Grant Funding Available to Sections that Start an Employment Network
As a part of a campaign to assist unemployed IEEE members to improve their job search efforts IEEE-USA is again offering up to 20 $500 PACE grants to any IEEE Section in Regions 1-6 that want to start an Employment Network.
In 2011, IEEE-USA awarded 8 grants to IEEE Sections in Regions 1-6 to start Employment Networks. These Sections took on the challenge to start these networks and used their grant award to pay for meeting space, speakers and refreshments to help facilitate networking and information sharing among unemployed IEEE members. If there are members in your Section that need additional help finding employment the Employment Network concept maybe of interest to you.
This effort is part of IEEE’s Region 1 – Region 6 initiative to increase its effort to assist unemployed members. This initiative is to support the establishment of volunteer “Employment Network” within Regions 1-6. These “Employment Networks” should consist of volunteers (mainly members who are either looking for work or seeking new employment) within the existing IEEE Section/Chapter structure for the purpose of enhancing delivery of employment assistance services.
The goal is to simply provide additional employment services to unemployed IEEE members. The network would draw upon IEEE-USA and other IEEE OUs for job search and employment assistance resources to support their job search effort. Participants of the Employment Network would also provide support and guidance to one another (e.g. reviewing resumes, mock interviews, etc.), networking and news of job opportunities. The vision for the Employment Network effort is to provide more intense service to unemployed members by networks meeting 2 to 3 times a month with the meetings designed to:
• Provide an opportunity for members to network with employers to learn about company hiring needs, employment trends and job opportunities.
• Promote and/or deliver IEEE employment-related projects and services (including IEEE-USA employment assistance services) to members in need.
Guidelines for Receiving Grant Funding
There are a few specific guidelines Sections must adhere to so they’re eligible to receive the grant award.
First, to submit the grant application; a Section/applicant must use a Employment Network Project Funding Request Form with the Project Title “Start an Employment Network.” A sample Employment Network Project Funding Request Form can be found in the Employment Network section of the IEEE-USA website. The application should be sent directly to the IEEE-USA Program Manager Daryll Griffin.
Second, the Section must provide initial mentorship of the Employment Network until the group is self functioning. This would include but not limited to initial participation by a Section designate (this person can be listed as a Project Manager in the Employment Network Project Funding Request Form) and follow-up with Employment Network leaders to ascertain the Network’s progress.
Third, the Section must be willing to provide oversight of the grant award.
Fourth, the Section must confirm by email to IEEE-USA Program Manager Daryll Griffin that the Section designate has read the Today’s Engineer story “Employment Networks Can Enhance Your Job Search” and viewed the IEEE-USA archived webinar “How Can Your Section Start an Employment Network?” We also recommend (not required) that Section designate view the webinar “Engineering Collaborative Job Search Strategies: Building a Support Group.”
Timeline
Grant submissions will be open from October 1, 2012 to October 31, 2012. Grant applications will be reviewed by IEEE-USA Employment Network Grant Review Committee. Awardees will be notified by email on or before November 30, 2012 and full awards will be processed to the Section.
Reporting
The Awardees through the Section designate will be required to submit 2 follow-up reports to the IEEE-USA Program Manager. A two month report status report will be required from the date of the grant award. Additionally, a six-month status report will be required from the date of grant award.
