Businesses
Path to Careers makes it easier to strengthen connections to educators and students to help grow the future workforce.
Reach more young people, in an efficient manner.
We know you may be contacted frequently by students, teachers and even parents to set up career exploration activities, and it may be difficult to keep up with the requests. On the flip side, we know some of you are not contacted but you have opportunities to showcase and are a great place to work for. By setting up the methodology and the means, we hope you'll find ease in making connections efficiently and reaching more young people.
You're in control of what you can offer.
Career awareness and exposure helps students make informed decisions about their futures so that when they're ready to be job candidates, they know what they're getting into and how to be successful in companies like yours. Path to Careers allows you to determine what experiences you'd like to offer and on your own terms. It's easy to post information you want schools and students to know about your business and then set up experiences that make sense for you.
Link to the present and future workforce.
Participating in Path to Careers will allow students, parents and educators to learn about your business- who you are, what you do, the opportunities you have. You’ll meet young people and educators alike who are eager to learn from you and learn how they can be part of the solution, to be prepared for the future, meet employer expectations, and ultimately strengthen our communities. You will also get a sneak peek of your future workforce.
How It Works
Register your business.
Sign up for Path to Careers and provide exciting highlights about your business. Share whatever you'd like so students and educators can learn more about your organization, what you do, and the type of employees you're looking for. When registering, choose staff who will be able to field requests from schools on behalf of teachers and students.
Post experiences.
What career experiences are you able to provide? Job shadows, industry tours, guest speakers? Post the experiences you are able to offer along with details such as when you're available, how many students you can host, and age restrictions so that selected school staff only request experiences that will be a good fit for their students and your business.
Receive requests from school contacts.
When a student expresses interest in an experience your company is offering, they'll let their teacher or counselor know by entering key information and a simple click. Selected school staff will evaluate the student's interest and fit with the experience before notifying your selected staff of a request via another click which sends an email with key information to your registered employee.
Coordinate with the school to set up the experience.
Your registered staff will work out the details directly with the school contact. You'll meet the workforce of tomorrow and have a platform to share exciting opportunities and important information with them and educators. Meanwhile, students will experience first-hand what it might be like to work for your organization. Interest is sparked, plans are set into action and students truly prepare to meet employer expectations.
Experiences You Might Offer
Cooperative Education
Cooperative education is a structured method of combining classroom instruction with occupational instruction. Commonly known as a co-op, this type of experience involves your business or organization working closely together with a school to offer students an experience where they attend traditional classroom learning mixed with periods of working at your business. This type of experience allows students to learn technical skills and receive related workplace training while receiving academic credit.
Guest Speaker
As a guest speaker, a representative from your business speaks directly to students in a live or virtual setting such as in the classroom, at a career fair, or other event. Giving students this opportunity to hear first-hand from an industry expert on your team may spark an interest in a new career path for some or help others solidify their decisions. Speakers can cover topics such as their personal career journeys, the types of jobs available in your company/field, and the academic and practical preparation needed to enter and advance within your career field. Educators will be listening too, so share your best advice on how students can prepare for success in the classroom.
Industry Tour
An industry tour is a career exploration activity during which your business or organization provides students with the opportunity to see your worksite in person, virtually, or via recorded video allowing them to see what it’s like to work in your field. Typically involving a tour of the facilities and the opportunity for the students to observe work-related activities, industry tours help students get a feel for the work environment at your business. Employees providing the tour can share information about the various types of jobs your company has to offer, the education, training, and soft skills needed to compete for these jobs, and potential opportunities for advancement.
Internship
An internship places the young person in a temporary position in your company, allowing them to gain valuable first-hand experience and insight about a career of interest. Whether you host an intern in-person or remotely, you'll have an eager employee with a fresh perspective and a willingness to tackle projects. Throughout the internship, learning and performance goals should be set, and evaluative feedback should be provided to facilitate professional growth. High quality internships hold young people accountable as part of the team and require utilization and enhancement of employability and occupational skills. Internships may be paid or unpaid and are sometimes used to satisfy requirements for a class or credits within a field of study.
Job Shadow
This experience involves students "shadowing" one or more of your employees in person or virtually. A job shadow gives young people valuable exposure to careers and companies of interest. Plan to show students a typical day on the job, allow them to observe meetings, and offer time to meet other employees. Throughout the experience, engage them in conversation to learn more about their interests and discuss relevant career related information. Students are often encouraged to ask questions they have to help them determine if the career and industry is something they want to pursue.
Mentoring
Mentoring occurs when a student is matched one-to-one with a professional from your organization in order to explore a career, career interests and related workplace and career development questions. The mentor serves as a resource for the student by sharing insights and providing encouragement and guidance about the workplace, work ethics, careers and educational requirements. A goal of mentoring is to improve the well-being of students through support given in academic, social and personal means so it's important to select employees who are excited about the idea of being a mentor and sharing first-hand knowledge about his or her career and life experience.
Mock Interview
In a mock interview, a business professional meets one-on-one with a student and conducts a simulated job interview. Conducted in person or virtually, a mock interview gives the student the opportunity to practice professional dress and etiquette, as well as allowing them to answer questions about themselves, their interests, their personal qualities and to learn how to market themselves as prospective job candidates. It helps them learn what is expected in a job interview and improves the student's self-presentation. Approximately 15 minutes should be devoted to a mock interview, with the remaining time being spent providing constructive feedback and allowing the student to ask the professional questions about their career.
Pre-Apprenticeship
Pre-apprenticeship programs are designed as stepping stones to Registered Apprenticeship programs. Pre-apprenticeships are formulated in coordination with the school or training provider so that while participating the students are learning your industry-based objectives as they build the literacy, math, English, and work readiness skills needed for future success. Pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship can be applicable to and developed for any industry. If you have questions, Advance Central PA is happy to help.
Summer Employment
Offering summer employment to young people can benefit your business in multiple ways. Hiring students in the summer is a great way to get projects get checked off the to-do list (or to-do someday list!) without taking valuable time away from other employees. Additionally, short-term employment is a great way for young people to learn more about your business and the career opportunities available. Summer employment can be part or full-time, and participants should be treated as any other employee in a similar position.
Volunteer Opportunity
Volunteer opportunities provide support to programs and services that directly serve the community and others for free. Through volunteerism students develop their leadership skills, learn to work with others, increase their engagement in the community, explore various work activities, and build a strong work ethic. These experiences help young people to gain essential professional skills early in life which translates to future success in the workplace. Dependent on the nature of the project or task, volunteer opportunities can take place in-person or remotely.
Teacher in the Workplace
Teacher in the Workplace experiences connect the workforce to the classroom by directly engaging teachers, counselors, and administrators with business and industry leaders like you. Through these experiences, school staff become informed of industry trends, training needs, opportunities for collaboration, and the career paths available within your company. Educators take the knowledge back to the classroom to enhance instruction, student learning, and career readiness.
Industry Clusters
Arts & Communication
Designed to cultivate students' awareness, interpretation, application and production of visual, verbal and written work.
Business, Finance, & Information Technology
Designed to prepare students for careers in the world of business, finance and information technology services.
Engineering & Industrial Technology
Designed to cultivate students' interest, awareness and application to areas related to technologies necessary to design, develop, install or maintain physical systems.
Human Services
Designed to cultivate students' interests, skills and experience for employment in careers related to families and human needs.
Science, Health & Agriculture
Designed to cultivate students' interests in life, physical and behavioral sciences. In addition, the planning, managing and providing of therapeutic services, health information and biochemistry research development.