By Katie Mills Giorgio
CORRIDOR — Laurie Worden is a passionate advocate for growing local talent.
In her work as an internship coordinator, Ms. Worden helps connect Corridor high school students to internship opportunities.
“Students are hearing about opportunities in their own backyard,” she said.
In fact, the entire staff at Workplace Learning Connection is passionate about engaging students in career planning, which is good for local kids and business.
The organization operates programs on range of topics, from career awareness to career exposure and employment readiness through job shadowing and internship opportunities.
During fiscal year 2013, the organization worked with 35 school districts providing programming and services to more than 20,000 students in Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Jones, Johnson, Linn and Washington counties.
The programs established by Workplace Learning Connection have been so successful in the Corridor that it is now the model for a statewide program being implemented across the state and funded by the legislature.
Workplace Learning Connection Executive Director Mary Lou Erlacher said she and her staff are keenly aware of the importance of their efforts as part of the economic development puzzle.
“I hear time and time again the need for quality internship experiences,” she said. “Every skills report that has come out since 2000 mentions internships and workforce development as key factors. Economic development drivers want to work with the K-12 system to get kids connected with careers. This is something our region feels is important.”
Workplace Learning Connection, now in its 16th year of operation, is well positioned to fill these needs, Ms. Erlacher said.
“Workplace Learning Connection is here for future workforce development,” she said. “We are positively impacting kids’ desire to live and work in Iowa. And local economic development advocates and experts always tout the fact that retention is easier than recruitment. Our goal is that where ever schools and industry meet, we want to be part of that conversation.”
Workplace Learning Connection is a program of Kirkwood Community College. The organization offers career education and work-based learning opportunities for 100 percent of the public schools and the largest parochial school districts in the seven-county Corridor area (the footprint of Grant Wood AEA and Kirkwood Community College).
The group is best known for providing top-notch internship and job shadow experiences for high school students.
“These are student-driven,” Department Coordinator Nanci Young said. “Students choose the career they would like to explore. And we are connecting kids at all levels, whether they plan to seek a certificate, build middle skills or attend a four year college and beyond. Our high school intern program is more intense. We develop more of a relationship with students and its directed exploration.”
Ms. Young also said students can receive academic credit on their transcripts for internships which involve many area business people providing a glimpse into a career for up to 90 hours per internship.
During job shadows, which are one-day experiences for high schoolers, Ms. Worden explains, business hosts share their story and give students things to think about related to that career.
“And kids are really open to counsel,” said Ms. Worden. “You couldn’t be in a better moment than working with 12-18 year olds. And it’s neat when the light bulbs go off and they make connections to real life. If kids can see it’s relevant then that’s great.”
Yet, Workplace Learning Connection doesn’t only focus on high school students. Each year, they work with thousands of middle school students to expose them to career pathways as well.
“Most people aren’t thinking about middle school students,” Ms. Worden said. “But if we are going to grow our own talent, we have to plant the seeds early.”
Workplace Learning Connection hosts a number of events throughout the year to create broader-based exposure to larger groups, particularly middle school students. Ms. Young said these events are more teacher-driven where an entire class or school is participating. For example, each year Workplace Learning Connection staff members organize financial literacy fairs for area middle schoolers. Some 3,500 eighth graders participate each spring.
“The intent of middle school is awareness,” Ms. Worden said. “We are helping kids find out where their strengths and interests lie. By exposing them to different pathways while they are in middle school, they know going into high school knowing what they are serious about and are more educated on their future.”
While Workplace Learning Connection does also offer limited programs for students starting in elementary school, it is in their middle school programming that they have seen the biggest growth — and have put their focus — for the last year or two, Ms. Young said. “It has been so exciting to see this growth.”
Recently, Workplace Learning Connection offices moved into the new Kirkwood Community College Linn County Regional Center. Ms. Erlacher said this move has also helped foster programmatic connections to help deepen the impact on area high school students in particular.
The Kirkwood Linn County Regional Center brings students from all the area high schools together for concurrent credit courses paid for by the school districts to teach kids technical skills, particularly industrial tech and health-related professions. A similar regional center is in process for Johnson County, as well.
“It has been great to be located in this building because we have been able to provide work-based learning experiences and opportunities for students in these programs,” Ms. Young said.
The Workplace Learning Connection growth trend continues with increased interest from business partners, as well. With a small staff, a huge part in making the programs of Workplace Learning Connection possible are those business partnerships, Ms. Erlacher said. Last year, in fact, Workplace Learning Connection partnered with 755 businesses and organizations to provide internships, job shadows and various programs.
“We have great cooperation from businesses in all sectors,” Ms. Erlacher said.
Ms. Worden said it’s particularly meaningful when the organization sees an individual who went through the program as an intern in the early days, now serving as a host to students for job shadows.
“It has come full circle,” she said.
For more information, visit www.workplace-learning.org.
