A Learner’s Feedback Journey

Fariha Raisa, Feedback Labs | June 21st, 2022

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Building a new system from the ground up. Generation USA is committed to supporting people into life-changing careers that would otherwise be inaccessible. Through bootcamp-style training and placement support, Generation USA ensures that learners have employer engagement right from the beginning. By offering weeks of technical, behavioral, mindset, and professional presence skill training, Generation USA is committed to enabling the learning and growth of the participants. Overall, these programs aim to create business value for employers as well as a lasting career impact for participants.

As Generation USA is dedicated to serving people who are unemployed, underemployed, or need to learn new skills, it presented in a LabStorm focusing on a learner’s feedback journey. The discussion, which took place at Feedback+ Summit in Jacksonville, revolved around collecting feedback from the participants, transitioning from in-person to virtual programs, and connecting with alumni after graduation.

Attendees discussed ideas on how to keep the alumni engaged in the feedback process and how to integrate feedback into organizational strategy. Generally, it has been a challenge to collect feedback from the alumni after six months of graduation from the program. For this purpose, attendees suggested the use of social media administered surveys. They also highlighted the effectiveness of networking events that can be used to gather feedback on one hand, and also cater to the post-graduation career support that Generation USA aims for. Participants emphasized the importance of listening to the feedback and having a quick turnaround for a follow-up on what was done with the data.

During the in-person session, the LabStorm participants were able to experience firsthand the personal stories of students and career coaches at Generation USA. The professionals of the organization highlighted how they ensure that students are able to successfully complete the program, especially those who have never worked before. They continue to follow up with the students for a year with career and skill support services. Students talked about how the program starts with behavior mindset classes. Although the instruction was virtual, they were able to participate in study groups. Career coaches were appreciated for always checking on the students and being supportive. In general, the students felt confident in approaching Generation USA for resources. Additionally, there was a short demo of coding that included basic blocks and structures to demonstrate the curriculum of the programs.

Generation USA presented its findings after automating communication with Qualtrics which has increased the outreach to learners and alumni. They also highlighted celebrations where students and alumni can share their success stories. Overall, Generation USA emphasized integrating feedback in organizational strategy, engaging with virtual learners, and engaging alumni in the feedback process as they concluded the key takeaways from the session.

Learn More About LabStorms

LabStorms are collaborative problem-solving sessions designed to help organizations tackle feedback-related challenges or share what’s working well in their practice.