A partnership of the:
Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce
Northeast PA Manufacturers and Employers AssociationThe ReDCo Group Workforce Investments Network
Schuylkill Economic Development Corp. (SEDCO)
Schuylkill Intermediate Unit #29 and member school districts.
INTRODUCTION
Employers across America have been highly critical of our education system and its failure to adequately prepare students for the workplace. In recognition of the challenge facing America, Congress passed the 1994 School-to-Work Opportunities Act that promotes school-to-work systems that are designed to enable youth, including those planning on going to college, to identify and travel paths to more rewarding roles in the workplace. Here in Schuylkill County cooperative efforts began back in 1993 when the Schuylkill Business/Education Partnership was formed to bring business and educators together to share problems and methods of improving workplace related training, and to explore ways of cooperating to improve relationships and programs that could improve workforce effectiveness.
SCHOOL-TO-WORK
School-to-Work is the educational reform movement in America driven by Business and Industry to provide a highly skilled workforce for the 21st century. American Business and Industry must have the skilled workforce to compete in the global economy and our current educational system must adjust to provide these valuable human resources. School-to-Work has three components: a school-based component, a work-based component, and a connecting activities component.
SCHOOL-BASED COMPONENT
Schools are providing new educational opportunities K-12. Guidance programs are promoting career awareness and exploration which connects learning to the job world. The academic curriculum is undergoing change through the development of specific career courses and computer technology courses, as well as revising courses in communication, mathematics, and science.
Students with a general high school education no longer possess the skills demanded in today's workplace. Thus, the schools are replacing general education with Tech Prep courses, which emphasize more sophisticated problem solving, communication, and computer courses preparing young adults to use the technology already in the workplace.
WORK-BASED COMPONENT
This feature of secondary education is designed to provide all students, both the college and non-college bound, with work experiences where they clearly observe the need for high tech education. It should help students decide which career paths they are interested in pursuing, and which career paths hold no interest for them. It should reinforce learning, motivate future learning, and provide real exposure to the demands of today's workplace.
CONNECTING ACTIVITIES
Connecting activities provide communication links between schools and employers. They include matching students with work-based opportunities, providing school site mentors for each student, establishing links with other community services and evaluating the effectiveness of both school and work-based learning programs.
THE ROLE OF BUSINESS & INDUSTRY
The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, working in partnership with the Northeast PA Manufacturers and Employers Association, The ReDCo Group Workforce Investments Network and the Schuylkill Economic Development Corp. (SEDCO), has accepted a leadership role in coordinating business community support and participation in the Schuylkill School-to-Work Partnership Program. Our efforts will focus on continuing and strengthening workbased activities such as the Speakers in the Classroom and Job Shadowing Programs, while simultaneously assisting with new efforts to enlarge the pool of employers willing to provide work experiences for students. In addition, we will be seeking employer participation in additional programs that connect business and education systems in Schuylkill County.
The development of a sound School-to-Work System requires Business and Industry to play major roles: allowing educators to spend time in the workplace, as in The Educator-in-the-Workplace Program, so that educators can re-tool curriculum to meet the needs of Business and Industry; consulting with educators in doing staff development meetings; providing jobs and workplace experience opportunities for in-school students and recent graduates; providing employees time and opportunity to serve in the workplace mentoring program; and supporting the program with resources in hiring first-time entry level workers.
IS THIS RIGHT FOR MY BUSINESS?
Yes! If you want the best employees in the competitive marketplace you need to impact their educational training. Educators need to know what specific career skills are essential for success in your workplace. The Chamber Partners will be actively recruiting county employers to participate in one or more of the programs that are geared to increasing student skills and workforce competence.
WHAT IS MY COMPANY'S ROLE?
Your company may participate in any or all parts of the work-based component from tours to internships. You will primarily be providing people and time, but not at a significant loss in production. Tours and speakers can be limited to a few hours a year. Actual workplace experience and mentoring will require your employee to be trained for about three hours and then permit students to observe the mentor for a few hours. The number of students and hours involved can be customized for your company. If you see the process through, the result will be higher skilled, better prepared, company-familiar, and more productive employees.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYER WORK-BASED
PARTICIPATION/SUPPORT
Cooperative Education - this is a formal, credit-bearing, school-organized, paid work experience for vocational education students, usually during or after the regular school day or on weekends.
Job Shadowing - this is a short term, unpaid visit to a job site to observe adults in work settings, where the opportunity to learn basic requirements of various jobs, and experience the flow of a typical work day is shared.
Apprenticeships - a combined program of education and work experience. Work-based skill development is coordinated with school-based curriculum, often in the context of "career majors". Apprenticeship programs lead to skills certification in addition to a high school diploma. The work-based component is usually a paid experience and is always long-term and highly organized.
Internships - This program is a longer term, paid or unpaid placement on a job site that includes real work assignments, often with significant responsibility.
ADDITIONAL EMPLOYER PARTICIPATION/SUPPORT
OPPORTUNITIES
Renaissance Sponsor - join educators in encouraging student achievement, encouraging education
excellence and increasing community involvement. Participants can support schools with financial contributions,
product sharing and/or organizational leadership.
Speakers in the Classroom Program - share your talent and that of your staff by accepting assignments
to talk about business and community to students in local schools.
Work Site Tours - open the doors of your business to students and share the technology and
competitiveness that future workers need to understand as they prepare to enter the workforce.
Educators in the Workplace - share your workplace and organizational leaders in your business to orient
educators to the new realities of business competitiveness and employee training.
Employment of Student Workers - gain an advantage for future full time employees by hiring students
part time to experience your workplace and the career opportunities represented by your enterprise.
Junior Achievement - support this program of excellence through staff participation as a team teacher, or
with a financial contribution for program extension.
Business Resource Sharing - share outdated equipment such as computers with schools so that
technology training can be extended to more students.
Job/Career Fair Participant - assist schools and the Chamber by sharing staff and resources for job and
career fair programs.
THE PAYOFF IS IN PARTICIPATION!
All Schuylkill County businesses share a common concern about the quality of the future workforce. The pro grams of the Schuylkill School to Work Partnership are designed to assist in the development of skilled workers, however, the key to program success is employer participation in the programs described in this website.
Schuylkill
Chamber of Commerce
91 South Progress Avenue
Pottsville, Pennsylvania 17901
Voice:
570.622.1942 / 800.755.1942
Fax: 570.622.1638
info@schuylkillchamber.com
© Copyright 2000 - 2006 Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce
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