Turning High School Students Into Productive Employees

Building a strong Employability Portfolio for our local community and workforce

NFIEC in Buffalo, New York, gives high School students the opportunity to learn workplace skills and how to showcase those skills. With the help of our business partners, NFIEC and the West Seneca Schools teamed up over 18 years ago to create a portfolio and website called BEEP. It is offered in school districts throughout Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus, Allegany, Wyoming, Orleans, and Chautauqua counties. Visit BEEP at beep.wnyric.org

How Beep Works

When students participate in BEEP, they learn to possess and showcase skills that employers want. Students complete a digital portfolio through the BEEP portal website which provides employers and directors of admissions with an all-encompassing overview of a student's abilities. Local business people have stood behind this initiative by completing a review of student's portfolios and signing off on them as "students who are employable." After the review process, NFIEC presents the students with Certificates of Employability. BEEP features the following:

• In-Depth exploration of careers and a vareity of student work to include: resume, cover letters and letters of reference
• Reports on competencies reached in New York State Learning and Common Core Standards as well as CDOS
• Career Development and occupational standards that align with the Secretary's Commission On Achievement Necessary Skills (SCANS)
• Levels attained include areas of academics, attendance, SAT & ACT, citizenship, and work ethics and community service
• Writing samples, artwork, and awards received, athletic participation, clubs and other extracurricular activities in various collections of work

Certificate of Employability

This certificate provides prospective employers with job-ready candidates by certifying the student applicant is knowledgeable and competent in certain well-defined skill sets. With the Certificate of Employability in hand, employers can be assured the candidate is qualified to be successful in the business environment in areas such as:

• Communication and Problem-Solving Skills
• Ability To Work As a Team Member
• Research and Information Gathering
• On-The-Job Learning and Self-Management
• Career Development
• Integrated Learning

2018 BEEP Scholarship Ceremony

The 18th annual NFIEC BEEP Scholarship ceremony is taking place on Wednesday, May 30th at Michael's Banquet Facility in Hamburg, NY. Over twenty students from 13 high schools in Western New York will earn a scholarship for their participation in the annual portfolio and interview competition. NFIEC’s sponsor this year for our event is Niagara University.

Spring 2018 Breakfast Forum

NFIEC's 2018 Spring Breakfast Forum is taking place on Thursday, April 26th at the Creekside Banquet Facility in Cheektowaga with a theme this year on business-education partnerships. A group of business leaders from area businesses and organizations will share their expertise on the elements associated with high-quality collaborations. The forum enables ourmembers and partners as well as corporate representatives, educators, school board members, parents, and students the opportunity to dialogue and share successful collaborative efforts. For more information on the forum, please contact the office at 249-6991 or email Executive Director, John Craig at jdcraig@nfiec.com.