Adirondack Business to School Initiative

Consultant Recommendations

by Teri Goodall & Associates, LLC

Elementary School:

Business:

Provide programmatic assistance to school career education efforts.

Release employees to share with student’s information about their jobs and what it is like to work in terms that students can relate to.

Allow student’s to visit various work places when appropriate.

Encourage and participate in parent programs like “Take Your Daughter/Son to Work” days when appropriate.

Become a co-sponsor of Junior Achievement programs in the schools.

Encourage employees to participate in Junior Achievement programs.

Fully explore affiliating with the Cornell Youth and Work Program to help foster the transition of youth to adult workers and contributing citizens.

Co-sponsor a Superintendents Conference Day focusing on learning about local businesses and their employment possibilities for students.

School:

Implement the New York State Career Development and Occupational Studies Learning Standards.  (CDOS).

Incorporate the SCANS Skills and Competencies into the school’s occupational education offerings.  

Encourage businesses to play a positive role on introducing career concepts to students.

Invite employees of local businesses to visit schools as part of career education programs.

Encourage and participate in parent programs like “Take Your Daughter/Son to Work” days when appropriate.

Encourage the school library to have ongoing career development display and materials available to students.

Consider incorporating Junior Achievement programs in to the Career Development instructional program.

Co-sponsor a Superintendents Conference Day focusing on learning about local businesses and their employment possibilities for students.

Community:

Participate with schools and businesses to insure that the quality of life for the Glens Falls area meets the highest standards.

Continue the tradition of public service contact with schools to foster career education efforts.

Provide opportunity for students to continue to visit various community resources such as fire houses, police stations and grocery stores.

Encourage citizens to be more aware of their role in promoting the values of their community in everyday life. 

Promote the Glens Falls area as a good place to work and raise a family.

Become an active supporter of Junior Achievement activities in the schools.

Middle School:

Business:

Provide programmatic assistance to school career education efforts.

Provide speakers for “Career Day” programs.

Release employees to share with student’s information about their jobs and what it is like to work.

Allow students to visit various work places when appropriate.

Allow student field trips.

Provide opportunities for students to “Job Shadow” an employee.

Encourage and participate in parent programs like “Take Your Daughter/Son to Work” days when appropriate.

Provide print and multimedia resources about employment in businesses to schools for their career education programs.

Identify and/or produce brochures about individual careers and jobs including educational requirements such as the following:

• Brochures that companies prepared to recruit new employees.

• Provide promotional pieces about companies and their products and/or services.

• Provide brochures about careers that professional societies have available, i.e. Chemical Engineering.

• Provide multiple copies of career materials so that they may be given to students by guidance counselors and teachers.

• Copies should be displayed in the school libraries.  Videos about careers are especially helpful.

Invite guidance counselors and teachers to work with local businesses over the summer to foster a greater understanding of what employment entails and how concepts that are taught in the class room directly relate to careers.

Become a co-sponsor of Junior Achievement programs in the schools.

Encourage employees to participate in Junior Achievement programs.

Fully explore affiliating with the Cornell Youth and Work Program to help foster the transition of youth to adult workers and contributing citizens.

Co-sponsor a Superintendents Conference Day focusing on learning about local businesses and their employment possibilities for students.

School:

Implement the New York State Career Development and Occupational Studies Learning Standards.(CDOS).

Incorporate the SCANS Skills and Competencies into the school’s occupational education offerings.

Encourage businesses to play a positive role on introducing concepts of careers to students.

Invite employees of local businesses to visit schools as part of career education programs.

Invite local businesses to send employees to be speakers at “Career Day” programs.

Solicit local business for student activities such as “job shadowing.”

Encourage and participate in parent programs like “Take Your Daughter/Son to Work” days when appropriate.

Encourage the total school staff to participate in the role of career development.  Avoid assigning this role to counselor or selected classroom teachers.

Encourage the school library to have ongoing career development displays and materials available to students.  

Provide for formal career experiences by providing the following programs:

• Apprenticeships

• Work Internships

• Job Shadowing

• Part-time employment

Begin the initial awareness efforts as they relate to various BOCES occupational programs.

Participate in student career assessment services.

Consider incorporating Junior Achievement programs in to the Career Development instructional program.

Co-sponsor a Superintendents Conference Day focusing on learning about local businesses and their employment possibilities for students.

Community:

Participate with schools and businesses to insure that the quality of life for the Glens Falls area meets the highest standards.

Continue the tradition of public service contact with schools to foster career education efforts.

Provide opportunity for students to continue to visit various community resources.

Encourage citizens to be more aware of their role in promoting the values of their community in everyday life. 

Promote the Glens Falls area as a good place to work and raise a family.

Provide initial work experience programs for middle school students, in areas like conservation and/or recreation activities.  These can be for shorter periods than a full workday.

Become an active supporter of Junior Achievement activities in the schools.

High School:

Business:

Provide programmatic assistance to school career education efforts.

Provide speakers for “Career Day” programs.

Release employees to share with student’s information about their jobs and what it is like to work.

Allow students to visit various work places when appropriate.

Allow for student field trips.

Provide opportunities for students to “Job Shadow” an employee.

Encourage and participate in parent programs like “Take Your Daughter/Son to Work” days when appropriate.

Provide for formal career awareness experiences by providing the following programs:

• Apprenticeships

• Work Internships

• Job Shadowing

• Part-time employment

Participate in BOCES occupational programs by providing leadership, personnel and materials.

Provide employee expertise to various BOCES committees and advisory panels.

Encourage employee family members to consider attending BOCES occupational education programs.

Provide print and multimedia resources to schools for their career education programs.

Provide brochures about individual careers and jobs including educational requirements.

Provide brochures that companies prepared for employee recruiting.

Provide promotional materials about individual companies and their products and/or services.

Provide brochures about careers that professional societies have prepared, i.e. Chemical Engineering.

Have multiple copies of career materials so that they may be given to students by guidance counselors and teachers.   Copies should be displayed in the school libraries.  Videos about careers are especially helpful.

Become a co-sponsor of Junior Achievement programs in the schools.

Encourage employees to participate in Junior Achievement programs.

Fully explore affiliating with the Cornell Youth and Work Program to help foster the transition of youth to adult workers and contributing citizens.

Co-sponsor a Superintendents Conference Day focusing on learning about local businesses and their employment possibilities for students.

School:

Implement the New York State Career Development and Occupational Studies Learning Standards. (CDOS).

Incorporate the SCANS Skills and Competencies into the school’s occupational education offerings. 

Encourage businesses to play a positive role on introducing concepts of careers to students.

Invite employees of local businesses to visit schools as part of career education programs.

Invite local businesses to sent employees to be speakers at “Career Day” programs.

Solicit local business support for student activities such as “job shadowing.”

Encourage and participate in parent programs like “Take Your Daughter/Son to Work” days when appropriate.

Encourage the total school staff to participate in the role of career development.  Avoid assigning this role to counselor or selected classroom teachers.

Encourage the school library to have ongoing career development displays and materials available to students.

Provide for formal career experiences by providing the following programs:

• Apprenticeships

• Work Internships

• Job Shadowing

• Part-time employment

Encourage students to explore BOCES occupational education offerings.

Use BOCES student occupational assessment services.

Encourage school staff to become more knowledgeable of BOCES program offerings and services.

Encourage the school staff to have a positive attitude toward students attending BOCES.

Consider incorporating Junior Achievement programs in to the Career Development instructional program.

Co-sponsor a Superintendents Conference Day focusing on learning about local businesses and their employment possibilities for students.

Community:

Continue to support programs identified for the elementary and middle schools.

Provide community support for BOCES occupational programs and students.

Recognize the importance of BOCES programs to the community and its workforce.

Become an active supporter of Junior Achievement activities in the schools.

Community College & Two Year Institutions:

Business:

A formal relationship needs to be continued with Adirondack Community College and its administration and staff.

The college must be included as a partner in any efforts to improve the workforce of the Glens Falls area.

Businesses must develop a strategic plan to be active on the college campus on a full time basis to promote employment opportunities locally.

This plan needs to focus on students in several ways:

• The part-time student needing employment to stay in school

• The full-time student who is dropping out of ACC for various reasons and needs employment.

• The full-time student who will graduate and then enter the workforce.

• The part-time student who may enter the workforce on a part-time basis.

Each of these groups of students needs to be attracted to the local workforce. Special on campus promotional efforts need to be planned.

All of these efforts need the full cooperation of the college and its staff.

The college needs to involve local businesses in strategic planning efforts that will help to meet emerging workforce needs.

Become a co-sponsor of Junior Achievement programs in the schools.

Encourage faculty and staff to participate in Junior Achievement programs.

College:

The Adirondack Community College needs to continue its academic offerings to meet local workforce needs.

The college needs to work closely with the local businesses to identify emerging workforce needs.

The college counseling staff needs to work closely with local businesses to determine the success of their students in the workforce.  This would include graduates and non graduates.

The college needs to involve local businesses in strategic planning efforts that will help to meet emerging workforce needs.

The SCANS Skills and Competencies should be incorporated into the college’s occupational education offerings. 

Participate in local Superintendents Conference Day activities focusing on learning about local businesses and their employment possibilities for students

Community:

Continue to support the educational programs of Adirondack Community College.

Provide community support for Adirondack Community College occupational programs and students.

Recognize the importance of Adirondack Community College programs to the community and its workforce.

Colleges & Universities:

Business:

Make colleges and universities aware of the workforce needs of companies in this area.

Make career counseling services of these colleges and universities aware of employment opportunities available in the Glens Falls area.

Invite college and university staff members to visit local employers to better understand the workforce needs and the local companies.

Allow employees to serve on advisory committees of colleges and universities.

Businesses need to avail themselves of college and university alumni groups for assistance in recruiting employees.

Businesses should conduct job fairs that coincide with academic breaks or vacations for students.

Businesses should develop an active program for students to have summer employment.  These should be planned so that student can return full time after they graduate. 

Colleges & Universities:

Colleges and universities need to continue its academic offerings to meet local workforce needs.

Colleges and universities need to work closely with the local businesses to identify emerging workforce needs.

Colleges and universities counseling staff needs to work closely with local businesses to determine the success of their students in the workforce.  This would include graduates and non-graduates.

Colleges and universities need to involve local businesses in strategic planning efforts that will help to meet emerging workforce needs.

Colleges and universities need to continue work relate experiences such as “coop” programs to their students.

Colleges and universities should incorporate the SCANS Skills and Competencies into their occupational education offerings.

Participate in local Superintendents Conference Day activities focusing on learning about local businesses and their employment possibilities for students 

Community:

Offer community services to college and university students and graduates that enhance their opportunities to promote careers and jobs in the Glens Falls greater community.

Create an orientation in area wide activities that promotes that work and career are vital to a strong community including college and university students and graduates.

A community program to recognize the various college and university students who are part of the local community and their role in the positive quality of life in the area.

Celebrate the membership of highly educated and trained college and university student and graduates that are living in their community.

Parents:

Business:

Encourage parents to become positive role models in representing their career and their employer.

Encourage parents to play an active role in their children’s career development.

Encourage parents to provide their children with a wide variety of career development experiences.

Encourage parents to participate in Junior Achievement programs.

School:

Take advantage of opportunities to play a positive role in student’s career development.

Encourage parents to become active participants in the schools efforts to make students aware of career opportunities.

Encourage parents to participate in Junior Achievement programs. 

Community:

Offer community services to parents that enhance their opportunities to promote careers and jobs in the Glens Falls greater community.

Plan area wide activities that involve parents and children in a way that they can experience the positive quality of life found locally.

Family activities held at local business when facilities permit.

Create an orientation in area-wide activities that promotes that work and career are vital to a strong community.

Hold street fairs and community carnivals in which local business participate and show off their products and services.

Ask local businesses to sponsor community activities and promote their sponsorship.

Encourage parents to participate in Junior Achievement programs.

Encourage parents to participate in PTA programs and activities.

Create a community program to recognize the various employers who are part of the local community and their role in the positive quality of life in the area.

Provide community resources to support working families in the area.

General Business Recommendations:

Identify the individual(s) who will have responsibility to manage the             implementation of the recommendations of this plan.

Encourage parents to participate in Junior Achievement programs.

Create and employ a Workforce Coordinator to manage the day-to-day and long-term activities of the Task Force as they relate to the various publics involved in workforce issues.

Consider employing a grant writer for the purpose of seeking grants related to work force training needs.

Co-sponsor a Superintendents Conference Day focusing on learning about local businesses and their employment possibilities for students.

Sponsor on a regular basis a Business, Industry and Education in-service Superintendents Conference Days.  BIE days will help school personnel better understand the role and relationship of local businesses to the schools and their educational programs. 

Create a company speakers/presenters bureau to help share the message that each business has about what the product or make.  Help citizens understand the company relationship to their community.

Hold open house events to invite the community to visit and learn about what the local companies make or produce.

Continue to support local and state agencies in their efforts to train prospective employees in the “Soft Skills” needed to be a successful employee.

Fully explore affiliating with the Cornell Youth and Work Program to help foster the transition of youth to adult workers and contributing citizens.

Media:

A formal plan needs to be developed for full media participation in workforce development activities.   

The media should be included in all workforce development activities.

The media should be encouraged to be an active participant in workforce promotion.

The media should be encouraged to include in their schedule of presentations on a regular basis news items concerning workforce efforts in the area. 

The local media should be involved in the development of promotional materials for local workforce development.