Assessing the Needs of
Your Plus 50 Population
American Association of Community
Colleges
Funded with a grant from Atlantic Philanthropies
Northwest Region Plus 50 Conference
February 10, 2010
1
Needs Assessment
• Student/ Employer/Community Interests and Attitudes
– Focus Groups
– Student Surveys
Boomers
Are
Diverse!
-- Environmental Scans
Poll: Have you ever conducted a
needs assessment?
 Yes
 No
3
What Do We Need to Know?
• Some or all of the following
– Employer needs
• Skills and occupations in demand
– Market size
• What is the size of our Plus 50 population?
– Plus 50 customer profile
• Demographics
• Likes/dislikes
• Technological savvy
– Potential competitors and collaborators
– Recommendations for program design/
development
4
Wow! That’s a Lot
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Do we need everything right away?
How much time do we have to do this?
How much time will this take?
What information is critical?
What are my options?
What do we know already? How?
What if I only want to know one thing?
5
How Will We Get It? Sample
methodologies
• Environmental Scan
– PEST Analysis (Political, Economic, Social, Technological)
– SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
• Brand Assessment
– Who else is serving Boomers in your area?
• Community & Non Profit Organizations
• Municipal Programs/ Agencies
• Businesses
• Survey – online, paper
• Focus Groups
The Plus 50 Needs Assessment Toolkit
 Developed by the
AACC and LFA to help
community colleges
conduct a needs
assessment for the
purposes of developing
workforce training and
career development
programming for their
local Plus 50 population.
http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/publications.html
7
Assessing Local Employer Needs
 The goal of this tool is to
help you identify:
– What skills local
employers need most.
– The high growth
occupations that exist in
your area.
8
Assessing Local Employer Needs,
continued
 Useful resources for information on local
business and occupations include:
–
–
–
–
Your college’s Workforce Development department.
The Chamber of Commerce.
The Workforce Development Council (WDC).
Community Economic Development Associations.
 You may also access publicly available data
http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/tableofcontents.html
Market Sizing
 Allows you to estimate the
number of potential Plus
50 learners in your area.
 Helps community colleges
make decisions regarding:
– How extensive their
offerings should be.
– The extent to which they
should tailor offerings.
– How to price courses for
Plus 50 students.
http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/docs/pubs/Plus50_MarketSizingTool.xls
10
Gathering Information from Your Local
Plus 50 Population: Surveys & Focus
Groups
Conduct a survey when:
 It is important to you to collect
data from a wide range of local
Plus 50 population.
 You have access to someone
who is comfortable with
quantitative analysis.
11
Gathering Information from Your Local
Plus 50 Population: Surveys & Focus
Groups, continued
Conduct a focus group when:
 You want more narrative, indepth information than you can
collect from a survey.
 You would like to collect data
from your population relatively
quickly.
12
Using Focus Group Data
Using notes and/or recorded
transcripts from the focus group,
summarize the results by:
– Finding common themes and
sub-themes.
– Identifying unique and creative
insights.
– Using direct quotes from focus
group participants.
13
Five Basic Components of a Needs
Assessment
Local employer and industry needs, and
information about growth occupations in
your area.
An estimated size of your local Plus
50 population.
Toolkit Section
Tools in the
Section
Assessing Local
Employer Needs
Assessment of
Local Employer
and Industry
Needs
Market Sizing
Instructions for
Sizing the Market
for plus 50
Workforce
Education
Programming
Market Sizing
Tool
14
Five Basic Components of a Needs
Assessment, continued
Toolkit Section
Tools in the Section
Survey
Development
Survey
Development
Guidelines
Sample Survey
A description of the needs,
interests, constraints, and
preferences of the local Plus 50
population
Survey
Administration
Survey
Administration
Guidelines: How to
Administer a Needs
Assessment Survey
Survey Analysis
Survey Analysis
Guidelines
Sample Survey
Analysis Plan
15
Five Basic Components of a Needs
Assessment, continued
A description of the needs,
interests, constraints, and
preferences of the local Plus 50
population
Toolkit Section
Tools in the Section
Conducting
Focus Groups
and Using Focus
Group Data
Focus Group
Guidelines: How to
Plan for and
Facilitate a Focus
Group
Sample Focus
Group Questions
Summarizing Focus
Group Results
16
Five Basic Components of a Needs
Assessment, continued
Basic information about
potential competitors
and collaborators.
Recommendations for
program development
and design.
Toolkit Section
Tools in the Section
Introduction to
the Toolkit
What might your
Needs Assessment
Include?
Writing your
Needs
Assessment
Report
Sample Discussion
Questions for Group
Reflection on your
Data
Sample Needs
Assessment Report
Outline
Sample
Recommendations
17
Remember!
You do not need to
use every
component of the
toolkit to build your
needs assessment!
18
AACC Sample Survey in the toolkit
Would you like to see more resources available in the community to
support those 50 and older who are looking to jump-start their
careers? Are you 50 or older? If so, then this survey is for you.
The results will help [name of college] understand what the training and
employment services needs in the community are, and how
programming for plus 50 students can help meet those needs. Take 510 minutes to make your needs, interests, and career objectives known!
(NOTE: Your answers will be held confidential.)
Please tell us a little bit about yourself!
Then, areas of interest, career services, career goals, obstacles to
participation, day, time, modality, counseling
http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/docs/pubs/TOC/NeedsAssessmentSampleSurvey.doc
19
St. Louis CC
in “promising practices”
Between 1946 and 1964, 77 million Americans were born, creating the Baby
Boomer generation. Today, this generation is reaching retirement age in a
world of increased vitality and longer life spans. The purpose of this survey
is to learn how Saint Louis Community College can best serve students 45
years and older. Are you thinking about retirement, starting a new business
or career? Do you seek personal fulfillment through community involvement,
life-long learning or travel and adventure? Your input about your academic
and career goals will allow us to provide programs and services that directly
address your needs as adult learners.
The first part of the survey asks some questions about you. Then…
Why are you attending? Future plans, area of study, greatest obstacles,
student services, day, time, type of delivery, overall time available.
4 pages http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/promisingpractices.asp
20
Whatcom Community College
What field(s) are you looking at to re-career into? (choose all that apply)
Outdoor Adventure
Technology
Wellness
Non-profit Management
Office / Reception
Business Management
Alternative Energy / Environment
Medical
Other (please specify)
Human Services
Entrepreneurship
Hospitality
Senior Services
Art Entrepreneurship
Communication
Writing & Editing
Online – 6 pages
21
Writing Your Needs Assessment
Report
 Convene your team to discuss:
– The data you’ve gathered.
– What this data means and
what is most meaningful.
– What recommendations
emerge from the findings.
http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/tableofcontents.html22
Writing Your Needs Assessment
Report
 Don’t let your findings gather
dust.
 Write your final report… and
 Share it!
23
Sample Report Outline
I. Introduction and Background
II. II. Methods
III. Key Findings
IV. Recommendations for Program Planning
V. Appendices
Sample Recommendations
Regarding Concerns about Returning to Campus
• Ease the transition for plus 50 students through offering
tailored new student orientation.
Regarding Career Services Preferences
• Hire a career counselor who specializes in working with job seeker
who is 50 and over.
http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/tableofcontents.html
24
Sample Recommendations
Sample Recommendations Regarding Concerns about
Returning to Campus
• Ease the transition for plus 50 students through offering
tailored new student orientation.
Sample Recommendations Regarding Career Services
Preferences
• Hire, at least on a part-time basis to start, a career counselor who
specializes in working with the job seeker who is 50 and over, or
provide specialized training to current career counselors.
http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/tableofcontents.html
25
Where do I find the Needs Assessment
Tool Kit?
http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/publications.html
26
Where is the Needs Assessment
Webinar?
Want more indepth
information?
Check out the
Needs
Assessment
Webinar.
http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu/webinars.html
27
Thank you!!