the Needs Assessment tools?Assessment tools?

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To View a Recording of this WebinarTo View a Recording of this Webinar

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Today’s session has been recorded and is available on the Plus 50 website:

http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/

Future EventsFuture Events

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The Importance of Stakeholders (10/22/2009; 3:00pm EST)

If You Build It: Promoting Your Program for Adult Learners (11/05/2009; 3:00pm EST)

Understanding the Particular Needs of the Adult Learner (11/19/2009; 3:00pm EST)

Creating and Sustaining Your Program for Adult Learners (12/03/2009; 3:00pm EST)

Thank You!Thank You!

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