Career Services. Placement tracking for FCT

Career Services. Placement tracking for Fleming College Toronto

The WIL/Co-Op/Placement Tracking System, developed for GUS Canada Colleges, is an innovative platform designed to streamline the management of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) and career services. This system supports various types of field placements, including co-ops, internships, and apprenticeships, starting with Fleming College Toronto (FCT). It aims to centralise the tracking and communication processes between students, employers, and the Career Services teams, enhancing efficiency and ensuring a seamless experience for all stakeholders involved.

The customer

Fleming College and Trebas Institute Ontario have partnered to offer Fleming’s programmes in Toronto, Ontario. Here, you can access not only employment and networking opportunities, but all the entertainment and multicultural events of Canada’s largest and most diverse city.

The partnership ensures that your experiences and academic delivery aligns with Fleming’s high standards of education. You will benefit not only from an expert and experienced faculty, but also various amenities and services that the Toronto campus provides, including career counselling, accessibility services, and personal wellness support.

Fleming College is an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology with various campuses across the province. The college emphasises practical, hands-on education that gets graduates into the workplace. The college boasts strong local, regional, and global ties that make it attuned to the needs of the domestic and international business community, and therefore the needs of students looking to advance their careers. Fleming College Toronto promotes a culture of respect and recognition, so you can expect a learning environment that values diversity and inclusion.

Business challenge

The existing system for managing WIL and field placements at GUS Canada Colleges was fragmented and inefficient. Career services teams struggled with manual processes for tracking student placements, managing employer partnerships, and handling communications. This led to delays, miscommunication, and increased administrative burdens. The need for a centralised solution was critical to streamline operations, improve data accuracy, and enhance the overall experience for students, employers, and staff.

Solution

We kicked off with prototyping, leveraging customer’s Students Management System design. This system, a powerhouse of reusable UI elements and workflows, allowed us to create prototypes rapidly, ensuring a seamless educational loop for users to adapt to new features. Within just one week, we managed to deliver these prototypes, thanks to daily brainstorming sessions with stakeholders. These sessions were crucial for constantly refining our solution, keeping in mind the tight deadlines and fixed budget.

The existing Students Management System was the foundation upon which we built this innovative solution. Using a storybook and feature-based approach, we were able to swiftly introduce new functionalities. Our focus was clear: deliver a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that automates the workflow for the PSW program's field placements, incorporating a comprehensive database for employers/partners and effective tracking and communication tools.

Career services functionality in Students Management System:

We rolled out separate, feature-based functionalities within Students Management System, creating a robust infrastructure:

Employers/Partners database: We developed a detailed database that includes contact information and searchable details. This allows functional teams to efficiently track field placement locations, schedules, available spots, and student assignments.
Student database: We enhanced the capabilities for WIL/Co-Op/Placement Coordinators by introducing tools for:
1. Tracking the progress of student placements, from not started to completed.
2. Monitoring attendance for WIL/Co-Op/Placements, including hours completed, absences, reasons for absence, and makeup sessions.

Student profile - Career services tab:

A new tab in the student profile now showcases detailed information about field placements. This includes location, dates, completion percentage, and status, providing a comprehensive view of each student's progress.

Reused functionality:

Notification center: We tapped into our existing notification system to:
1. View communication history with students, complete with dates and times.
2. Send mass announcements based on program or intake.
3. Create and manage notification templates.
4. Alert WIL/Co-Op/Placement Coordinators and Career Services about changes in academic standing that impact placements.
Document management: Utilising our current functionality, we enabled the request, tracking, approval, and certification of documents via the Student Portal. This also includes capabilities to review, edit, and comment on student submissions.
Appointment scheduling: We employed our existing tools to streamline the scheduling and follow-up process for meetings between students and Career Services/WIL/Co-Op/Placement departments.

Throughout this journey, our agile approach, daily stakeholder engagement, and strategic use of existing resources ensured we stayed on track, delivering a robust solution that meets the needs of our Career Services teams and enhances the overall experience for students and employers.

Measurable results

The solution allowed improvements to the efficiency of Career services, moving from tracking placement and employers information in a spreadsheet to adding all the information to the Students Management System. That allowed better tracking of student academic information, placements and absences. The MVP is also a great foundation for further Career Services functionality.

results

Improved efficiency: The implementation of the tracking system reduced the time spent on administrative tasks by 20%, allowing the Career Services teams to focus more on student support and employer engagement.

Enhanced communication: The centralised communication features led to a 30% reduction in response times between students, employers, and Career Services.

Accurate tracking: Automated tracking of student placements and employer availability increased data accuracy by 30%, reducing errors and improving overall process reliability.

Our team is committed to actively contributing to your project's success. We'll delve deep into your challenges and opportunities, offering our expertise every step of the way.

Expect a tailored proposal designed to address your specific needs. Whether it's improving existing systems or building from scratch, count on us to be your reliable partner on the journey to success.

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