Further education colleges are increasingly using web portals, linked to their CRM, to capture different types of information from employers and apprenticeship applicants; making applying easier for students, and finding the right candidate simpler for employers.
Let’s start with your database…
Many Colleges use an employer engagement and apprenticeship CRM as a key way of managing their Apprenticeships cycle.
This includes:
Managing accounts –
- Which employers have or have had a vacancy
- How much money have they spent with the college?
- What type of placement is it?
- Have they attended any events?
- Management of Health & safety audits and calculating when a renewal is due
Managing contacts –
- Who last spoke to who about what?
- Who key contacts are
Managing Apprenticeships –
- Creating an opportunity
- Automatically uploading it to the Find an Apprenticeship website
Managing Applicants –
- Receiving applications
- Sending emails about interviews
- Making offers
So what does the portal do?…
Increasingly the portal that comes with Dynamics is becoming very popular as well. The majority of our new customers who come on board are now including a portal to help with the management of all aspects of the apprenticeship cycle. It’s essentially a mini website – that can be branded to look like your main website – and serves as a secure access point for students to view and apply for vacancies directly with the employer; and for your pre-selected employers to review your student talent pool to find the candidates that best suit their requirements.
The portal can be used in the following ways:
- Advertise vacancies direct to students
- Receive applications for an Apprenticeship – applicants will need to login but then the information is automatically uploaded straight into the CRM which can trigger the next steps of the process internally
- Applicants and employers can keep their contact information up to date and create a profile so they only enter the data in once but it can be used in many ways
- Employers have the ability to check and amend information regarding the apprenticeship before it is published automatically to the Find an Apprenticeship website – saving you time
- Applicants have the ability to see how their application is progressing
- Employers can login and view your the talent pool – to see what type of students are available for an apprenticeship, and whether they have the specific skills and interests to match their requirements.
The portal can be used for other means, not just the apprenticeships example we have used here. Other uses may include:
- Work Placement students can log time sheets on the portal which the employer can then approve. Email reminders can be sent from the system
- College events can be posted on the portal and interested parties can register directly
- Students and alumni can use the portal to access information you may hold about them, and update their details.
Everything in the portal is linked to your CRM, and stored in the cloud, so it’s accessible, and secure.
Ask us about a portal for your college.
Find out more about Dynamics 365 Employer Engagement & Apprenticeships