CBIA’s Educator’s Guide to School-to-Career

School-to-Career Activities and Resources for Educators

Employers can help students explore careers in all of these activities:

Career Explorations and Video Series

As part of the state’s school-to-career program, we’ve filmed nine videos that bring the career clusters concept to life. They’re called, “Is This You?” We took our cameras into Connecticut companies and followed young people that your kids can relate to, on the job.
     Each tape covers one of the career clusters in a fast-moving, real-world approach that your students will think is “cool.”
     For the first time, you can bring the world of work right into your schools to show how school work connects to life-work. The videos candidly explore the positives and realities of each job from the perspectives of the young people actually doing them.
     We cover some traditional jobs that everyone will recognize and some unusual careers too. And each tape includes positions requiring a high school education, some for college grads and those requiring an advanced degree. Communication skills and teamwork are also emphasized in every program. We even tell the salary ranges for each job and Web sites your students can go to for more information.

     The brand-new videos, flexible curriculum materials designed for both large- and small-group instruction, and additional online resources create a comprehensive package that may be used in a wide variety of instructional settings. We recommend that you preview the video and select those student activities in advance that best suit the needs of your students. All teacher directions are included here for your convenience. Take a Career Exploration in:

	Arts & Media		Government, Education & Human Services
	Business & Finance		Retail, Tourism, Recreation & Entrepreneurial
	Construction Technologies & Design		Technologies: Manufacturing, Communications & Repair
	Environmental, Natural Resources & Agriculture		Health & Biosciences
There is more information available for two areas where there is a very high demand: Education - http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/ctlearns/resources/index.htm Information Technology - Information technology Career Explorations Video Teacher's Guide for Careers in Information technology (PDF file) Student Activity Sheets for Careers in Information technology (PDF file) Industry Skills Standards for IT from the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies

     Along with the videos, we suggest asking local companies to provide speakers who can talk about career opportunities and the latest technologies being used in the workplace. Create an easy and enjoyable learning experience that can informally introduce students and teachers to various companies and industries. For example, have a company employee speak to a group of students or participate in a local job or career fair where employees can meet students informally and give them information about different companies. In any case, let students mix with employees — that’s when the learning begins.

• Duration: Individual events and presentations can be brief, but you can participate in any of these types of activities many times over many years.
• Students’ grade level: Appropriate for any age group when tailored to their interests and abilities.

Benefits of Career Explorations

Students will:

• Learn about different jobs and careers.

• Identify their personal interests, skills and abilities.

• Understand the variety of academic, work and communication skills that are required.

• Challenge their views of different jobs and careers.

• Understand the connection between school, work, and setting and achieving goals.

Keys for Educators

• Review and confirm event details with the company, including their expectations.

• Ask the company employee(s) to talk about today’s jobs, other career opportunities in their business or industry, the types of education and skills needed to succeed, typical work schedules, and salaries.

• If you bring students to a workplace, make sure you:

- Make the students aware of any special requirements, dress code or safety gear; and

- Provide directions, travel time and parking information.

Visit the Career Explorations portion of our Web site!

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Employability Skills Training

Working with participating companies, have company representatives visit your school and talk with students about the importance of "employability" skills. Employability skills are those skills not typically taught in school such as resume writing, interviewing skills and how to dress for success. They also include explaining to students the importance of showing up for work on time and of always having a polite attitude, and making good decisions.

Duration: Individual events and presentations can be brief, but you can participate in any of these types of activities many times over many years.

Students’ grade level: Appropriate for any age group when tailored to their interests and abilities.

Benefits of Employability Skills Training

Students will:

• Understand what employers expect of them as employees.

• Learn about the importance of pertinent job skills.

• Understand what behavior, language and dress is appropriate in the workplace.

• How the subjects they are studying in school (English, math, science) are used in the workplace.

• Understand the importance of having a positive attitude, working hard, and being a part of a team.

Keys for Educators

• Work with your company representative on their presentation in advance to ensure they cover everything you want in the allotted time.

• Let the presenter know the age of the group so that the message can be adjusted accordingly.

• Encourage your students to ask questions.

• Have FUN!

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Field Trips/Company Tours

Working with participating companies, have students and educators visit their workplaces for a company tour so they can experience firsthand the business world and meet the employees. Not only will the students benefit from seeing what goes on in the workplace, but your local company will have the opportunity to share what it does with the education community. Have the company provide information during the tour about it's products and services, how the various departments interact, and what career opportunities exist.

• Duration: Approximately 1-3 hours.
• Grade level: Appropriate for any age group if tailored to their needs and abilities.

Benefits of Field Trips/Company Tours

Students will:

• Gain broader exposure to the world of work.

• Learn how a business operates and how it fits into the state and national economies.

• Learn the skills they'll need to have.

• Increase their understanding about career opportunities available to them.

Keys for Educators:

• Plan the day’s activities well in advance with the company so that students have the best possible experience.

• Let the company know of the ages of the students so they can adjust their message accordingly.

• Encourage the company to mix talking with showing, so that they illustrate different aspects of the company.

• Encourage students to ask questions.

• Make this part of your company’s community-relations outreach.

Creating Your Own Company Visit Program

The following information has been gathered from programs CBIA has helped to organize and coordinate between local schools and Connecticut businesses over the years. The information is provided as a starting point for educators and companies that are looking to start company visit programs in their areas.

Where to start
Preparation for educators before visiting a company
Questions to ask your company sponsor
The role of the employer host
Commonly asked questions for participating company staff
Sample of a company visit agenda
Company Visit Completion Form (pdf)
Evaluation survey for educators (pdf)

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Job Shadowing

Provide students with the opportunity to spend time at a company and "shadow" an employee during a typical day at work. Encourage the student to ask the employee about what he or she does, what kinds of skills and instruction are necessary for the job, how the job fits in with the rest of the company, and what it’s like to work there.

• Duration: Approximately 4-8 hours.
• Grade level: Most appropriate for students in the seventh grade through high school.

Benefits of Job Shadowing:

Students will:

• Begin to identify career interests — influenced by what they see at the company.

• Get a realistic view of the daily routines of adult workers.

• Gain an awareness of the academic, technical and personal skills required by certain jobs.

• Develop and apply communication skills by interacting with workers.

• Realize that different jobs are characterized by different work cultures and environments.

Keys for Educators

• Ask that the employee go about his/her normal job routine so that the student "shadow" can observe him/her at work.

• Ask if the student can do some limited, hands-on tasks under close supervision.

• Ask the employees to explain the important aspects of their work and how they relate to other jobs in the company.

• If the company you're working with is unionized, seek its involvement in your planning.

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Internships

An internship is a more in-depth school-to-career experience in which a student spends an extended period of time at a company completing:

• A planned series of activities or learning objectives, or

• A project designed to provide a broad understanding of the business or industry.

     Arrange a paid, work-site opportunity in which a student can develop skills through hands-on learning and instruction at a participating company. Working with the employer, create opportunities for the student to be exposed to all aspects of the industry. This should be closely tied to your classroom instruction.

     By integrating classroom learning with real-life workplace experiences, an internship helps a student simultaneously develop academic and vocational skills.

Pay: If a student is doing work that typically an employee would be paid to do, the student must then be paid. For college or other post secondary interns, class credit may also be offered.

Duration: Usually 3-18 weeks; hours variable.
Grade level: Grades 11-12 (high school junior and senior years)

Benefits of Internships

Students will:

• Develop transferable academic, technical and employability skills.

• Apply basic skills and knowledge to real-world work setting.

• Focus their career interests by experiencing a job and career at a company, in depth.

• Understand the culture of the workplace.

• Begin to assume real responsibilities in an adult work setting.

Keys for Educators:

• Design a student project or planned set of workplace activities.

• Help write and co-sign a learning agreement.

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Externships for Educators

Externships are a great way to not only help update educators on their understanding of skills needed in the workplace, but they are a realistic way to infuse reality-based learning into the classroom. Work-based projects resulting from teachers' work experiences help students make the connection between what they are learning and what is expected on the job. Simply put, externships allow an educator to spend time observing and/or participating in the workplace, gaining valuable insights into how academic, technical and employability skills all come together.

     Duration: An externship can be as short as several days or as long as a summer vacation; it may even extend to a full year.

     Teaching level: Any educator can benefit, but teachers of grades 7 through 12 — and higher — may benefit the most in applying their workplace experiences to their academic curricula.

Benefits of Externships

Teachers will:

• See and experience for themselves the dynamics of various businesses and industries and what it takes to work there.

• Expand their horizons of career possibilities.

• Better equip themselves to teach a work-based school-to-career curriculum.

Keys for Educators:

• Meet with the company representative(s) prior to the externship to outline expectations and establish guidelines.

• Work with the employee on how to apply the work-site experience to the classroom.

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Mentoring

Ask participating companies to solicit volunteers who can spend individual time with students offering them encouragement, support, instruction and guidance in their career-decision process. Over time, a mentor will help a student become accustomed to the rules, norms and expectations of the workplace. He or she will also provide career insight and guidance based on personal experience. A mentor may engage in a wide range of involvement, from simply providing the student with a "buddy" to offering intensive, structured work experiences.

• Duration: Depends on individual needs.
• Grade level: Most appropriate for high school- through college-age students.

Benefits of Mentoring

Students will:

• Be exposed to aa learning/support activity, not an actual job.

• Have access to an adult who will serve as an adviser and coach.

• Be given the opportunity to learn about career insights and how basic skills relate to success.

Keys for Educators:

• Work with the employee to provide guidance in how to communicate and work with young people. Be aware that young people often have unrealistic expectations and attitudes about the workplace.

•Ask your sponsoring companies to engage students in activities that will help them develop workplace skills and career insights.

• Be direct with your sponsoring employer about any concerns or questions you may have.

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CBIA School-to-Career Resources for Educators

Career Exploration Video Series, CD-ROM and Web Site

A great way to introduce your industry and some entry-level jobs is CBIA’s new "Career Exploration Video Series." The series of industry-specific videos and one overview video is especially geared to students.

Industry-Skill Requirements: Academic, Technical and Employability

Business and industry representatives from 10 industry clusters told us what basic skills would be needed to obtain entry-level jobs in a wide range of occupations. Now, these standards are published in a series of 10 booklets.

Information Technology (IT) Video and Connecticut IT Skill Requirements

The fastest-growing job sector in Connecticut is in information technology (IT), and these new CBIA materials provide the perfect introduction. Contemporary and informative, the video illustrates the world of opportunity in IT. And the requirements outline the path to get there.

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