Practical PR: Working Together to Develop the Future Workforce
Contributed by DuPage HSD 88Journal | July/August 2024
In today’s society, students have the opportunity to pursue a variety of pathways, and it’s our job as school districts to adapt and make sure we provide what they need to be college and career ready.
The United States is facing a labor shortage all over, and the landscape of public education is changing as a result. According to a November 2023 survey of 800 U.S. employers (conducted by Intelligent.com), 45% of companies plan to eliminate bachelor’s degree requirements for some positions in 2024, and 55% of companies eliminated bachelor’s degree requirements for at least some roles in 2023.
“Employers are prioritizing key traits like critical thinking ability, interpersonal skills, a strong work ethic, and adaptability and flexibility over a college degree …,” said Brent Clark, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Illinois Association of School Administrators, in his March message. “If you listen to employers, public education in America could be in the midst of another paradigm shift. College can still be incredibly valuable, but a ‘college-for-all’ mindset can be a disservice to students. A student who graduated from high school with an industry credential and entered the workforce is just as successful as a student who graduated and enrolled in college.”
So, how can school districts adjust to meet this shift and help students build positive futures through work-based learning? To answer this question, we must first identify the issues involved.
- The workforce has decreased. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Illinois has 76 available workers for every 100 open jobs. “In 2023, employers ended up adding 3.1 million jobs. A strong jobs market is good news, but many of those job openings are going unfilled because the U.S. does not have enough workers to fill them.
- How school districts can overcome this challenge: Connect students to hands-on, immersive experiences and work-based learning that can provide supported pathways through their college pursuits.
- Students’ skills aren’t matching the needs of employers.
- How school districts can overcome this challenge: Offer opportunities for students to complete training programs and earn certificates, badges, and credentials.
- There’s still a stigma toward students pursuing alternative pathways. “To create change as an industry, we must provide greater credibility to alternate education paths that allow students to gain employable skills,” said Michael Hansen in a Harvard Business Review article.
- How school districts can overcome this challenge: Provide greater credibility to alternate education paths.
Here are tangible steps school districts can take to implement an effective work-based learning program.
Gain Support from Key Stakeholders
A successful work-based learning program takes a district-wide effort and the backing of all involved. This includes:
- Board of Education members – Having the support of Board of Education members is crucial to adjust policies and procedures, add resources/staff, and implement new partnerships, ideas, courses, and flexibilities. In cooperation with the Board of Education, DuPage HSD 88 was able to create a new Director of Student Career Development position to encourage students to explore their interests and goals, as well as assist them in shaping their professional paths.
- Staff members – Work-based learning should be part of all curricular areas (see below for more information). For the program to move forward, all staff members – especially school counselors – must have a “work-based learning” lens.
- Parents/guardians – Educating parents/guardians about work-based learning (through presentations, field trips, career fairs, and more) is a vital piece to maintaining a productive and positive program.
Make Work-Based Learning a District-Wide Focus
Work-based learning should be part of all aspects of the district and school environment. At DuPage HSD 88, this focus is embedded in the strategic plan and corresponding online dashboard, as well as in each curricular area. We continue to increase opportunities for students to visit worksites through field trips and to learn about career options through fairs and speaker presentations. We also offer internship/apprenticeship/vocational programs, including:
- Heritage Spanish Career Fluency course – This course helps students develop their skills in professional settings and introduces them to various career paths, while enhancing their bi-literacy. This is accomplished through a job-shadow component at local businesses. Students visit facilities once a week for about three months.
- Education Teacher Preparation Program – This program provides students with an inside look into the education system. Participants gain field experience and work directly with teachers and students in a classroom.
- CTE Youth Apprenticeship Program – This program is geared toward students who are interested in pursuing a career in engineering, precision manufacturing, computer programming, and computer hardware and software design. Students receive school credit, certification in OSHA 10, preparation for an apprenticeship placement, and a paid apprenticeship experience in the manufacturing or information technology fields.
- CNC Machining Fundamentals –This program exposes students to the modern machine shop environment and principles of manufacturing. When students complete this course, they earn a level 1 CNC operator certificate and a passing score on the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) Measurement Materials & Safety credentialing exam.
Remove Barriers and Add Flexibility for Students
- Adjust district-level graduation requirements – To allow for students to pursue work-based learning opportunities, we implemented several flexibilities to our district graduation requirements, including in reading, science, and physical education. To accomplish this, we also had to allow for flexibility within each student’s daily schedule.
- Provide transportation – Assist students in coordinating transportation, to ensure this isn’t an obstacle that causes them to disengage from work-based learning experiences. Providing transportation also helps to make sure students stay on schedule and on task.
- Know the requirements – According to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), students can participate in apprenticeship programs if they are “at least 16 years old, in good standing with the school, enrolled in a CTE program that supports the occupation, and maintain passing grades and satisfactory attendance.”
- Provide opportunities for all students – There are many resources, services and programs to support nontraditional and undocumented students, to make sure they’re able to participate in work-based learning experiences. School districts can partner with colleges/universities, businesses and legislators to learn about and expand these options.
Develop Partnerships
For work-based learning to be impactful and beneficial, it’s important to collaborate with colleges/universities and local businesses/organizations to enhance and expand options for students.
Other important groups include the local chamber of commerce and workforce development committees. Be sure your district is connected with those agencies to stay involved and up to date with the workforce needs and opportunities in your area. Join with those partners to think outside of the box, and be creative when implementing work-based learning experiences and programs.
Work-based learning is critical to help with the labor shortage we’re seeing throughout Illinois and the U.S. and to connect students to hands-on, immersive experiences, as well as certifications, credentials, and scholarships. As school districts, we must adapt to help link students with viable short-term and long-term career options that can provide supported pathways through their college pursuits.
About DuPage HSD 88
DuPage High School District 88, comprised of Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools, provides a high-quality and comprehensive learning environment to prepare students to be college and career ready in a diverse society. A main focus of the district is to cultivate inclusive and rigorous learning opportunities for students to pursue individualized pathways to success. Submitted by Dani Brink, DuPage HSD 88 Director of Community Relations. Resources, including contact information, associated with this column can be accessed at iasb.com/Journal.