Industry Engagement
Participation in Work-Based Learning offers an effective and appropriate vehicle for employers to help build and retain their future workforce. Employers report an increasing mismatch between the skills required for entry into their industry and those of the emerging workforce. By opening their place of business to students and providing high-value Work-Based Learning opportunities, employers can benefit from productive student work and gain new perspectives. Employers can observe potential future employees in a “long-term interview” context and participate in shaping their future workforce. Students or other learners also provide access to a customer resource and point of view.
An employer’s existing workforce benefits from more productive and engaged employees and from the opportunity to offer leadership and supervisory skills development to its current workers. Participation provides an opportunity for companies to support local schools and help develop a highly skilled and productive future workforce. It builds awareness in the community of the employer’s role in the local economy and offers a public relations benefit.
There are many ways in which you can partner with us. While in-person employer involvement in each of the following activities is critical to our success, employer partners are not expected to participate in all activities. Work Experience Coordinators will work with you to help select the activities that make the most sense for your business.
Here are some options for industry collaboration with MTROP:
- Serve on an Industry Advisory Group- Help us map the skills needed for high demand occupations in your industry
- Provide Work-Based Learning opportunities for students. These may include:
- Guest Speaker – A group of students/learners listen to a presentation to learn about the speaker’s organization, careers and industry and ask questions to help them consider whether they might like to pursue an opportunity in the industry.
- Career Day – Business partners from a variety of companies come together at a school to share information about their company, their job and the education and skills required for success in careers in the industry.
- Career Mentoring – A student/learner is matched one-on-one or in small groups with an adult professional to explore potential careers and related educational issues.
- Workplace Tour – Small groups of students/learners visit a workplace, learn about the business, meet employees, ask questions and observe work in progress. Teachers and faculty also benefit from exposure to the workplace.
- Informational Interview – A student/learner formally interviews an employer partner about his or her industry, educational and career path and profession.
- Job Shadowing – A student/learner is paired with an employee of a host company and follows that employee during much of a regular workday.
- Mock Interview – Students/Learners are paired one-on-one with a business partner who interviews them as if he/she were being interviewed by an employer for a paid internship or job.
- Workplace Challenge – Small groups of students/learners (four to six per team) are engaged in a problem-solving exercise issued by an employer in consultation with a teacher or faculty member.
- Internship – A student/learner has the opportunity to learn by doing real work and being productively engaged in the workplace. Students may work individually, in teams, work on a project, or rotate through a number of departments and job functions.
- Work Experience – An opportunity for a student/learner to develop and demonstrate professional and occupational skills by addressing a core business function and doing productive work with an employer.
