Educators from USD 305 and representatives from local industries, businesses, and entrepreneurs will gather Nov. 11 to discuss the school district's career technical education (CTE).
A new opportunity to connect the local workforce and educators, Building Bridges, will take place at 5:15 p.m. Nov. 11 in Salina High School South. The meeting is open to the public at no charge.
Educators from USD 305 and representatives from local industries, businesses, and entrepreneurs will generate input, recommendations, questions and observations about the district’s career technical education, according to information from the district.
“Input and support from local industry is key; they are the future employers of many of our graduates,” explained Linn Exline, superintendent of schools. “We want to keep recalibrating the learning experiences so they are well aligned with the workplace.”
Considerations for the meeting include the following, according to the USD 305 website.
●How do we prepare our students for the challenges and demands of the workplace?
●What skills are essential for success in your particular field?
●Can we provide learning experiences that are better aligned to the workplace, so that students have a better understanding of the industry?
●What do businesses and industries wish that students (and educators) knew about their company and its work within the community?
●How local businesses and industries can help support CTE in our district:
Monetary contributions and donations of equipment and supplies are always welcome, but there are other ways of helping, including the following from the USD 305 website.
●Provide work-based learning opportunities such as student internships or job shadowing.
●Provide guest speakers to come to a classroom to present appropriate content or information about their company.
●Host externships for CTE teachers during the summer, to improve their skills and give them a sense of what the current workplace looks and feels like.
●Host field trips or facilities tours for students interested in related careers.
●Assist with “mock interviews” of students interested in future employment or internships to give students practice with interviewing.
●Provide one or more representatives to serve on the Advisory Council for that particular CTE pathway; councils meet twice a year and provide continuous input and recommendations on CTE services.
Building Bridges is a partnership between USD 305, the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, and Kansas WorkforceONE.