How Can Small Districts Build Employer Partnerships
By Nisa Gül • Co-Author: Bailey Grams For small school districts, building strong employer partnerships can feel difficult before the work even begins. There may not be a large business community nearby. One counselor or work-based learning coordinator may already be managing several responsibilities. Employers may be interested in supporting students but unsure what participation […]
Employability Skills Are Learned by Doing
By Nisa Gül Students begin developing employability skills long before they enter the workforce. In classrooms, students communicate with teachers and peers, contribute to group projects, meet deadlines, work through challenges, and learn to take responsibility for their work. These experiences matter. But career-connected learning gives students another important opportunity: the chance to apply those […]
Industry Spotlight: Modern Manufacturing
Beyond the Assembly Line By Nisa Gül When many students think about manufacturing, they picture a single type of job: working on an assembly line. While those roles remain an important part of the industry, they represent only a small portion of today’s manufacturing workforce. In reality, modern manufacturing is driven by automation, robotics, engineering, […]
What Counts as Work-Based Learning? A Practical Guide for Schools
By Nisa Gül • Co-Author: Kimba Rund Work-based learning (WBL) has become an essential part of preparing students for life after high school. As schools expand career pathways and strengthen connections with local employers, more students are gaining opportunities to explore careers before graduation. Many people associate work-based learning with internships or apprenticeships. While those […]
The Skilled Trades Gap: High Demand, Low Student Interest
By Brennan Martin Across the country, a quiet crisis is growing in plain sight. While industries struggle to find qualified workers for essential roles, student interest continues to concentrate in a narrow set of career pathways. Nowhere is this misalignment more pronounced than in the skilled trades. Electricians, welders, HVAC technicians, plumbers, and construction professionals […]
Five Things Employers Consistently Tell Students
By Bailey Grams When you think of places where students can get advice on their future, you probably first think of parents, teachers, counselors, and other school staff. But they aren’t the only ones who have valuable knowledge to share with the next generation! Many local employers take a great interest in the success of […]
Healthcare Workforce Shortage in Indiana: What the Data Reveals and How Schools Can Respond
By Brennan Martin A Growing Crisis: Healthcare Workforce Shortage in Indiana Indiana’s healthcare sector is expanding rapidly—but the workforce pipeline isn’t keeping up. Recent data shows: Healthcare employment in Indiana grew by 4.2% in a single year , adding over 12,000 new jobs 67–71 of Indiana’s 92 counties are designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) […]
Celebrating Student Success Through the Career+ Pathways™ Career Scholarship Account (CSA) Program
By Kimba Rund As the school year comes to a close, we are excited to celebrate the accomplishments of students participating in the Career+ Pathways™ Career Scholarship Account (CSA) program. This year, students across Indiana engaged in meaningful career exploration, earned industry-recognized credentials, completed work-based learning experiences, and took major steps toward their postsecondary goals. […]
Celebrating 224 Career+™ Locally Created Pathway Graduates in the Class of 2026
By Katarina Webb The Career+™ team is proud to celebrate a major milestone this year: 224 students across Indiana completed the Career+™ Locally Created Pathway (LCP) as part of the graduating Class of 2026. With this year’s graduates, the Career+™ Locally Created Pathway has now supported a total of 434 graduates across the first three […]
Hero Spotlight: Alex Johnston, Titan Construction Services
Building Futures Through Real-World Experience By Nisa Gül For students exploring career pathways, seeing an industry up close can make all the difference. Through virtual tours, HireME! participation, internships, and work-based learning opportunities, Titan Construction Services has been helping students better understand what careers in construction can actually look like. As part of Skyepack’s Career+ […]
