Career readiness has emerged as a leading priority and accountability metric for schools and districts across the country. Ensuring that students graduate from high school having explored potential careers, gained first-hand exposure to fields or roles of interest, and, in many cases, earned industry-recognized certifications or credentials has become a nearly universal expectation in district strategic plans and state education agendas. And these outcomes have proven valuable for all students—those entering the workforce directly after graduation, those pursuing college, and the broader community working to strengthen local and regional workforce development efforts.

Preparing students for future careers in meaningful ways, however, is incredibly difficult when learning is confined to textbook lessons and classroom experiences. There is only so much students can learn from second-hand sources, web searches, worksheets, and responding to contrived prompts. Without real-world context and engagement, career exploration can feel disconnected and abstract. Establishing learning opportunities that bring developmentally authentic career experiences requires expertise only found outside of the walls and traditional instructional materials used by schools. But schools need not look far from their front door to meet these needs.

Partnerships with local businesses can transform what is possible with career readiness efforts. These relationships give students direct access to professionals in the field and provide them with actionable insights about specific roles. They provide students the opportunity to actually see if their strengths, passions, and interests do align with certain careers. And, for some, these experiences allow students to begin a role within their preferred field even before graduation, easing the transition after graduation. 

This toolkit is designed for schools and districts who are in the very beginning stages of building meaningful partnerships with local businesses. It provides tips and guidance on getting started with an industry partnership program–from the very initial steps of introducing the idea to local companies to a place of expanding and growing the initiative into the future. Counselors and Career and Technical Education (CTE) educators can use this resource to create bridges between classroom learning and careers–expanding students’ understanding of career possibilities and teaching career-specific skills that will support them in the future.

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