5 Reasons Why Industry Associations and School Districts Need Each Other

The workforce shortage is leading the conversation in all industries, yet one untapped source is often overlooked and could unlock the floodgates of talent. School districts have our current and future workforce, and the students are an eager and captive audience for educating, training, and connecting to industry-specific workforce initiatives. Statewide Associations that have workforce committees poised to activate members in bridging this gap will have the most to gain.

Table of Contents:

1. Industry Associations Provide a Network of Industry Experts.
2. High Schools Need Employer Partners for Work Based Learning Placements.
3. Industry Associations Want to Increase Membership and Bring Value to Members.
4. Educators Will Prepare Students with Industry Recognized Credentials and Employability Skills.
5. Industry Specific Pilot Programs Provide Efficient and Effective Methods to Build Sustainable and Scalable Workforce Pipelines.

Industry Associations Provide a Network of Industry Experts

This is critical as building workforce pipelines requires multiple touch points for educators, parents, and students prior to the recruitment and retention phase. By leveraging industry experts and creating strategic statewide and regional programming, members can participate in creating visibility for the industry and specific entry level positions that have career growth. By implementing a regional approach, members have access and build relationships with school districts in their area which allows for specific workforce pipeline development.

High Schools Need Employer Partners for Work Based Learning Placements

Since school administrators are focused on educating students, they have limited time, resources, and knowledge on how to connect with the business community to develop career exploration, career pathways and work-based learning placements. Regardless of these challenges, educators are motivated and driven to develop programming to support student success.

Industry Associations Want to Increase Membership and Bring Value to Members

By developing a comprehensive program, associations can educate students on the importance of finding the best work culture fit, highlighting the best practices each firm has in creating diverse, inclusive, and equitable places to start a career. Using work culture fit as a key differentiator students use as part of the career exploration process, members will be more open to working collaboratively versus competitively.

Educators Will Prepare Students with Industry Recognized Credentials and Employability Skills

Identification of key training and skill development needed in the industry allows school districts to provide or partner with training providers to ensure students have the technical skills, emotional intelligence and human skills needed to be successful in the work environment. This component becomes embedded in the programming to provide a metric to measure and support student success during work-based learning placements.

Industry Specific Pilot Programs Provide Efficient and Effective Methods to Build Sustainable and Scalable Workforce Pipelines

By investing in this work as an industry association with multiple school districts statewide, learning can occur quickly, added layers of support introduced, and best practices determined.  This work can occur quickly and increase the recruitment and retention of motivated, prepared, and contributing team members.