Engaging Employers in Career Connected Learning [Webinar Recap]

Catalyze director Michelle Cheang joined Mike Feigner, a plant manager at KEITH Manufacturing Co.; and Mike LaRosa, division director of workforce development at BAYADA Home Health Care for a discussion on engaging employers in career-connected learning. 

The discussion was full of insights from two unique perspectives: BAYADA, a Catalyze grantee, is both an education provider and an employer, while KEITH is an employer that partners with Catalyze grantee Oregon STEM to offer career-connected learning experiences to students. These were the top takeaways.

1. Education and industry must collaborate effectively.

Both Feigner and LaRosa emphasized the need for strong partnerships between educational institutions and businesses to create meaningful career-connected learning experiences that ultimately lead to gainful employment in a rapidly evolving job market.

Employers intimately understand shifting workforce needs and can provide valuable insights into the skills and competencies required for young people to thrive in their careers. On the other hand, education providers have the ability to shape curriculum based on insights from employers and ensure students are properly prepared for career-connected opportunities. In some cases, education providers can secure funding that not only help students gain access to career exploration but also give employers the opportunity to engage directly with — and even hire — students.

2. Identify innovative approaches to address workforce gaps.

Feigner from KEITH, located in rural Madras, Ore., discussed the success of their internship program created in partnership with Oregon STEM, particularly in addressing the local shortage of skilled workers in the trades.

Together, the two organizations bridged the gap between employer needs and the skills taught in schools. KEITH communicated their hiring needs to Oregon STEM, which in turn informed local education leaders and successfully updated the school curriculum. KEITH stepped in to train educators on the most in-demand skills and equipment.

“We're upscaling not only the learners, but also the instructors and the folks working with the students,” Feigner explained.

The educator training and updated curriculum ensured that when KEITH began working with local student interns — one of whom they hired full-time at the end of the summer — they were already prepared for the working environment.

3. Focus on practical, real-world skills.

LaRosa from BAYADA, which operates in 24 states across the U.S., stressed the need for structured experiences to develop the practical skills, as well as critical thinking and confidence, required to succeed in healthcare professions.

BAYADA found that there is a wide variety of high school programs across the country that train students with the real-world skills to become certified nursing assistants (CNAs). These students graduate with immediate employability in a field with critical undersupply. BAYADA took advantage of these students’ existing skills and created a career pathway to grow from a CNA to a licensed practical nurse, which not only helps fill critically-needed vacancies but also offers young people a significant salary boost.

The types of real-world skills that benefit students are wide ranging, and not always limited to what they use on the job.

“We help folks successfully manage and cope with life situations,” explained LaRosa, “One of our program participants was homeless and living in their car with their mom when they started working with us. After completing a career elevation program, they are now a nurse and in a much better life situation, doing great work caring for clients. It was incredibly powerful for our whole team to witness that.”