Developing Employer Relationships Through the Use of the Employment Opportunity Survey (EOS) Protocol

BlackBoard-Supported Online Course

Description:

Improving employer relationships is an important key to increasing high quality vocational opportunities for our consumers. In this three week BlackBoard-supported online course, we will explore employer development strategies with a focus on how to use the Employment Opportunity Survey (EOS) protocol to develop relationships with employers. We have found that the EOS protocol interview is very effective in developing relationships with employers in many different communities and industries.

About the Employment Opportunity Survey (EOS)

The Employment Opportunity Survey (EOS) protocol is an 18-question structured interview that rehabilitation professionals can use with employers to assess their openness to hiring persons with disabilities, and to begin developing effective relationships with employers designed to increase employment opportunities for our consumers.

EOS is very effective with employers in many different communities and industries. The ordering of the questions is deliberate, with disability related questions near the close of the interview. The first and last questions are intended to influence the positive outlook of the employer during the completion of the survey. The positive question at the very beginning and at the very end allow the rehabilitation professional to create an early and lasting good feeling with the employer about the development of a useful and fruitful relationship with the rehabilitation agency.

Course Syllabus

Objectives of the Course

1. To prepare participants for their interactions with employers
2. To ensure a participants likelihood of building successful employer partnerships
3. To teach participants how to use the Employment Opportunity Survey (EOS) to develop more productive and long-term business relationships

Week One: June 8 - 14

During the first week participants will be provided a series of readings and resources to help them develop skills in using the EOS protocol to approach and partner with employers. Participants will be required to participate in online discussions, sharing their experiences and tips on marketing activities.

Sample Assignments

• Read the articles:
  • "Identification of the Characteristics of Work Environments and Employers Open to Hiring and Accommodating People with Disabilities"
  • "Development and Validation of the Employer Openness Survey"
• If you did not participate in the TACE Region IV Webinar on April 22, 2009: EOS Protocol"
  • Review the Powerpoint: EOS Protocol Presentation
  • Or, download Audio: EOS Protocol Presentation and review the Transcript: EOS Protocol Presentation.
• Read and review the following EOS supplementary materials:
  • Employment Opportunity Survey (EOS) Manual
  • Sample Letter to Employer
  • Draft EOS Survey for High School Students.
• Visit the website: Employer Services Systems Research and Training Center (ESSRTC), and watch the video about how to conduct an EOS, and you can watch an actual EOS being conducted.
• Go to the Discussion area in the Blackboard Course and introduce yourself, then tell us about your most successful employer contact.

Week Two: June 15-21

During the second week participants will conduct an EOS with an employer. The completed EOS’s will be posted and participants will discuss their experiences on-line.

Sample Assignments

• Contact an employer and complete the Employment Opportunity Survey.
• Post your completed EOS in the Blackboard Course and tell us about your experience in the discussion area.

Week Three: June 22- 26

During the third week the focus of the course will be on sustaining employer relationships.

Sample Assignments

• Go to the Discussion area in the Blackboard Course and participate in discussion about strategies to sustain employer relationships.

Materials & Resources

What is BlackBoard?

The BlackBoard Learning and Communtity System is a course and organization management system that makes the creation, organization, and management of course content on the web relatively simple. Below is a partial list of some tools that are available in the BlackBoard Learning System:

• Standardized Course Template: Courses created in BlackBoard have a standardized look and the course menu is tailored to the needs of the course.
• Upload Files: There are built-in tools for uploading files into BlackBoard. Most file types are recognized by the BlackBoard Learning System, including audio and video files and other rich media.
• Discussion Boards: This tool provides an asynchronous communication medium for posting and responding to messages from the instructors and other students within BlackBoard.
• E-mail: Students and the instructors can send and respond to e-mail between those who are participating in the course.
• Digital Drop Box: This tool may be used to exchange files between students and instructors.
• Test and Surveys: Instructors may have tests to assess the knowledge and skill level of students enrolled in a course. Answers are submitted for grading and the results are automatically recorded in the gradebook.
• Course Calendar: Instructors may use the calendar to indicate important course related events and dates for all students registered in the course.

What Do I Need to Participate in the BlackBoard Course?

Registration and Login to BlackBoard

After a student's successfully registers for this BlackBoard-supported course through the TACE Region IV website (see: registration for this course - limited to 25 participants), a student account will be set-up for you and then you will sent an email from Syracuse University with your User Login to BlackBoard (consisting of a NetID and password). Instructors and students will have access to BlackBoard courses on a nearly continuous basis.

If you have any questions on your registration or User Login to BlackBoard, please contact the TACE Center: Region IV via email tacesoutheast@law.syr.edu or phone (866) 518-7750 [voice/tty].

Tools and Accessories

BlackBoard can be accessed through a web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox) from any computer with Internet access. However, you should check that you have on your computer or you may need to download one of the following software programs to your computer to be able to view various file formats that may be encountered during the course such as: Video and Audio, PDF Documents, and Microsoft Office Documents. For links to various software programs, see the Tools and Accessories webpage in the BlackBoard Support Center of Syracuse University.

Additional BlackBoard Resources

For more information and support for BlackBoard, refer to the Syracuse University BlackBoard Support Center for Student Support - BlackBoard Need-to-Know: Getting Started and Frequently Asked Questions on BlackBoard.