Build Skills for Employment Opportunities with the
Certificate of Employability (CoE)
It's no secret that many employers have a multitude of entry-level job opportunities, but lack qualified workers to fill them.
Oftentimes, technically skilled applicants lack the fundamental "soft skills" essential for success in the workplace. Respect for others, acceptance of constructive criticism, and dependability - characteristics once taken for granted by employers - are no longer the standard, but the exception when hiring entry-level employees. The Chamber of Schenectady County and the County's seven public school districts, Northeast Parent and Child Society and numerous community partners are working to change that.
In its continuing mission to serve the needs of Schenectady County businesses, the Chamber and its Business & Education Partnership have developed the CoE Program, a pilot initiative to provide employers with work-ready candidates who have learned the basic soft skills necessary for getting and keeping a job. The concept is simple: participants undertake a defined, yet flexible curriculum, and those who demonstrate fundamental, yet essential work-related behaviors earn a certificate that identifies them as a valued and attractive applicant to participating employers. Academic performance, attendance, personal behavior, interpersonal/social skills, and job-seeking skills are among the core areas that are taught and evaluated. Those who achieve specific criterion in each area qualify for the CoE.
The CoE targets those who are preparing to be employed successfully for the first time. Possession of the CoE identifies to the employer that the individual has undertaken the curriculum and has successfully demonstrated valued behaviors to the satisfaction of educators, counselors, and administrators.
If you think those that you work with might benefit from possession of the CoE, or if you might be interested in implementing the CoE curriculum in your own school or agency, we encourage you to review the curriculum with the administrator in your area. If there is not currently an administrator in your area contact Susan Rank at the Chamber of Schenectady County 518.372.5656 or by email at srank@schenectadychamber.org.
Click above to register and provide info so that students can find and attend your classes.
Click above to review the requirements to obtain a CoE.
Click above to access the curriculum and best practices.
Click above to find out who is offering the CoE program in your area.