|
Business/Education
Partnerships
There are many ways that businesses can partner with schools, ranging
from casual philanthropic relationships to more formal partnerships. All
of these partnerships share a common goal, which is to help students understand
the importance of academic, technological, vocational, and career skills
so that they are better prepared to make informed career decisions and
succeed in their career choices. Additionally and importantly, partnership
activities can help students learn critical workplace readiness skills
that are necessary for their future career success.
The New Jersey Department of Education promotes and supports academic,
technological, vocational, and career skills attainment through its Core
Curriculum Content Standards, which describe what all students must know
before graduating high school. The Department also encourages partnerships
between businesses and schools, as it recognizes that some of the best
educational experiences may take place outside the classroom. To that
end, the Department has developed resources to assist local partnerships
between schools and businesses for a variety of activities ranging from
unpaid job shadowing to paid internships to business representatives teaching
in the classroom
How Do I Get Started?
The best way to determine if a business/education partnership is right
for you is to answer the questions found in the New Jersey Association
of Partners in Education's Partnership Tool Kit, under K-12
Partnerships: The Basic How-Tos. If you feel confident in your goals
and feel that a business/education partnership will help you to meet your
goals, you are ready for a few more important questions:
What Are Some Examples of Partnership Activities?
There are a variety of partnership activities in which businesses can
participate that entail different levels of commitment with regard to
staff, time, and financial resources. The most common types of activities
are listed below:
- Career speakers: Volunteers to conduct classroom presentations
about careers in selected field. Potential partners for this activity:
elementary and middle schools.
- Work Site Visits: Schools bring students to work sites to learn
about careers opportunities and requirements. Potential partners for
this activity: middle schools.
- Job Shadowing: Individual students "shadow" employees
at a work site, typically for a half-day or full day, and learn about
specific jobs, job qualifications, daily work duties, and employment
conditions. Potential partners for this activity: middle schools.
- Career Fairs: Businesses set up or sponsor booths with career
information for one or more days or evenings at high schools, colleges
or other sites for students and parents. Potential partners for this
activity: middle schools, high schools, vocational-technical schools,
and colleges.
- Conferences and Seminars: Businesses conduct workshops about
their industry sector, entrance requirements, employment and training
opportunities, and other pertinent information at various education
and workforce readiness conferences and seminars. Potential partners
for this activity: professional organizations representing education
and educators, the Department of Education, and the Department of Labor.
- Volunteering: Public agencies and private organizations that
are involved with religious, charitable, educational, hospital, cultural,
and similar activities can provide students with opportunities to participate
in volunteer activities. Potential partners: high schools, vocational-technical
schools, and colleges.
- Service Learning: Businesses and local communities partner
with schools and colleges to provide students opportunities to help
meet the needs of the community, foster civic responsibility and enhance
academic attainment of students. Potential partners: elementary schools,
middle schools, high schools, vocational-technical schools, colleges,
local communities and community-based services.
- School Counts! Chamber of Commerce-sponsored program
that links school academic performance, attendance, and punctuality
with the ability to get a good job. Potential partners: high schools
and vocational-technical schools.
- Entrepreneurship Experiences: Business partner with schools
to mentor students in developing and executing model businesses in the
school to help students develop the competencies needed to own and manage
an enterprise. Potential partners: middle schools, high schools, and
vocational-technical schools.
- Vocational Student Organizations: Businesses partner with vocational
student organizations to judge vocational students in annual statewide
skills contests and/or donate equipment and materials for skills contests.
Potential partners: vocational-technical schools and high schools that
offer vocational-technical programs.
- Vocational-Technical Curriculum Development: Business and trade
organizations representing specific industry sectors partner with the
Department of Education and school districts to upgrade vocational-technical
and technology curriculum to ensure that such programs meet industry
skills standards. Potential partners: Department of Education, vocational-technical
schools and high schools offering vocational-technical and technology
education programs.
- Career Internships: Businesses offer unpaid career orientation
experiences to high school seniors who have completed their graduation
requirements. Career internships are typically intensive half-day sessions
taking place at work sites over a period of weeks, designed to assist
seniors in making or clarifying career decisions and enhancing their
chances for gaining employment upon graduation or enrolling in postsecondary
training or college. Potential partners: high schools and vocational-technical
schools.
- Paid Employment: Businesses offer students opportunities to
learn employability skills and earn income in preparation for the transition
from high school to employment, postsecondary training, or college.
Potential partners: high schools and vocational-technical schools.
- Cooperative Vocational Education: Businesses provide vocational
students with vocationally-specific job training over extended periods
of time to help prepare students for employment or postsecondary education
and training. Potential partners: vocational schools and high schools
offering vocational-technical programs.
- Career Academies: Businesses partners with secondary schools
to develop comprehensive, multi-year education programs designed around
specific industry sectors or career clusters. Potential partners: vocational-technical
schools and high schools.
- Supported Employment for Students With Disabilities: Businesses
offers employment opportunities for students with disabilities which
are supported by school staff, to assist students in making the transition
from high school to adult life. Potential partners: high schools, vocational-technical
schools and special needs school districts.
- Professional Development: Businesses offer professional development
opportunities for educators regarding business practices, new techniques
and technologies, the application of academics in the workplace, and
other topics. Potential partners: school districts, colleges, the Department
of Education.
- Teacher Summer Internships: Businesses offers paid or unpaid
internships for teachers to increase teacher knowledge of business practices,
new techniques and technologies, the application of academics in the
workplace and other topics. Potential partners: school districts and
colleges.
Where Can I Find Out More Information About Business/Education Partnerships?
Below is a list of contacts that you can use for additional information,
resources and references to potential education partners:
Department of Education Contact:
Mr. Allwyn L. Baskin, Marketing Communications Officer
Phone: 609-292.7336 or (800) 877-NJCAREER (toll free within NJ only)
Fax: 609-984-5347
E-mail: vocinfo@doe.state.nj.us
http://www.state.nj.us/njded/voc/index.html
New Jersey Business and Industry Association:
Mr. Christopher Emigholz, Deputy Director of NJPRO
New Jersey Business & Industry Association
Phone: 609-393-7707, ext. 201
Fax: 609-695-9597
E-mail: cemigholz@njbia.org
http://www.njbia.org/
The Business Coalition for Educational Excellence
c/o The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
Ms. Dana Egreczky, Vice President, Workforce Development
216 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
Phone: 609-989-7888 x 112
Fax: 609-656-0697
E-mail: dana@njchamber.com
http://www.njchamber.com
Further Reading
New Jersey Department of Education Resources:
New Jersey Chamber of Commerce:
"School Counts!" home page: http://www.schoolcounts.org/
New Jersey Business and Industry Association:
"Career Internship Handbook": http://www.nj.gov/njded/voc/sle/
Return to Toolkit Table of Contents
|
