NEEDS ASSESSMENT CYCLE

Needs Assessment Cycle

Latoria Ray
CUR/528
January 19, 2015
Professor Siddeeqah Johnson

University of Phoenix Career Coach Certification Training

NEEDS ASSESSMENT CYCLE

Course Description: This course was designed to train employees on effective ways to advise
students on career related subjects. Employees involved in this training acquire the skills they
need to effectively promote the University of Phoenix job aid tools and support the universitys
mission, Lets Get to Work.
Assessing the need: This needs assessment was determined on a comparative basis. University
of Phoenix has always strived to be the leading organization in the industry and has been
continuously motivated to improve every effort to serve its consumers at their very best. The
education market has been trickling downward with societys focus on getting jobs. Statistical
data show a decline in enrollment numbers. This downward spiral is becoming a trend in
education for most universities nationwide. In fall 2013, overall postsecondary enrollments
decreased 1.5% from the previous fall. In fall 2013, enrollments decreased among four-year forprofit institutions -9.7 percent and two-year public institutions -3.1 percent (National Student
Clearing House, 2015). To combat this concern, the University of Phoenix has placed their focus
on connecting education to careers. In doing so, they have designated a need to focus on career
pioneers that are working with students in a hands on way and helping to make that connection
more visible.
Purpose:
The purpose of this needs assessment is to focus on the training and skills development being
offered to the major pioneers of the education to careers concept. From this aspect, training
courses will be carefully analyzed for improvement opportunities to ensure that its efforts in
assisting potential students, active students and graduating students with the proper job aids are
successful. In looking at the current methods in place, initiatives will be formed to close the gap
in education and career paths. The assessment level for this project is community based.
Although the need was determined on a comparative basis by nationwide statistical data, the
initiators of this mission will only be measuring community wide and institutional data to size
effectiveness in the solutions.
As a major architect in this needs assessment assignment the first step that must be taken is to
ensure that the purpose for this needs assessment is clearly illustrated as listed above. Once the
purpose has been clearly defined as so, the next step I would take in the project is to clearly
identify the stakeholders in this initiative. In the case of this particular training course, the
stakeholders are listed below:

The participants in the Career Coach Training

The trainers and the managers of the participants in the training
The students and alumni who are receiving the assistance and whose enrollment numbers

NEEDS ASSESSMENT CYCLE

and job aid usage numbers are being measured.

University Marketing Managers and Advisors
Community Employers who may potentially be connected to the students obtaining their
degrees

Once this information has been identified, the next steps will be to focus on the budget and a
timeline for completion of the project.
The most apparent information that will be used is the information gathered to determine
the need for this assessment, the enrollment rates. Aside from that key information of which has
driven the initiative, analyzers will need to begin evaluating more internal data happening within
the university and more specifically during and after the Career Coach Training sessions have
happened. The instrumentation for gathering this information would need to occur in a very
strategic fashion following a timeline as such:
1. Step 1: Evaluate the number of students and alumni actually taking part in the Career
advising, Career Workshops, and the job aid tools provided on the student website.
2. Step 2: Evaluate how that information complements the instructional and learning
behaviors happening during the training course.
3. Step 3: Find the areas of concerns to focus on. Questions;
a. How can participants in the training learn new ways to engage more students?
b. How can participants in the training convey the benefits of using the job tools to
the students advantage?
c. How can participants in the training connect the job aid tools to the students
success in connecting their education to their careers?
4. Step 4: Create a budget for the project and sort out any resources that will be needed to
put the instructional practices into place.
5. Step 5: Build a plan based on the information found to implement the revised
instructional practices according to the specific budget and timeline.
6. Step 6: Once evaluators have assessed the course trainings to see what key needs to focus

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on in instruction the next step is to measure institutional data again according to a

specific timeline after new instructional practices have been implemented.
(Repeat step one: : Evaluate the number of students and alumni actually taking art
in the Career advising, Career Workshops, and the job aid tools provided on the
student website.)
7. Step 7: Review long-term focus for needs assessment initiative, potentially improving
enrollment rates with potential students seeing evidence of the organizations mission to
connect education to careers. This task would be primarily involving the universitys
marketing team.
Budget Resources and Timeline
The overall budget for the entire project will be set at 50,000 dollars across a timeline of one
calendar year from January 2014 through January 2015. The resources and timeline
implementations have been mapped out below.

Focus
Evaluate statistical

Budget

Resources
Research tools,

Timeline
To be completed by

data present among

2000

researchers and data

the end of January

storage material

2014 at the beginning

students using the job

aid resources
Training session

of February 2014
Outsourced evaluators

evaluations to focus

10,000 for

Contracts,

To be completed by

on instructional

outsourcing

Instructional

February 15th 2014

practices and covering

evaluation services

materials,

specific criteria

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questions on how to
improve results
Outline new
instructional design

Instructional
materials, technology

To be completed by

for the training course

tools, new media

March 10 2014

centered on the new

information and text

criteria.
Implementation of

materials for course

Instructor training,

Implementation of the

Instructor materials,

new course training

design for the training

new media and text

design will begin in

courses

materials for course

the next course

new instructional

10,000

15,000

starting an April and

continue for six
consecutive months
before its next
evaluation in October
2014
Second evaluation of
student results from

Research tools,

Research evaluation

career coach

researchers and data

will begin again on

experiences

storage material,

the 1st of October and

measuring the

surveyors and surveys

continue through
November 1st 2014

following data:
Number of students
using the job aids,

2000

NEEDS ASSESSMENT CYCLE

number of students
actually benefiting
from the tools and the
coaching
After micro level
assessment is

11000

A team should be

complete the findings

Marketing tools,

formed by December

for this can be used on

advertising, ads,

of 2014 to promote

a macro level to drive

media, social media

the universitys

a long term initiative

workforce,

commitment to its

within the university.

promotional materials,

mission and illustrate

Marketing managers

website tools etc.

a positive

can use the findings in

organizational image

the improvement of

to the public, By

the career resources to

January 2015 at the

solidify the university

start of the new

mission and

enrollment year hopes

commitment to

of inclining

connect education to

enrollment numbers

careers

are to be expected

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References
Current Term Enrollment Estimates. (2015). Retrieved from
http://nscresearchcenter.org/currenttermenrollmentestimate-fall2013/