GUEST OPINION: School district partnering with local workforce

By CHRISTY WRIGHTSMAN, guest columnist

It seems that everywhere we look there’s a “help wanted” sign.

As the demand for more workers increases, those of us in education cannot help but feel the sincere responsibility we have to prepare our youth for the workforce of today and tomorrow.

Yes, I said today and tomorrow. Our young adults within the working age range are fulfilling jobs in our community each day. Here in Brown County, I am grateful to have high school-aged students greet me when I walk into a local shop, bag my groceries or make the pizza I’m taking home to my family. Without these young workers, would our businesses be able to provide the services above? Where would our students develop and practice their employability skills?

While I sincerely appreciate the business owners who have hired these young students, and I’m thankful our youth are demonstrating a desire to work, I wonder how education and the workforce can create a partnership that will better connect the two?

A partnership between business and education, as defined by the National Center for College and Career Transitions (NC3T), is “educators and business people working together toward a shared goal designed to benefit students while at the same time, achieving goals unique to each partner.” Brown County Schools accepts the NC3T definition and receive consultation and guidance on establishing these partnerships from them.

NC3T promotes the establishment of a broad community of stakeholders, which Brown County Schools calls the Education Workforce Advisory Team (EWAT). On Dec. 13, Brown County Schools invited stakeholders to attend a reconvening of this team. I am proud to report that over 30 parents, educators, organizational leaders, business representatives and regional partners attended this event. Thank you to each one of you.

We know there are many more in Brown County who probably would have liked to have joined us that evening, but were not able to do so at that time. If this is the case, please contact me and share your interest in participating. I would also appreciate hearing why you believe education and the workforce need to create stronger partnerships that will lead to achieving goals for both the students and employers.

The next Education Workforce Advisory Team will meet in the spring of 2022, so send me your contact information and I will be sure to include you. In the meantime, please consider the following:

Continue to hire young adults in your business and ask them what employability skills they possess and which ones they want to practice and improve. By asking this question, you are tying their education at Brown County High School with the workforce and making a connection for them between the two.

Compliment a young person who exhibits strong employability skills.

Learn more about kindergarten through 12th grade employability skill standards that are taught within our schools by visiting www.in.gov/doe/students/indiana-academic-standards/employability-skills/

Post the Indiana employability skill standards available at https://www.in.gov/doe/files/employability-skills-standards-poster.pdf

Christy Wrightsman is the director of career connected learning for Brown County Schools. She can be reached at [email protected].