Building Supports for Successful Transitions into the Workforce: Community Conversations with Business Leaders & Parents. Report

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36

Carnegie Corporation of New York

High School Graduates; School Business Relationship; Occupational Aspiration; Career Readiness; Parents; Business; Administrators; Job Skills; Group Discussion; Access to Information; Parent Attitudes

California (Oakland); Massachusetts; Mississippi; Ohio; Virginia (Norfolk)

In 2017, the Committee for Economic Development (CED) embarked upon a "listening tour" of business leaders and parents to discuss firsthand information about workplace demands and aspirations for high school graduates. With generous funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the listening tour made stops in five communities over the course of a year: Oakland, California; Westfield, Massachusetts; Tupelo, Mississippi; Marysville, Ohio; and Norfolk, Virginia. In each community, 90-minute facilitated discussions were conducted to identify strategies for increasing the effectiveness of business engagement, and to identify the information and supports parents need to ensure student success in the workplace--and to leave each community with a potential path for continued dialogue. There were striking similarities across all five communities from coast to coast when examining the goals and aspirations for students shared by parents and business leaders. Strategies often aligned, as well. Yet, each group brought a distinct perspective that reflected the culture and values of the community, as well as the economic landscape. In examining the ideas shared by participants, the underlying theme is unmistakable: There is a significant gap between what parents and employers want, and what high schools are delivering. This report provides a brief overview of the importance of career readiness, describes the methodology of the listening tour, highlights the findings from each of the five communities, and concludes with recommendations for how communities nationwide can advance career readiness efforts. [For the executive summary, see ED586516.]

ERIC

2018

ED586517