SEMYAN
SOUTH EAST MICHIGAN'S YOUNG ADULT NETWORK
AN INNOVATIVE AND CENTRALIZED ONLINE RESOURCE DESIGNED TO GIVE YOUNG ADULTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAREER EXPLORATION, JOB PLACEMENT, VOLUNTEERING, AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT.
Project Manager James R. Willis, B.S.Psych., SW
E-Mail: J.R.Willis@Wayne.edu
Pager: (810)470-1805
INTRODUCTION
The SEMYAN project is an Information and Referral network of web sites intuitively designed to give the young adults(13-17yrs. & 18-25yrs.) of South East Michigan healthy options for growth through a collaborative online network of employers, online career exploration resources, volunteer and Internship opportunities categorized by career fields, and entertainment events catgorized by locality and genre.. The project currently resides at Http://SEMYAN.8m.com and is in a state of continuous modification as more resources are brought to the attention of the project manager, James R. Willis who has been a computer user for 13 years, a member of the online community for 4 years, and the developer of a web site referred to as Sound Advice(http://detroitmusic.com/advice) which is a free service that provides free counseling online. The innovative features of the project rest upon the premise that information and referral services need to be centralized and categorized in meaningful databases or they will not be utilized due to the sophistication that is currently required to access the needed information. Also establishing a locally maintained and focused network is necessary in developing an effective employment referral system. Currently, there are many databases of employment opportunities listed online but there are two barriers which decrease there efficacy. Firstly, current job listings are not easily navigated. Secondly, they databases do not restrict their searches to a specified localities or fields. The SEMYAN project is a pioneer project that sets out to address these obstacles as well as the obstacles that have hindered securing and maintaining employment such as career satisfaction, financial security, health care, transportation, substance abuse, and child care).
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The premise that the entire project rests upon is the idea that vocational direction, community purpose, and healthy entertainment options for young adults will foster positive growth for our communities next generation. Specifically, the project is an attempt to reduce risky behavior such as alcohol and substance abuse, unprotected sex, and non-growth oriented activities such as watching television and playing video games by giving the user of the system opportunties that will foster healthy vocational development and healthy leisurely activities. The project also is conceptualized out of a movement that is beginning to grow referred to as the Alliance of Information Referral Systems(AIRS) http://www.airs.org/library/. The AIRS vision suggests that in order for referral systems to be effective, they need to utilize the concept of the "Hub". The hub is a single access point where users enter the community's resource network, pick from a menu the area that they need help with or talk with an assessment counselor via a real-time chat room regarding their needs, and the electronic referral would occur based on the users needs, locality, values, and situation. The nature of the networked information and referral system permits users to browse and compare organizational specifics which empowers the user to make a decision that will reflect his or her needs and values as opposed to the case-manager's values. This type of a system would lend itself quite effectively to a "voucher system" where upon entering the central hub, and needs are identified, the user would be given vouchers so that he or she could decide on their own which service they wish to utilize in order to meet their needs and therefore increase compliance and effectiveness. The final conceptualization that has been incorporated into the design of the project is the provision of collaboration on behalf of the users served. Because personal and problematic information is entered in upon the initial contact with the central hub, the information about the user can be databased and accessed by multiple organizations who are given a password by the user to access the information. This system decreases administrative costs drastically because the assessment need only occur once rather than at each organization that the individual is working with.
ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES
The first debate that each article revolving around the implementation of online resources for the community always begins with the issue of accessibility to online networks(Bloom, 1998). Researchers maintain that there are serious issues that prevent funding sources from working with projects that provide resources online due to the fact that all individuals do not have equal access online terminals. I would suggest otherwise. Due to the Presidents, Bill Gates, and the philanthropic communities commitment to the accessibility gap, the gap is virtually nonexistent in theory. Today, nearly all libraries and high schools have FreeNet Internet Access available at no charge which will give any mobile individual the ability to access online resources. Also, there are initiatives being pursued to install kiosks or community based FreeNet terminals at convenient locations(grocery stores, secretary of state offices throughout our communties. There also is the Web TV technology which permits access to online resources and databases with any television set and a tuner which costs about 200 dollars. The idea that certain individuals within our communites do NOT have ANY access to online resources is a misconception. However, there DOES exist a gap in the ease of accessibility with our communities. Some individuals are able to access the Internet from the comfort of their own home at any time of the day or night. Whereas those who do not have a computer at home with Internet access do have to go to libraries or schools at certain hours and have to wait in lines in order to get to the same resources that the individuals with computers access from their homes. In response to the accessibility issues, two Wayne State MSW students will be assessing the availability computers with online access and recommending a plan of action to address it.
PURPOSE OF GATEWAYS
JOB SEARCH
The purpose of the Job Search gateway is to give the young adults of South East Michigan access to a single web site(Hub) that will easily connect them to employment opportunties that already have been developed to work with young adults. The Job Search gateway has two main sections. The first section allows the user to input specific information includinghis or her zip code, type of work desired, and desired pay rate; and the search engine will search it's databases to match the user up with employment options that fit his or her interests and needs in an intuitive and interactive interface. The second section found in the Job Search gateway are direct links to large employers "online application process web sites". These sites permit users to: (1)click on a banner for Hudson's, (2)fill out an application, (3)pick a store to work at, (4)and automatically submit the application to the Human Resource Department.
CAREER EXPLORATION
The career exploration gateway will be used extensively within the high schools to promote early vocational reflection and excitement. The career exploration gateway is a database of resources where users explore projected new hires within a specified field for the year 2000 and 2010. The career exploration gateway also has resources that allows the user to take an interest inventory and the site will return a database of careers and projected salaries that correspond to the users' interests. There are also resources within the career exploration gateway linking users to templates for creating professional resumes, interview tips, and negotiation tactics. Ultimately, SEMYAN will permit a user to take an interest inventory, input education and zip code information, and the system would link the user directly to the online application areas of possible employers. However, the programming for this type of a service is quite complex and is contingent upon the collaboration of employers to have online applications as a part of their web sites.
CHAT WITH EMPLOYER GATEWAY
The chat forum is really an extension of the career exploration gateway. The chat gateway's purpose is give young adults an anonymous gateway to field questions toward employers regarding the field that they have an interest in. The chat forum will target those employers who have a need for employees in order to justify their time spent in the forums. The forums are avenues for young adults to learn about the field from someone who has experience. And the employers can use the forum to recruit talent and promote their field in an attempt to persuade young adults with little vocational direction to consider their field as those decision become critical as they leave high school.
INTERNSHIP & VOLUNTEER GATEWAY
One of the largest and most difficult obstacles for securing satisfying employment is lack of relevant work experience. In response to this need, the SEMYAN project has databased gateways to Volunteer and Internship opportunities that are categorized by careers and locality. The volunteer gateway is an attempt to give the SEMYAN user opportunities for gaining the experience necessary to gain satisfying employment. Also, the volunteer gateway is an attempt to give young adults the opportunity to get involved in their communities and observe positive role models who are dedicated to improving the quality of life for their community's members.
TRAINING & EDUCATION GATEWAY
The training and education gateway are quite important due to the fact that the focus for the SEMYAN project is to promote vocational development in youth. The hope that is with early identification of vocational interests for the users of the system, training and educational options will be explored and ultimately pursued by the user.
TRANSPORTATION AND CHILD CARE GATEWAY
United Way Community Services(UWCS) conducted a study in 1996 that found that 33% of Detroit's residents do not have a car. This being the case, the incorporation of transportation options for workers is a necessary component in getting new workers to the work site. The site incorporates direct links to resources such as the Smart Bus program "Get a Job, Get a Ride", DDOT, and EX Ride as well as employment agencies like Staff Solutions who provide transportation. Another barrier that prevents many individuals from securing and maintaining employment is their ability to find affordable child care. The SEMYAN has incorporated databases of providers categorized by locality and cost. Due to the nature of easily databasing information onto the network, there is a lot of potential for providers to provide information on the site concerning specific services rendered, specializations, values, and educational focus. This format would permit users to utilize vouchers to pick the child care facility that provides the services that are most likely to fit the values of the user.
HOBBY GROUP GATEWAY
The purpose of the Hobby Group gateway is to give the young adults of South East Michigan options for healthy interpersonal growth. The hobby group area has listings of activities provided by recreation department such as yoga, computers, Karate, art, sports, writing, and educational classes. The purpose of this gateway refers back to the purpose of the entire project. As long as young adults have healthy, growth-oriented opportunities for development, the likelihood of the young adult engaging in risky behaviors such as substance abuse and unprotected sex are reduced.
ENTERTAINMENT GATEWAY
The purpose of the Entertainment gateway is similar to the purpose of the hobby group gateway. The same assumption that if young adults have something rewarding for them to spend their time with, the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors is reduced by considering the amount of free time that is now spent with the activity. Specifically, the entertainment gateway links the user to museums, art exhibits, film, theater, and concert events going on in South East Michigan. The databases contain maps, fees, descriptions, and reviews of the listed events.
MARKETING & PROMOTIONAL STRATEGIES
As with any new product, it will not benefit anyone unless it is made aware of so that it can be utilized by those who need it most. The SEMYAN project is only impacting the community when the resources are utilized. Because the utilization of the web site is key to the projects success, a fairly extensive marketing campaigned has been designed to make the name of the web site known and used. The marketing campaign has been divided into seven phases. Each phase of the marketing campaign attempts to access different populations who may have the ability to influence the utilization of the site by young adults. Due to the technological advancements that has created the popularity of the Internet today, I will be able to utilize a number of Internet tracking programs that have the ability to database the utilization patterns of the SEMYAN site. As an evaluative component of the project each advertising campaign will be tracked in order to quantify it's effectiveness in getting people to view the site(Brinckerhoff, 1994). Specifically, each marketing campaign will direct the user to a specific home page that will monitor the number of users using that particular gateway into SEYAN. As a result, I will be able to quantify exactly how many people are referred to the site using the different marketing campaigns listed below: Distribute fliers to social workers, colleagues, and other human service providers. Register site with Search Engines(e.g. Yahoo, Infoseek...). Link SEMYAN site with other Detroit-related web sites. Post 8.5 x 11" posters advertising the resources and site location in High Schools, Libraries, & Recreation Departments. Distribute fliers to High School Counselors & Teachers. Distribute fliers directly to students as they leave High School at the end of the day. Send an e-mail message to individuals who have visited the site in the past promoting that the site has been updated and can be accessed directly from the e-mail message.
FUNDING OPTIONS
One of the appealing features of a web site is the cost of the actual tangible goods needed to create the site which are very inexpensive(Clifton & Dahms, 1993). As long as you have access to a computer and have taken the time to read a couple of books on HTML(web site programming language or Hyper Text Markup Language), and do not have a problem with a few banners being displayed on your page, then anyone can get a web site up and running for literally no costs what so ever... However, in order to keep the site current, there needs to be at least one paid individual to research the content in the media and in the community and modify, add, or delete the databases to keep them current and meaningful. And to meet this full-time responsibility, there is a need for financial empowerment(Brinckerhoff, 1994). In the following paragraphs, I have outlined a number of routes that can be pursued in order to create a funding sources that do not require large commitments or expectations on the part of the project manger. The first opportunity for creating a financially empowered web site is to solicit a banner program(found at the top of most commercialized web sites such as ESPN, CNET, and MSNBC). There are two models in which banner programs operate. The first banner program is the click and pay type. In a click and pay program, the owner of the web site is paid anywhere from .10 to 5.00 per click. In essence, a click through program is a medium for web masters with very expensive web sites that need high volumes of traffic to keep them afloat use in order to increase the number of individuals using their site. The second type of banner program is when a banner is posted on the web site, and the owner of the web site is paid a flat fee for the advertisement usually 25.00 to 1000.00 per month depending on the traffic that has been quantified by the site of the referrer. Another opportunity for funding could come from the employers that are successfully referred a person to hire. There could be a mechanism built into the web site that whenever a user clicks on an organization's online application process, the SEMYAN web master would be sent an e-mail notifying him or her that a SEMYAN user was referred to an online application page. The SEMYAN web master then could send the user that was referred to the employer an e-mail validating that a he or she was hired, and the employer would be charged a referral fee. It also is possible that the SEMYAN project could submit a grant proposal to the county or state for a school-to-work program grant. Considering the idea that the purpose of the project is to help young adults with exploring career opportunities, there will be interest by the county and state School-to-Work\Youth Empowerment and Leadership entities utilize the resources to help campaign and further their mission. Michigan Jobs Commission also can be an option for funding as well through the incorporation of career exploration options and opportunities designed for individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities. However, using any state or county funds for the project will most likely require the web master to agree to implement the expectations that they feel are necessary in their eyes for a successful program.
PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PROCEDURES
As with any new program, it is only as good as it is quantified to be(lauffer, 1984) . The SEMYAN project, because it is being administered almost completely online opens itself up to a number of evaluation options without any additional work. Because the Internet was created using the HTML programming language, the Internet's ability to adapt, change, track, and grow is inevitable. The HTML language permits web masters to database a number of activities that occur while a user visits his or her site as listed below: The web master can track how the user was linked to his or her site(e.g. typing in URL, Search Engine, or Banner). The web master can track the number of times a particular user has used the site and how much time was spent at the site. The web master can track the movement between pages to assess which pages are being utilized most often. The web master can track all external links(links to other web sites) that are made by the user. All of the tracking devices will be utilized to assess the utilization and the movement patterns within the site. The project has not yet created any solid tools for assessing the effectiveness(# of young adults who find jobs and careers), but will focus the next paper on this issue. As a preliminary quantifiable measure of effectiveness, the project will ask users of the site to sign a guest book so that they can be e-mailed a message asking them to complete a short survey addressing the ease of use and helpfulness of the SEMYAN site. There are two evaluation survey used to validate that the site is shaping and promoting vocational exploration. The first tool which attached to this proposal surveys the users current career focus, work and volunteer experinces. There also is a survey attached to this proposal which used to access the user after he or she has used the SEMYAN site. And lastly, as addressed previously each of the marketing campaigns will be quantified for there effectiveness by sending each user who is referred by a different marketing campaign to a different home page so that the numbers of visits to each home page will correspond to the number of users referred by a particular marketing campaign. The project then will be able to empirically validate the number of users who visit the site from each marketing strategy so that marketing dollars can be used in mediums in which they are getting the most penetration. Refer to the attached model for a description of each of the factors effecting securing and maintaining employment, the incorporation of each factor into the project design, and how each factor will be measured for outcome prediction. Also, attached to the proposal is a model describing the procedures that users will progress through as they utilize the SEMYAN site as it is conceptualized.
SEMYAN STARTUP BUDGET
Server fee to house the web site 12 months X $20 per month $240.00
Domain Name Registration $100.00
Fiber Optic Hardware installation for Program Manger $150.00
Fiber Optic Network Service(Comcast) 12 months X $40 per month $480.00
Supplies(Paper, Ink Cartridges) $120.00
Transportation $140.00
Staffing Costs to carry out experimental design attempting to validate the effectiveness of SEMYAN. 3 schools X 6 hrs. X $10 $180.00
Staff necessary to categorize, add to, and modify site. 10 hrs. per week X 52 weeks X $10 per hour. $5200.00 .
TOTAL ANNUAL STARTUP BUDGET $6610.00
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