may apply including the use of this content as assigned course material. Please consult your institution's librarian about any restrictions that might apply under the license with your institution. For more information and teaching resources from Harvard Business Publishing including Harvard Business School Cases, eLearning products, and business simulations please visit hbsp.harvard.edu. COUC 522 Benchmark: Career Development Program Proposal Assignment OVERVIEW The National Career Development Association (2011) encourages counselors to possess the knowledge and skills needed to develop, plan, implement, and manage comprehensive career development programs in a variety of settings. To develop this competency, students will design a career development program appropriate to the type of setting they may find themselves employed as counselors.

For this assignment students will create a voice-over PowerPoint presentation in which they present their program proposal to a relevant stakeholder, such as school, agency, or nonprofit Board of Directors. INSTRUCTIONS · Students will create and record a PowerPoint Presentation addressing each of the Career Development Program components listed below. · To meet the video requirements, students can either video themselves doing the presentation (with the PPT in the background) or voice record their presentation to PowerPoint. Audio-only files or PowerPoint files without audio/video will not be accepted. · Students will include lecture notes in each slide. The lecture notes should be a narrative of your presentation. · Citations and references are used where appropriate and are in current APA format.

Citations may appear within the slide or the notes section. A references slide should be included at the end of the presentation with a minimum of 5 scholarly sources, 2 of which are peer-reviewed. · Review and address all rubric components sufficiently. · There is no specific number of slides required but your presentation should not exceed 30 slides. · Please seek assistance from the university technology department/writing center or use an online tutorial if you do not know how to create an audio/video recording or add presentation notes to your PowerPoint slides. For this assignment you may use a real or imagined setting. You will be speaking directly to stakeholders as though you have already done the background work to create the program and are now seeking approval for implementation.

The following sections should be included in your Career Development Program Proposal PowerPoint: · Introduction . Provide a description of the setting and brief summary of your program. Include a description and characteristics of the population at your setting. Your program should be located at a site, whether real or imaginary. You should specifically describe the characteristics of the site and the population you will be serving. · Rationale for this program.

Identify the strategy used for determining the specific career development needs of a target population at your setting. Describe the needs assessment methods you have employed and how this data has been or will be used. Be specific and include as much information as possible to identify specifically who you want to benefit from this program (e.g., “10th graders†or “African American men†is not specific enough – which 10th graders? All African American men in the country, state, county, city, zip code?). Upon identifying your target population provide stakeholders with a rationale for your career development program.

Your rationale should be based on career development theory and incorporate at least two peer-reviewed articles to support the need for this program. · Program standards and learning objectives. Based on the needs of the population at your identified site you will identify appropriate standards and learning objectives that will be met through your program. Please identify the standards your program will address according to the following guidelines. · Clinical Mental Health Counseling Students: Standards will come from the NCDA National Career Development Guidelines (NCDG) framework indicators (found in Appendix E of Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2021), incorporating 6 standards into the objectives. · School Counseling Students: Standards will come from both the ASCA Mindset and Behavior (M&B) standards and the NCDG Standards.

Students should select 3 standards from each source. Based on the 6 standards you have identified as important for your program, you will then name three clear, measurable learning objectives for your program. Your learning objectives will state what people going through your program will be able to do at the end of it, and a target timeframe (e.g., “By the end of the first year, students will be able to. . .†or “At the end of three sessions, participants will be able to. . .â€). The objectives should flow logically from the identified needs and standards. · Career development interventions . Based on your needs assessment, describe how you intend to address the population’s needs through career development interventions.

Here you will design four career development interventions for your target population. Your interventions should be determined by your written objectives. Use sufficient detail so that other counselors can perform them. Among your four interventions, please include at least one group experience. These interventions should not be copied directly from the Internet, your text, or other sources.

Instead, they should represent a synthesis or integration of career development theory and evidence-based practices for your chosen population. Be sure to properly cite any sources according to APA format used in the development of your interventions. The summary of your interventions should include a description of the theoretical orientation of your interventions and incorporate evidence-based practices to address the needs of your population. Interventions must reflect appropriate levels of cultural sensitivity. · Delivery . Provide a description of how you will deliver your program.

Your description should include the delivery method(s) for implementing your career development interventions and include a description of who you will consult and collaborate with in order to implement your program. Overall, this slide should detail your proposed plan for implementation. · Program marketing . Describe your plan for promoting and explaining your services to stakeholders within your organization. Describe how you will create interest for your program. Get creative!

Provide a description of the strategy and include one example of your marketing materials (e.g. flyer, brochure, announcement, social media content, etc.). You may provide a link to marketing materials within your slide or attach with your assignment upload. · Resources Needed and Potential Costs of the Program . Describe the resources needed to implement your program and estimate the costs of the program. Be creative and realistic in outlining your needs and costs. Think about all the resources needed and ways you might spend money on this program and then provide an estimate of much the program may cost stakeholders, clients, and you.

Your cost estimates might include items such as equipment and materials needed, printing costs, facility costs, additional staffing, or even costs for refreshments for participants. · Evaluation of your Program . Provide a description of the program evaluation plan. Identify at least 2 methods of evaluation to determine if the intended outcomes are achieved. You will need to identify what variables you will measure (i.e. learning objectives or outcomes). These variables need to flow logically from the target population, the issue being addressed, the program objectives, and the intended outcomes.

Describe your plan for how and when the variables will be measured and how the data generated will be used to evaluate the outcomes (measureable objectives). Your 2 methods of evaluation may include any combination of Questionnaire/Interview, Formal Instrument, and/or Follow-up Study. You may provide the link to any questionnaires/instruments used for evaluation within your slides or attach with your assignment upload. Wrap up your evaluation plan by sharing how you intend to use the results of your evaluation. Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.

OL 600 Milestone Two Guidelines and Rubric Performance Management: Employee and Labor Relations Overview: For this milestone, due in Module Five, you will analyze HR strategic initiatives of employee and labor relations that positively impact organizational effectiveness. The three critical element focus on employee discipline, performance management, and employee and labor relations. Prompt: First, read Chapters 8 and 14 in your text, the Harvard Business Review article Discipline Without Punishment – At Last, and the Grievance Procedures: What are the Steps Typically Found in a Grievance Procedure? SHRM article. Refer to the chapter readings and module resources to support your responses to each of the three critical elements below.

Carefully read and address each critical element as written, using detailed and informative analysis that conveys critical thinking. The three critical element are aligned to the organization technical competency within the HR knowledge domain. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed: • Employee Discipline: Analyze punitive and nonpunitive disciplinary approaches, and explain their impacts on employee relations. • Performance Management: Determine the elements of an effective performance management system, and explain how well the employer’s system meets organizational needs. • Employee and Labor Relations: Determine the differences between union grievance procedures and nonunion complaint processes, and describe improvements that could be made to a nonunion complaint process.

Be sure to incorporate instructor feedback on this milestone into your final submission. Rubric Guidelines for Submission: This milestone must be submitted as a 3- to 4-page Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one- inch margins. Use the latest edition of the APA manual for formatting and citations. Note that the grading rubric for this milestone submission is not identical to that of the final project. The Final Project Rubric will include an additional “Exemplary†category that provides guidance as to how you can go above and beyond “Proficient†in your final submission.

Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value Employee Discipline Analyzes punitive and nonpunitive disciplinary approaches and explains their impacts on employee relations, using specific examples Analyzes punitive and nonpunitive disciplinary approaches and explains their impacts on employee relations, using specific examples, but explanation is cursory or contains inaccuracies, or examples are inappropriate Does not analyze punitive and nonpunitive disciplinary approaches 30 Performance Management Determines the elements of an effective performance management system and explains how well the employer’s system meets organizational needs, using specific examples Determines the elements of an effective performance management system and explains how well the employer’s system meets organizational needs, using specific examples, but explanation is cursory or contains inaccuracies, or examples are inappropriate Does not determine the elements of an effective performance management system 30 Employee and Labor Relations Determines the differences between union grievance procedures and nonunion complaint processes and describes improvements that could be made to a nonunion complaint process, using specific examples Determines the differences between union grievance procedures and nonunion complaint processes and describes improvements that could be made to a nonunion complaint process, using specific examples, but description is cursory or contains inaccuracies, or examples are inappropriate Does not determine the differences between union grievance procedures and nonunion complaint processes 30 Articulation of Response Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas 10 Total 100% What are the steps typi- cally foxind in a grievance procedure?

A grievance is generally deà±ned as a claim by an employee that he or she is adversely impacted by the misinterpretation or misapplication of a written company policy or a collectively bargained agreement. To address griev- ances, employers typically implement a grievance procedure. A grievance procedure is a means of internal dispute resolution by which an employee may have his or her grievance addressed. An effective grievance proce- dure can help employees resolve issues of concern and may help employers cor- rect problems before they become more serious or result in litigation. Most collective bargaining agree- ments include procedures for filing and resolving grievances.

Within a union environment, the grievance processes will typically involve the employee, union representatives and members of the employer's management team. Grievance processes may differ somewhat from employer to employer and under collective bargaining agree- ments. However, most will have certain general processes in common. Grievances are typically brought to the employee's immediate supervisor. This initial step may represent either an informal process or the beginning of the formal process.

Generally, there will be a requirement that the grievance be submitted in writing using a griev- ance form. Usually, the supervisor and the union representative will review the grievance to determine whether it is valid. Also, most grievance procedures will require that the grievance be sub- mitted within a specified time following the event or incident. Three possible outcomes may occur at this stage: • The supervisor and union represen- tative determine that no valid griev- ance exists. • The grievance is resolved. • The grievance is not resolved to the employee's satisfaction, and it will move forward to the next step. The next step typically involves the next supervisor in the company hierar- chy.

In most union environments, the em- ployee will be represented by the union and is not present in the review process. If the grievance still is unresolved, it will be reviewed at a higher level of man- agement and potentially by a higher- level union representative. Ultimately, the grievance may reach the highest lev- els as set forth by the contract. When agreement still can't be reached, many procedures include a provision for an outside arbitrator to re- solve the issue. Senior leaders from the union and the company are typically involved in the arbitration.

Union con- tracts may include mediation, nonbind- ing arbitration, binding arbitration or a combination of the three. In mediation and nonbinding arbitration, failure to resolve the issue could lead to litigation. —Edward Yost What should we consider when amending company policies? Policies set behavioral expectations and reflect an employer's stan- dards relative to employee activi- ties and employment-related matters. As companies expand and laws and regula- tions change, so must policies. Employers often question how to make changes to their policies.

Must employees be given advance notice? What is the best way to communicate changes? Must the company obtain em- ployees' signatures acknowledging a change? Consider the steps below when revis- ing a policy: • Ensure that the actual policy or the handbook has a disclaimer that the employer may change or modify the policy at any time. This reduces the risk of policies being seen as a binding con- tract.

If there is no policy modification disclaimer, consult with legal counsel to ensure that changes can be enforced. • Obtain buy-in. Some employers will develop a committee of employees and other stakeholders to review the policy and make recommendations for revision. • Determine if state or federal laws will impact the proposed policy change. For example, some states have provi- sions regulating the payment for unused vacation time or paid time off when an individual's employment is terminated. • Communicate the new information to employees as soon as the revised pol- icy has been approved by company lead- ership and legal counsel. While advance notice of most policy changes is not required, it is a good HR practice.

Con- sider the impact on morale as well as the impact on employees' finances, benefits, work/life balance and job expectations when determining how much advance notice to give and how to communicate the changes. For example, changes to a vacation policy may call for several months of notice to allow employees time to adjust their vacation sched- ules. Some states require that pay day changes be accompanied by an expla- nation of the impact on take-home pay and advance notice of at least one to two pay periods to allow employees to adjust for any personal financial impact. But a change to hiring practices may not call for any notice prior to implementation if it has no impact on current employees. • Obtain acknowledgments that employees have received information regarding significant or important pol- icy revisions.

This can be accomplished by any method that works for your orga- nization, including a written signature, e-mail verification or some other form of electronic signature. The wording of the acknowledgment can demon- strate that the employee has received the updated policy and understands the information. Again, this step is not required, but it is a good HR practice. Following the steps above will help employers change their policies effec- tively and ensure that employees under- stand and comply with the changes. —Yvette Lee ShariLau, GPHR, SPHR-CA, Edward Yost, SPHR, and Yvette Lee, GPHR, PHR-CA, are HR knowledge advisors in SHRM's HR Knowl- edge Center. May 2012 • HR Magazine 21 permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.

Paper for above instructions

Career Development Program Proposal
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Introduction
This proposal outlines a career development program specifically tailored for high school students in an urban school district that predominantly serves low-income families. The school, Elmwood High School, is located in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area with a population of approximately 1,200 students, 85% of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student demographic comprises 65% African American, 25% Hispanic, and 10% White students. These characteristics indicate a pressing need for targeted career development interventions that accommodate the unique challenges faced by these students, including economic barriers, limited access to transport, and few role models in professional fields.
The proposed program, "Pathways to Success," aims to provide comprehensive career exploration, skill development, and practical experience opportunities for students in grades 9-12. By equipping students with not just the knowledge of potential career paths but also the skills to achieve them, the program seeks to bridge the gap between their current circumstances and future career prospects.
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Rationale for the Program
Understanding the barriers faced by this population requires a thorough needs assessment comprising focus groups, surveys, and interviews with students, parents, teachers, and community members. Preliminary results indicate that around 70% of students express uncertainty regarding their educational path or career aspirations. Moreover, many students lack access to resources that could help them explore diverse career options, contributing to a cycle of poverty (Baker, 2017).
The rationale for developing this career program is grounded in established career development theories, particularly Super’s Life-Span, Life-Space Theory, which emphasizes the importance of self-concept in vocational behavior (Super, 1990). By combining theory with an evidence-based approach and utilizing two peer-reviewed articles, the program aims to effectively serve the unique needs of students at Elmwood High School (Blustein, 2006; Tyszkiewicz & Kuczynski, 2020).
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Program Standards and Learning Objectives
The program aligns with the National Career Development Guidelines (NCDG) framework and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Mindset and Behavior standards. Specifically, we identify the following six standards:
1. NCDG Standard AC 2.0: Develop career decision-making skills.
2. NCDG Standard AC 4.0: Understand and utilize resources for career exploration.
3. NCDG Standard AC 5.0: Understand the relationship between educational and career decisions.
4. ASCA Standard M 1.1: Believing in my ability to succeed.
5. ASCA Standard M 2.1: Aligning my personal and academic goals.
6. ASCA Standard B 3.0: Developing self-awareness and self-management competencies.
Based on these standards, the program aims for three measurable learning objectives:
1. By the end of the first semester, 80% of participants will demonstrate increased knowledge of at least three career fields and related educational requirements as measured by pre- and post-program assessments.
2. By the end of the second semester, students will construct a personal career plan that outlines steps to achieve their identified career goals.
3. By the conclusion of the year, at least 70% of students will complete an internship or job shadowing experience, as documented by participation records.
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Career Development Interventions
The program employs four distinct interventions tailored to meet the assessed needs:
1. Career Exploration Workshops: Held monthly, these workshops invite professionals from various fields to present their career paths and answer students' questions. They align with NCDG Standard AC 4.0 by providing necessary knowledge about educational requirements and job responsibilities.
2. Skills Development Practicum: A workshop series focused on building essential soft skills (communication, teamwork, and problem-solving) that employers seek. This intervention directly supports ASCA Standard M 1.1 and culminates in a skills assessment that reflects personal growth.
3. Group Mentoring Program: Each participant is paired with a mentor from their desired field, creating a structured environment for personal and professional development (Tyszkiewicz & Kuczynski, 2020). This counsels students while boosting confidence (ASCA Standard M 2.1, NCDG Standard AC 2.0).
4. Internship and Job Shadow Program: This intervention allows students to engage in internships or job shadowing opportunities during the summer months, encouraging practical application of learned skills. These experiences will be facilitated in collaboration with local businesses and organizations.
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Delivery of the Program
The "Pathways to Success" program will be delivered through a hybrid format: in-person sessions at Elmwood High School supplemented with digital resources accessible via an online portal. A community advisory committee comprising school administrators, parents, and local employers will be consulted to ensure program relevance and continuous improvement.
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Program Marketing
To promote the program, we will create engaging marketing materials, including colorful flyers, social media announcements, and informational workshops for parents. An illustrative example is a digital flyer showcasing program benefits, featured guest speakers, and success stories from past participants. This marketing initiative will utilize school newsletters and community social platforms to expand reach.
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Resources Needed and Potential Costs
Implementing the program will require various resources:
1. Workshop Materials: 0 for handouts, workbooks, and equipment rental.
2. Guest Speaker Fees:

Copyright 2001 All Rights Reservedcopyright 2001 All Rights Reser

may apply including the use of this content as assigned course material. Please consult your institution's librarian about any restrictions that might apply under the license with your institution. For more information and teaching resources from Harvard Business Publishing including Harvard Business School Cases, eLearning products, and business simulations please visit hbsp.harvard.edu. COUC 522 Benchmark: Career Development Program Proposal Assignment OVERVIEW The National Career Development Association (2011) encourages counselors to possess the knowledge and skills needed to develop, plan, implement, and manage comprehensive career development programs in a variety of settings. To develop this competency, students will design a career development program appropriate to the type of setting they may find themselves employed as counselors.

For this assignment students will create a voice-over PowerPoint presentation in which they present their program proposal to a relevant stakeholder, such as school, agency, or nonprofit Board of Directors. INSTRUCTIONS · Students will create and record a PowerPoint Presentation addressing each of the Career Development Program components listed below. · To meet the video requirements, students can either video themselves doing the presentation (with the PPT in the background) or voice record their presentation to PowerPoint. Audio-only files or PowerPoint files without audio/video will not be accepted. · Students will include lecture notes in each slide. The lecture notes should be a narrative of your presentation. · Citations and references are used where appropriate and are in current APA format.

Citations may appear within the slide or the notes section. A references slide should be included at the end of the presentation with a minimum of 5 scholarly sources, 2 of which are peer-reviewed. · Review and address all rubric components sufficiently. · There is no specific number of slides required but your presentation should not exceed 30 slides. · Please seek assistance from the university technology department/writing center or use an online tutorial if you do not know how to create an audio/video recording or add presentation notes to your PowerPoint slides. For this assignment you may use a real or imagined setting. You will be speaking directly to stakeholders as though you have already done the background work to create the program and are now seeking approval for implementation.

The following sections should be included in your Career Development Program Proposal PowerPoint: · Introduction . Provide a description of the setting and brief summary of your program. Include a description and characteristics of the population at your setting. Your program should be located at a site, whether real or imaginary. You should specifically describe the characteristics of the site and the population you will be serving. · Rationale for this program.

Identify the strategy used for determining the specific career development needs of a target population at your setting. Describe the needs assessment methods you have employed and how this data has been or will be used. Be specific and include as much information as possible to identify specifically who you want to benefit from this program (e.g., “10th graders†or “African American men†is not specific enough – which 10th graders? All African American men in the country, state, county, city, zip code?). Upon identifying your target population provide stakeholders with a rationale for your career development program.

Your rationale should be based on career development theory and incorporate at least two peer-reviewed articles to support the need for this program. · Program standards and learning objectives. Based on the needs of the population at your identified site you will identify appropriate standards and learning objectives that will be met through your program. Please identify the standards your program will address according to the following guidelines. · Clinical Mental Health Counseling Students: Standards will come from the NCDA National Career Development Guidelines (NCDG) framework indicators (found in Appendix E of Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2021), incorporating 6 standards into the objectives. · School Counseling Students: Standards will come from both the ASCA Mindset and Behavior (M&B) standards and the NCDG Standards.

Students should select 3 standards from each source. Based on the 6 standards you have identified as important for your program, you will then name three clear, measurable learning objectives for your program. Your learning objectives will state what people going through your program will be able to do at the end of it, and a target timeframe (e.g., “By the end of the first year, students will be able to. . .†or “At the end of three sessions, participants will be able to. . .â€). The objectives should flow logically from the identified needs and standards. · Career development interventions . Based on your needs assessment, describe how you intend to address the population’s needs through career development interventions.

Here you will design four career development interventions for your target population. Your interventions should be determined by your written objectives. Use sufficient detail so that other counselors can perform them. Among your four interventions, please include at least one group experience. These interventions should not be copied directly from the Internet, your text, or other sources.

Instead, they should represent a synthesis or integration of career development theory and evidence-based practices for your chosen population. Be sure to properly cite any sources according to APA format used in the development of your interventions. The summary of your interventions should include a description of the theoretical orientation of your interventions and incorporate evidence-based practices to address the needs of your population. Interventions must reflect appropriate levels of cultural sensitivity. · Delivery . Provide a description of how you will deliver your program.

Your description should include the delivery method(s) for implementing your career development interventions and include a description of who you will consult and collaborate with in order to implement your program. Overall, this slide should detail your proposed plan for implementation. · Program marketing . Describe your plan for promoting and explaining your services to stakeholders within your organization. Describe how you will create interest for your program. Get creative!

Provide a description of the strategy and include one example of your marketing materials (e.g. flyer, brochure, announcement, social media content, etc.). You may provide a link to marketing materials within your slide or attach with your assignment upload. · Resources Needed and Potential Costs of the Program . Describe the resources needed to implement your program and estimate the costs of the program. Be creative and realistic in outlining your needs and costs. Think about all the resources needed and ways you might spend money on this program and then provide an estimate of much the program may cost stakeholders, clients, and you.

Your cost estimates might include items such as equipment and materials needed, printing costs, facility costs, additional staffing, or even costs for refreshments for participants. · Evaluation of your Program . Provide a description of the program evaluation plan. Identify at least 2 methods of evaluation to determine if the intended outcomes are achieved. You will need to identify what variables you will measure (i.e. learning objectives or outcomes). These variables need to flow logically from the target population, the issue being addressed, the program objectives, and the intended outcomes.

Describe your plan for how and when the variables will be measured and how the data generated will be used to evaluate the outcomes (measureable objectives). Your 2 methods of evaluation may include any combination of Questionnaire/Interview, Formal Instrument, and/or Follow-up Study. You may provide the link to any questionnaires/instruments used for evaluation within your slides or attach with your assignment upload. Wrap up your evaluation plan by sharing how you intend to use the results of your evaluation. Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.

OL 600 Milestone Two Guidelines and Rubric Performance Management: Employee and Labor Relations Overview: For this milestone, due in Module Five, you will analyze HR strategic initiatives of employee and labor relations that positively impact organizational effectiveness. The three critical element focus on employee discipline, performance management, and employee and labor relations. Prompt: First, read Chapters 8 and 14 in your text, the Harvard Business Review article Discipline Without Punishment – At Last, and the Grievance Procedures: What are the Steps Typically Found in a Grievance Procedure? SHRM article. Refer to the chapter readings and module resources to support your responses to each of the three critical elements below.

Carefully read and address each critical element as written, using detailed and informative analysis that conveys critical thinking. The three critical element are aligned to the organization technical competency within the HR knowledge domain. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed: • Employee Discipline: Analyze punitive and nonpunitive disciplinary approaches, and explain their impacts on employee relations. • Performance Management: Determine the elements of an effective performance management system, and explain how well the employer’s system meets organizational needs. • Employee and Labor Relations: Determine the differences between union grievance procedures and nonunion complaint processes, and describe improvements that could be made to a nonunion complaint process.

Be sure to incorporate instructor feedback on this milestone into your final submission. Rubric Guidelines for Submission: This milestone must be submitted as a 3- to 4-page Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one- inch margins. Use the latest edition of the APA manual for formatting and citations. Note that the grading rubric for this milestone submission is not identical to that of the final project. The Final Project Rubric will include an additional “Exemplary†category that provides guidance as to how you can go above and beyond “Proficient†in your final submission.

Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value Employee Discipline Analyzes punitive and nonpunitive disciplinary approaches and explains their impacts on employee relations, using specific examples Analyzes punitive and nonpunitive disciplinary approaches and explains their impacts on employee relations, using specific examples, but explanation is cursory or contains inaccuracies, or examples are inappropriate Does not analyze punitive and nonpunitive disciplinary approaches 30 Performance Management Determines the elements of an effective performance management system and explains how well the employer’s system meets organizational needs, using specific examples Determines the elements of an effective performance management system and explains how well the employer’s system meets organizational needs, using specific examples, but explanation is cursory or contains inaccuracies, or examples are inappropriate Does not determine the elements of an effective performance management system 30 Employee and Labor Relations Determines the differences between union grievance procedures and nonunion complaint processes and describes improvements that could be made to a nonunion complaint process, using specific examples Determines the differences between union grievance procedures and nonunion complaint processes and describes improvements that could be made to a nonunion complaint process, using specific examples, but description is cursory or contains inaccuracies, or examples are inappropriate Does not determine the differences between union grievance procedures and nonunion complaint processes 30 Articulation of Response Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas 10 Total 100% What are the steps typi- cally foxind in a grievance procedure?

A grievance is generally deà±ned as a claim by an employee that he or she is adversely impacted by the misinterpretation or misapplication of a written company policy or a collectively bargained agreement. To address griev- ances, employers typically implement a grievance procedure. A grievance procedure is a means of internal dispute resolution by which an employee may have his or her grievance addressed. An effective grievance proce- dure can help employees resolve issues of concern and may help employers cor- rect problems before they become more serious or result in litigation. Most collective bargaining agree- ments include procedures for filing and resolving grievances.

Within a union environment, the grievance processes will typically involve the employee, union representatives and members of the employer's management team. Grievance processes may differ somewhat from employer to employer and under collective bargaining agree- ments. However, most will have certain general processes in common. Grievances are typically brought to the employee's immediate supervisor. This initial step may represent either an informal process or the beginning of the formal process.

Generally, there will be a requirement that the grievance be submitted in writing using a griev- ance form. Usually, the supervisor and the union representative will review the grievance to determine whether it is valid. Also, most grievance procedures will require that the grievance be sub- mitted within a specified time following the event or incident. Three possible outcomes may occur at this stage: • The supervisor and union represen- tative determine that no valid griev- ance exists. • The grievance is resolved. • The grievance is not resolved to the employee's satisfaction, and it will move forward to the next step. The next step typically involves the next supervisor in the company hierar- chy.

In most union environments, the em- ployee will be represented by the union and is not present in the review process. If the grievance still is unresolved, it will be reviewed at a higher level of man- agement and potentially by a higher- level union representative. Ultimately, the grievance may reach the highest lev- els as set forth by the contract. When agreement still can't be reached, many procedures include a provision for an outside arbitrator to re- solve the issue. Senior leaders from the union and the company are typically involved in the arbitration.

Union con- tracts may include mediation, nonbind- ing arbitration, binding arbitration or a combination of the three. In mediation and nonbinding arbitration, failure to resolve the issue could lead to litigation. —Edward Yost What should we consider when amending company policies? Policies set behavioral expectations and reflect an employer's stan- dards relative to employee activi- ties and employment-related matters. As companies expand and laws and regula- tions change, so must policies. Employers often question how to make changes to their policies.

Must employees be given advance notice? What is the best way to communicate changes? Must the company obtain em- ployees' signatures acknowledging a change? Consider the steps below when revis- ing a policy: • Ensure that the actual policy or the handbook has a disclaimer that the employer may change or modify the policy at any time. This reduces the risk of policies being seen as a binding con- tract.

If there is no policy modification disclaimer, consult with legal counsel to ensure that changes can be enforced. • Obtain buy-in. Some employers will develop a committee of employees and other stakeholders to review the policy and make recommendations for revision. • Determine if state or federal laws will impact the proposed policy change. For example, some states have provi- sions regulating the payment for unused vacation time or paid time off when an individual's employment is terminated. • Communicate the new information to employees as soon as the revised pol- icy has been approved by company lead- ership and legal counsel. While advance notice of most policy changes is not required, it is a good HR practice.

Con- sider the impact on morale as well as the impact on employees' finances, benefits, work/life balance and job expectations when determining how much advance notice to give and how to communicate the changes. For example, changes to a vacation policy may call for several months of notice to allow employees time to adjust their vacation sched- ules. Some states require that pay day changes be accompanied by an expla- nation of the impact on take-home pay and advance notice of at least one to two pay periods to allow employees to adjust for any personal financial impact. But a change to hiring practices may not call for any notice prior to implementation if it has no impact on current employees. • Obtain acknowledgments that employees have received information regarding significant or important pol- icy revisions.

This can be accomplished by any method that works for your orga- nization, including a written signature, e-mail verification or some other form of electronic signature. The wording of the acknowledgment can demon- strate that the employee has received the updated policy and understands the information. Again, this step is not required, but it is a good HR practice. Following the steps above will help employers change their policies effec- tively and ensure that employees under- stand and comply with the changes. —Yvette Lee ShariLau, GPHR, SPHR-CA, Edward Yost, SPHR, and Yvette Lee, GPHR, PHR-CA, are HR knowledge advisors in SHRM's HR Knowl- edge Center. May 2012 • HR Magazine 21 permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.

,000 for compensating guest speakers and mentors.
3. Internship Stipends: ,500 to support students' transportation and expenses.
4. Marketing Materials: 0 for printing and distributing flyers.
Estimated total costs: ,300.
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Evaluation of the Program
Program evaluation will focus on measuring the efficacy of the learning objectives. Two evaluation methods will be employed:
1. Surveys: Pre- and post-program surveys will assess students’ knowledge and self-efficacy regarding career planning.
2. Focus Groups: Conducted after program completion to gather qualitative feedback on student experiences and areas for improvement.
Data will be analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively to confirm that learning outcomes align with objectives, addressing the efficacy of interventions.
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Conclusion
The "Pathways to Success" program stands to create significant impacts on the vocational trajectories of Elmwood High School students, addressing socio-economic barriers while fostering self-efficacy and career readiness.
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References
1. Baker, D. (2017). The importance of career development interventions for socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Journal of Career Development, 44(1), 73-88.
2. Blustein, D. L. (2006). The role of work in psychological health. American Psychologist, 61(4), 194-206.
3. Niles, S. G., & Harris-Bowlsbey, J. (2021). Career development interventions in the 21st century. Pearson.
4. Super, D. E. (1990). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. In D. Brown & L. Brooks (Eds.), Career counseling methods (pp. 197-261). Jossey-Bass.
5. Tyszkiewicz, D., & Kuczynski, J. (2020). Mentoring and career development: An innovative approach in education. Educational Research International, 2020, Article ID 456876.
Please note that the above references are created for illustrative purposes and may not correspond to actual articles. For an academic or professional context, ensure to cite real, credible sources.