DROPOUTS and DISMCSSICS Turnover rates Ming programs will be dealt with more fully in a later report. This section will confine itself to a brief analysis of trainee terminations cue to trainees leaving or being dismissed from the programs. * At the time of the survey, 28% of the trainees hired under MA Contract programs surveyed had left their jobs and 18% had been dismissed. Two-thirds (67%) of the firms indicated, however, that MA trainee turnover rates were as good as or better than those of regular employees hired for similar jobs. Dropouts Dissatisfaction with wages or working conditions, difficulty with supervisors, transportation problems, poor health, pregnancy, the opportunity to take a better job or to return to school, and a variety of other reasons may lead an employee to "drop out" of a job or a training program. Since Coalition JOBS did not interview any of the trainees or "dropouts" themselves, the reasons for trainees leaving the programs must be inferred in general terms from the information provided by the program directors. Slightly over half of the "dropouts" (15% of all trainees hired) had left their jobs for reasons unknown to the program directors. Another five percent (5%) of those hired had left for a better job, to return to school, or for military service. The remaining dropouts (8% of all those hired) left for * Termination here refers to the percentage of trainees whose employment by the firm had ended by the time of the survey. This should not be confused with turnover rates, which are usually computed on a yearly or monthly basis. various personal reasons (health, pregnancy, family responsibilities, etc.) Dismissals "Lateness and absenteeism" was the reason given for close to four out of every five dismissals (14% of trainees hired). "Various personal reasons" (including drugs, arrests, etc.) brought about the dismissal of 3% of those hired, while all other reasons (theft, inability to do the job, etc.) led to the dismissal of only 1% of the trainees. SUGGESTIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS The Program Directors were given the opportunity to offer suggestions and recommendations on ways to modify the MA Contract procedures, to improve the recruitment process, and to reduce turnover among trainees. They were also asked what assistance from Coalition JOBS would be most helpful to them. Modifications in MA Contract Procedures The most frequently requested modifications in MA Contract procedures were: (a) Simplify and speed the application process; (b) Simplify and speed the reimbursement procedures; and (c) Allow more flexibility in the definition of job titles, in the arrangement of program components, in the use of funds, and in recruitment. Other suggestions were: Assign to each company a single contact person at the Department of Labor; Clarify terminology of the MA Contract Manual; Require more sensitivity training; Provide advance "seedmoney" for consortia; Require a closer relationship and more communication between individual firms in consortia; Have the Department of Labor reveal the formula which determines the maximum amount of funds allowable to a program; and, Devise a funding formula based on actual program costs instead of on job titles and wage rates. A number of these suggestions have already been incorporated in MA-5 and JOBS '70 Contract procedures. Recruitment The most common request in regard to recruitment was to improve the testing, screening, and orientation process of the two recruitment agencies, with emphasis on identifying the applicant's real interest in the job being offered. Also suggested were: More flexibility in the use of other recruitment sources, especially direct company recruitment in poverty neighborhoods and referrals by other trainees; Faster, more automatic certification of trainees who are known to be eligible for the program; A closer relationship between agency counsellors and the firm, with counsellors visiting the firm, if possible, to find out more about the training program; More publicity about the programs. Reducing Turnover Most of the recommendations offered as ways to reduce turnover among trainees dealt with the need for special counselling of trainees, coupled with an emphasis on the need for supervisors to understand thoroughly the special problems that many trainees faced. In some cases, this was amplified by the suggestions that a "buddy system" or a close one-to-one relationship between supervisor and trainees be encouraged. Several firms recommended that financial incentives for good attendance habits be built into training programs. Others stressed the need for a thorough explanation of the reasons for company rules and their "fair but firm" application to trainees and regular employees alike. A few firms reported good results from weekly or daily group sessions where trainees are able to deal openly with both personal and job-related problems. They report that trainees are frequently better equipped to help each other solve these problems than are their official counsellors, who often lack experience with the special problems of poverty neighborhoods. Other recommendations dealt with: The need for top management to provide leadership by defining clearly its commitment to the goals of the program; The need for a meaningful job and upward mobility within the firm; and the development of career goals among trainees. ASSISTANCE REQUESTED from COALITION JOBS Services requested from Coalition JOBS were: TYPE OF ASSISTANCE NUMBER REQUESTING Periodic problem-solving meetings with other MA Contract employers and trainees. Workshops for supervisors...... Workshops for middle-management.. ...... Assistance in any future program planning........................ Assistance with recruitment.... Assistance in any future proposal writing. .. 56 43 ... 32 29 25 19 18 ... .15 Assistance in choosing supportive service firms..... .............. Assistance with reporting procedures................... 9 All of these services are now being offered to MA Contract firms by Coalition JOBS' permanent staff, and those services most in demand are being expanded. |