Eric Davis, CEO of Skyepack, recently participated in the High School Redesign panel at the Employ Indy Career Coaching and Advising Summit. The discussion underscored a critical truth: to scale high-quality work-based learning (WBL) that prepares students for the future, employers must play a central role—not just as mentors or guest speakers, but as co-creators of meaningful career-connected learning.
But here’s the challenge: we cannot expect employers to go beyond surface level participation (under their CSR initiatives) unless we ensure they receive a tangible, near-term return on investment (ROI). If states and schools want to secure sustained employer engagement, they must design policies and programs that work for both students and employers.
Employers Need a Clear Value Proposition
Work-based learning is often framed as a win for students—and it is. But to engage employers at scale, we must be equally clear about what’s in it for them:
- Early access to a skilled, validated talent pool
- Opportunities to shape credential design and assess workforce-readiness
- Recruitment pipelines with reduced hiring risk and lower onboarding costs
- State-supported subsidies and tax incentives to offset training and mentoring costs
If these benefits aren’t clearly built into the WBL ecosystem, most employers won’t—or can’t—commit at the level we need.
Policy and Program Design: What States and Schools Can Do
To create an employer-engaged WBL ecosystem that scales, here are five key strategies for policymakers and school leaders:
- Tie WBL to Talent Development Incentives
Offer tax credits, wage subsidies, or reduced unemployment insurance rates for employers who host qualified WBL experiences aligned to regional workforce needs. - Embed Employers in Credential Validation
Involve employers directly in shaping and validating industry-aligned credentials, microcredentials, and locally created pathways—ensuring students gain skills that matter on day one. - Streamline Access and Reduce Barriers
Support flexible models—like school-day microinternships, virtual placements, and in-school project-based work—that reduce friction for both students and employers. - Recognize Employer Partners as Talent Scouts
Employers who sponsor or participate in in-school WBL activities should be invited to evaluate student performance and recruit qualified candidates —creating a direct pipeline from classroom to career. - Use Data to Show Impact
Track and report employer engagement outcomes: hiring conversions, credential alignment, wage gains, and retention. Build systems that let employers see their ROI. - Align WBL with Economic Development Strategy
Make high school WBL a core component of regional workforce and economic development plans. Employers are more likely to engage when WBL is framed as a strategic investment, not a charitable act.
Indiana is Leading the Way with Career+ Pathways™
Skyepack’s Career+ Pathways™ is a model that’s working across Indiana. Designed with schools, employers, and regional partners, Career+ removes key barriers by embedding career exploration, skill-building microcredentials, and 25+ hour microinternships directly into the school day. Students gain access. Employers gain value.
More importantly, it’s built with industry, for industry—and aligned with Indiana’s Graduation Pathways, Employment Seals, and new diploma requirements.
The Stakes Are High—and Growing
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. is on track to lose more than 6 million working-age adults by 2034 . Nearly 40% of all jobs will require reskilling by 2030. We are facing a national talent crunch. Without stronger public-private partnerships, many regions will fall behind.
A Call to Action for State and Local Leaders
If we want employers to do more, we must design systems where doing more pays off .
Skyepack is already working with state and regional partners to create scalable, co-designed WBL models through Career+ Pathways™. Let us help you build a strategy that works for your schools, your employers, and your economy.
The future of talent isn’t just about students—it’s about aligning incentives across the system.
