Global

Building Partnerships

1. Program Name: NAITworking

Strand Focus: Learning, Employability

Seminar Presentation BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS
Oveview/Purpose
NAITworking is a partnership between the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) School of Business and Business Partners that provides practical application career related skills and critical work experiences for students before they enter their selected career option. The goal is to reinforce their career choice and forge a clear link to their course work. The number of students and organizations participating has more than tripled since 1996. For 2001 there was over 250 student applicants with 110 business partners and placements are now operational on both the national and international level. New related initiatives include development of a media video and both employer and student information brochures, as well as other international post-secondary institute partnerships. Accomplishments include NAITworking student scholarships specifically for the program, a variety of other post-secondary institute partnerships at the national and international level, and developmental exchanges with NAIT staff and NAITworking business partners.

Objectives

• Provide seamless career-oriented work experiences in actual business/industry settings.
• Enhance student motivation and career planning.
• Broaden and strengthen ties between NAIT and its community.

Main Partners
NAITworking has a strong working relationship with over 100 organizations, who regularly take students for the work experience program. Over the past two years NAIT and DoDEA have established a partnership, the focus of this presentation.

Main Beneficiaries
NAITworking provides career-oriented exposure for students before they enter their selected career option, by matching first year students with business partners for a four-week work experience.

Participating companies have an opportunity to assess student abilities for future hiring, an opportunity to create a positive image for their organization in the community, and an opportunity to assist in meeting short-term personnel needs.

NAIT, as an educational institution, receives valuable exposure in the community, as well as having the opportunity to get feedback regarding what industry requirements are for future employees.

Main contributors
NAIT, businesses and students.

Essential elements
Commitment by participating parties.

Main factors of its success
The program has been launched and expanded with relatively minimal funding expenditures for the institute and its business partners both nationally and internationally. Commitment of the staff and the participating organizations to provide enhanced career education, work experience and student motivation.

Assessment/evaluation process and evidence of its strength:
NAITworking is an elective course and students must qualify on the basis of their academic and personal performance. Students are then carefully matched to their employers. Employers complete an evaluation of the student. A successful evaluation is necessary for the student to achieve course credit. The students are consistently rated highly by the participating organizations.

Program Length
The work experience program started gradually, and in 1996 was name NAITworking. In 1996 there were approximately 30 students participating, in 2001 over 110 students were placed with participating organizations.

Impact/Benefits Education

• Enhanced career education, work experience, and student motivation.
• Practical application of skill sets to actual business and industrial settings
• Closer relationships with business, industry and community organizations.
Business
• Opportunity to directly observe the high quality of NAIT business students.
• Opportunity to recruit skilled NAIT graduates who possess skill sets required for success in specific business assignments.
• Opportunity to demonstrate NAIT’s high degree of commitment to career education.

Potential replication and scale of the initiative
Program requires commitment by all participants and can be put into place with minimal funding.

Validator
Judy Kushnir
Coordinator, NAITworking
NAIT
11762 – 106 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5G 2R1
Telephone: (780) 471-8856
Fax: (780) 491-3987
email: jkushnir@nait.ab.ca

Presenters: Vic Hartfield, NAITworking
(Northern Alberta Institute of Technology,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) &
Georgia Williams- Scaife, DoDEA
(Department of Defense Education Activity,
Arlington, Virginia, USA)

Contact Information: Vic Hartfield
NAIT
11762 – 106 Street
Edmonton, Alberta Canada T5G 2R1
Telephone : (780) 471-7750
Fax : (780) 491-3987
email : vich@nait.ab.ca

Return to Index


		Building Partnerships 1. Program Name: NAITworking Strand Focus: Learning, Employability Seminar Presentation BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS Oveview/Purpose NAITworking is a partnership between the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) School of Business and Business Partners that provides practical application career related skills and critical work experiences for students before they enter their selected career option. The goal is to reinforce their career choice and forge a clear link to their course work. The number of students and organizations participating has more than tripled since 1996. For 2001 there was over 250 student applicants with 110 business partners and placements are now operational on both the national and international level. New related initiatives include development of a media video and both employer and student information brochures, as well as other international post-secondary institute partnerships. Accomplishments include NAITworking student scholarships specifically for the program, a variety of other post-secondary institute partnerships at the national and international level, and developmental exchanges with NAIT staff and NAITworking business partners. Objectives • Provide seamless career-oriented work experiences in actual business/industry settings. • Enhance student motivation and career planning. • Broaden and strengthen ties between NAIT and its community. Main Partners NAITworking has a strong working relationship with over 100 organizations, who regularly take students for the work experience program. Over the past two years NAIT and DoDEA have established a partnership, the focus of this presentation. Main Beneficiaries NAITworking provides career-oriented exposure for students before they enter their selected career option, by matching first year students with business partners for a four-week work experience. Participating companies have an opportunity to assess student abilities for future hiring, an opportunity to create a positive image for their organization in the community, and an opportunity to assist in meeting short-term personnel needs. NAIT, as an educational institution, receives valuable exposure in the community, as well as having the opportunity to get feedback regarding what industry requirements are for future employees. Main contributors NAIT, businesses and students. Essential elements Commitment by participating parties. Main factors of its success The program has been launched and expanded with relatively minimal funding expenditures for the institute and its business partners both nationally and internationally. Commitment of the staff and the participating organizations to provide enhanced career education, work experience and student motivation. Assessment/evaluation process and evidence of its strength: NAITworking is an elective course and students must qualify on the basis of their academic and personal performance. Students are then carefully matched to their employers. Employers complete an evaluation of the student. A successful evaluation is necessary for the student to achieve course credit. The students are consistently rated highly by the participating organizations. Program Length The work experience program started gradually, and in 1996 was name NAITworking. In 1996 there were approximately 30 students participating, in 2001 over 110 students were placed with participating organizations. Impact/Benefits Education • Enhanced career education, work experience, and student motivation. • Practical application of skill sets to actual business and industrial settings • Closer relationships with business, industry and community organizations. Business • Opportunity to directly observe the high quality of NAIT business students. • Opportunity to recruit skilled NAIT graduates who possess skill sets required for success in specific business assignments. • Opportunity to demonstrate NAIT’s high degree of commitment to career education. Potential replication and scale of the initiative Program requires commitment by all participants and can be put into place with minimal funding. Validator Judy Kushnir Coordinator, NAITworking NAIT 11762 – 106 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5G 2R1 Telephone: (780) 471-8856 Fax: (780) 491-3987 email: jkushnir@nait.ab.ca Presenters: Vic Hartfield, NAITworking (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) & Georgia Williams- Scaife, DoDEA (Department of Defense Education Activity, Arlington, Virginia, USA) Contact Information: Vic Hartfield NAIT 11762 – 106 Street Edmonton, Alberta Canada T5G 2R1 Telephone : (780) 471-7750 Fax : (780) 491-3987 email : vich@nait.ab.ca Return to Index