HOW TO COLLABORATE WITH BUSINESSES/POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS
(Click the above image for a PDF version of the resources on this page)
- Building partnerships requires an investment of time. Identify a designated leader or department to coordinate efforts at state or district level.
- Be sure to link programs to viable career pathways through focused postsecondary education as well as opportunities for ongoing employment/promotion.
- An “intermediary” organization (which may be a public or private agency) can be helpful in navigating technicalities, particularly for work-based learning programs. This agency can provide support and training, both for youth and business partners; may assume responsibility for insurance or benefits in the early stages; and can helpfully assess and provide useful feedback for program improvement.
- At state level, develop robust policies around CTE and RA (registered apprenticeship) programs. This includes providing cross-agency support, technical assistance, and resource tools and guides for use in various contexts.
- Include potential employment partners in program design and curriculum development.
- Work with community colleges and existing local coalitions (e.g., Chamber of Commerce, consortium of small manufacturing firms) where feasible.
- Conduct outreach to showcase opportunities and benefits, including websites, presentations, and written materials. Different forms of outreach will be useful for different audiences: youth, parents, educators, legislators, and business partners.
- Offer paid work-based learning opportunities at a relatively early stage (programs may include a 4- to 8-week “boot camp” or pre-employment training, with or without a minimal stipend; but when youth begin actually working, they are paid at minimum wage).
- Coordinate ongoing academic learning and content with WBL opportunities.
- Overcome potential barriers to participation by (a) providing positive youth development and support (e.g., soft skills training, transportation, child care); and (b) addressing employers’ concerns and providing staff training as necessary. (See examples below.)
Promising Practices in Work-Based Learning for Youth
National Skills Coalition
September 2016
Highlights four key principles and their application in four exemplar programs. Principles include paid opportunities, robust business partnerships, positive youth development and continuing support, and links to career pathways via future employment and/or postsecondary education. Programs highlighted are MCIP (Manufacturing Careers Internship Program in Illinois; Urban Alliance in Baltimore, Washington, and northern Virginia; Conservation Corps of Long Beach, CA; and the Guilford Apprenticeship Program in North Carolina. Notes role of intermediaries in making programs effective and sustainable. Very helpful.
Connecting Secondary Career and Technical Education and Registered Apprenticeship: A Profile of Six State Systems
National Center for Innovation in Career and Technical Education
July 2016
Six key practices for effective state-wide coordination and support of CTE/RA programs (summarized on pages 42-46) and their implementation in the diverse approaches of six states (NC, CT, FL, KY, RI, WA). Very helpful for state-level support.
Iowa BIG
Entrepreneurial high school where students learn through engagement in real-life projects submitted by community, business, and non-profit partners.
CPCC Edutronics
UNC TV
September 2016
Central Piedmont Community College’s partnership with Groninger Manufacturing to offer students hands-on experience and training in the high-tech world of edutronics, addressing the regional workforce skills gap.
CareerWise Colorado
A Bloomberg/Chase-sponsored statewide apprenticeship program. Also see press release/article at JP Morgan & Case Co.
Description of Nashville’s Community Achieves program
Awarded the Community Schools’ 2015 Award for Excellence, which grew from one high school in 2009 to include 23 schools and 17,000 students by 2015. With active support from the Chamber of Commerce, the program connects schools to businesses to foster career pathways, addresses personal and family barriers, and has doubled scholarship money available within the district.
- Work-based Learning Toolkit
DOE/RTI
Links to multiple resources for various components of effective work-based learning programs; also, relevant federal legislation. Very comprehensive content but little practical assistance.
Promising Practices in Work-Based Learning for Youth
National Skills Coalition
September 2016
Highlights four key principles and their application in four exemplar programs. Principles include paid opportunities, robust business partnerships, positive youth development and continuing support, and links to career pathways via future employment and/or postsecondary education. Programs highlighted are MCIP (Manufacturing Careers Internship Program in Illinois; Urban Alliance in Baltimore, Washington, and northern Virginia; Conservation Corps of Long Beach, CA; and the Guilford Apprenticeship Program in North Carolina. Notes role of intermediaries in making programs effective and sustainable. Very helpful.
Connecting Secondary Career and Technical Education and Registered Apprenticeship: A Profile of Six State Systems
National Center for Innovation in Career and Technical Education
July 2016
Six key practices for effective state-wide coordination and support of CTE/RA programs (summarized on pages 42-46) and their implementation in the diverse approaches of six states (NC, CT, FL, KY, RI, WA). Very helpful for state-level support.