70 Washington Street, Suite 314, Salem, MA

70 Washington Street, Suite 314, Salem, MA. 01970 p: 978-741-3805 f: 978-741-3809 www.northshorewib.com Introduction and Background Information

The North Shore Workforce Investment Board is the lead partner in a Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund grant which is providing college preparatory classes, using primarily through an innovative learning strategy entitled the Health Care Learning Network™ (HCLN™), to employees of seven extended care facilities on the North Shore. The goal of this grant is to prepare these entry level health care workers, primarily Certified Nurse Aides but others as well, to enter nursing and allied health college degree programs that will allow them to increase their earnings and also fill critical higher level job vacancies within these facilities.

Career Coaching Model

Along with the educational services, Career Coaching is a service to be provided through this Trust Fund grant to help these students/employees stay on their chosen career path and successfully attain career goals. Optimally, career coaching is an interactive process of exploring life and work-related issues, encompassing strategic and tactical aspects of developing and managing one’s career. Career coaching is: (1) grounded in supportive relationships, embraces the needs of diverse people, is centered on a mutually created action plan, and is voluntary, (2) assumes that health career coach competencies are aligned with professional standards, and (3) is integrated into the culture and practice of health care employers.

The Trust Fund/HCLN™ career coaching model has three objectives: help people make decisions about health careers that are appropriate to their abilities and interests, negotiate the complex entry into college programs, and provide support that will enable them to graduate. The model will consist of a part-time experienced health career coach providing one-on-one and when appropriate group coaching sessions to student employees enrolled in the program.

Desired characteristics of the healthcare career coaching are:

 Ability and willingness to listen  Form relationships with and promote self-awareness on the part of the employee  Guide worker success in the workplace, i.e., meets with supervisors  Help workers gain access to education support (tutoring, IT) and personal support (child and elder care)  Build the skills of individuals (interviewing, career planning, conflict resolution, teamwork)  Connect employees with their peers and colleagues in the workplace, with mentors and others with shared interests outside the workplace.

A successful career coach must have the knowledge, skills and tools to enable him/her to assume a very complex role. He/she must have extensive knowledge of the health labor market and the health education system, well honed coaching skills, and an ability to guide and lead.

Request for Quotes

Through the Trust Fund grant on the North Shore, and on behalf of seven partnering employers, quotes detailing services to be provided are currently being accepted from individuals and/or organizations to provide career coaching services to employees enrolled in the HCLN™ program. Details of these requested services are as follows:

Career Coaching Services: At least 80 employees of these institutions are participating in college prep work through the HCLN™. These employees are committed to successfully entering and completing associate degree and/or certificate programs in nursing or allied health programs and moving up within the structure of their employers. It is anticipated that approximately 40 of these employees will need intensive career coaching in order to remain involved, complete the college prep work, be accepted into these programs, and successfully finish their college education.

The time period for these services is anticipated to be through June, 2009.

Interested organizations and/or individuals may submit a quote to provide these services to David McDonald at the North Shore Workforce Investment Board, 70 Washington Street, Suite 314, Salem, MA. 01970. Responses are limited to no more than four pages double spaced and should include the following information:

1. Name of organization/individual, and contact information; 2. Discussion of previous experience performing Career Coaching or related activities; 3. Discussion of previous experience providing training in career coaching or related activities; 4. Information on experience working within the health care field; 5. Approach to be used in providing Career Coaching; 6. Timeline for both activities 7. Budget – cannot exceed $20,000