Jonathan Ballmer
Kraus-Anderson Construction Company
The College Connection program was started as a way to
connect area college students with local professionals and businesses to retain
talent in our community. Through the years, the program has had mixed
results. With some great success stories and some not so memorable
experiences.
In the early stages of planning for the 2014-2015 school
year, the College Connection Committee set out to strategically improve the
percentage of success stories generated from this program. To ensure success, a thorough
review of the program was required to ensure each component supported the
overall mission.
We began by focusing on creating engaging programming.
The vision was to provide exposure, experiences, and opportunities for
discussion that students are unable to get in the classroom. We have had
great participation and received excellent feedback at our events throughout
the year. This feedback has helped guide the continued enhancement of the
program. Some of the main enhancements for the upcoming year include:
1.) Alternate and Additional Programming: Unfortunately, not everyone is able to make it to every
event. We want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to learn the same
content. Therefore, we will be adding alternative DIY event programs, for
those that cannot attend a scheduled event. We will also have take-away
activities for our pairs to complete between our regularly scheduled events, that
relate to the topics we are discussing.
2.) Transparent Content: To ensure potential
participants understand the components and how they relate to the overall
program. The following Program Workflow Diagram was created:
Connecting -> Brand Awareness -> Self Marketing ->
Making Connections & Establishing Relationships -> Community
& Philanthropy -> Reflection & Stepping Out
3.) Recruitment Schedule: Student
recruitment and applications are being pushed
up from the fall to the spring for the upcoming
school year. This will allow for significantly more time to find ideal
pairs for interested students, professionals, and businesses.
Hopefully the continued refinements of this program will
result in more success stories and a higher retention of our area's talented
students, which in turn will support the growth of our local businesses.
