Ask any five year old what she wants to be when she grows up, and her response will range from princess to superhero to professional athlete. Ask again when she’s ten, and her answer may be doctor, teacher or police officer.
In middle and high school, she begins to understand how she’s wired, what her interest areas are, what she’s good at and what career paths she wants to pursue. Her pathway will be influenced by her parents, friends, teachers and social media. But more than any other factor, her future will be determined by her experiences during these years.
Education is evolving to include more exposure to real companies and careers, more authentic work experiences during those K-12 years, and more on-ramps and off-ramps to different career options. None of this is possible without the input from local businesses. That’s where you come in. Your company can make a huge difference in shaping the curriculum and experiences today’s students have that will inspire them toward careers of tomorrow.
And the more involved your organization is with the school – the more face time your employees have with teachers and students – the more impact on your business when it’s time for those students to enter the workforce.
There are a lot of ways your company can get involved with schools, but we’re going to focus specifically on ways your company can build interpersonal connections with area students. Here are the top 3 we recommend:
During summer break, droves of high school and college students will be looking for ways to make extra money. Most will apply for popular student jobs, like fast-food, waiting tables or babysitting. But what if they knew the full spectrum of opportunities available? Like the chance to work with high-tech automation equipment honing valuable hard skills.
Think of the number of eager, talented students who are mechanically-inclined and could be an excellent addition to your facility for the summer. The benefits are really endless: finish projects that have been put on the wayside, create room for an incumbent employee to train new skills, and more. And it gives you a chance to pour into a young person, inspiring and influencing their career pathway.
Recently, during winter break university students returned from their semesters all across the country to work in manufacturing facilities in their hometown. These students are pursuing degrees in Business, English, Political Science and Engineering. Their hands-on work experience broadened their perspective on career possibilities and stands out on a resume. Read the full story here.
This is the best option for businesses who haven’t yet taken the leap to get more involved in the local schools, but who still want to provide learning opportunities to students. Since it doesn’t involve any outside organizations and the work is done at your facility, this is a great starting point.
You’ve probably already posted these positions on sites like Indeed. But high school students may not be searching there yet. Build connections with your local district’s Technical Education teacher, CTE Coordinator, Principal, and Superintendent. Ask to speak in the class. Put up flyers advertising the position. Ask the school for ideas about how you can share your open job positions with them.
If you’re ready to get a little more involved in the curriculum level at your local high school or technical college, volunteering to participate in capstone projects is a great next step.
Graduating seniors in technical education programs will often be assigned a senior capstone project to put their learning into practice. At times instructors will seek a local employer to pair with a student for this project.
The relationship built through this interaction is a win-win. It allows the student to see what working in that industry is really like. At the same time, the employer builds rapport with the school and the student. A semester-long investment can turn into a lifelong employee. And it opens the door for further involvement in school-industry partnerships in the future: when the school is making big decisions, they may ask for your input.
See who’s doing this already:Here’s a firsthand look at capstone project partnerships:
1. Robotics and Automation seniors at Madison College partner with an industrial employer to design and automate a process used on their manufacturing line. These proof-of-concept projects entail working with electrical, pneumatic and mechanical components as well as PLC, HMI and Robot programming.
The company may implement the design into their process, or even hire the student upon graduation. Watch this video for a great example of a student capstone project, or view the album of the Capstone Showcase.
2. Xact Metal partnered with mechanical engineering students at the Penn State University for their capstone project. The group was tasked with optimizing 3D print parameters for various types of metal. One student enjoyed the experience so much she came back and worked for Xact Metal after graduating.
3. Governor Tommy Thompson, then interim-president of the University of Wisconsin System, discussed why businesses should partner with universities to have students help solve their manufacturing challenges. You can listen to his episode here.
Check with your local technical college or university to see if they are in need of business partners for capstone projects. We recommend reaching out to the dean or instructor of a relevant program. And if a school-business partnership is new to their project guidelines? It’s a great opportunity for you to get in on the ground floor.
Work-based learning and Youth Apprenticeship programs allow students to complete their education while gaining work experience under the mentorship of an industry leader. While this is the largest time investment for an employer, it provides the strongest connection between business and education in developing the career path for a student.
In the program, students receive instruction at school that aligns with skills required by industry. They then get paid to work, led by an experienced mentor while getting a taste of multiple aspects of the industry. Assessments and certifications prove that the student completed a rigorous program and is competent in the skills employers need.
Youth Apprenticeship is relatively new but growing rapidly. There are also groups like GPS Education Partners, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing work-based learning experiences to students across the Midwest.
Start by contacting your local community or technical college, or your local school district to see if they offer Youth Apprenticeship. Apprenticeship USA, sponsored by the federal government, has a ton of resources for schools and employers on launching YA programs.
The world of work is a place of constant innovation, growth and change. With that growth comes new highly-skilled positions and a need for people to fill them. Educators already have limited resources to update their curriculum and equipment on a regular basis without expecting them to also be in-the-know with the specific skilled labor needs of every industry.
If you want candidates seeking after your company and capable of filling your skilled positions, then it’s up to you to get involved with the future workforce. Whether that’s a small initial investment or going all-in, the face-to-face time with students will set you apart from all the other companies vying for their work.
We can connect you to the right people at your local school, strategize on partnerships, or give you more information on technical education initiatives. Just send us a message to get started.
