New toolkit launches to help educators connect students with employers

CTV Windsor: Experience for Success Workforce WindsorEssex has launched a toolkit to help educators connect students with local employers. Bob Bellacicco explains.

Workforce WindsorEssex has launched a toolkit to help educators connect their students with local employers.

The employment planning council says the “Educators Toolkit for Experiential Learning” will help prepare lesson plans and support opportunities that bring local employers into classrooms and students into the region’s workplaces.

The toolkit will provide background research on the benefits of experiential learning and explain how to connect with employers, while providing customizable handouts and other templates for use in the classroom.

“To prepare our students for the demands and the jobs of the 21st century, we as educators need to work with and take advantage of the skills, knowledge and experience of our corporate and community partners,” says Thomas Couvillion, the principal at E. J Lajeunesse.

There are also resources to be shared with parents and employers.

The “Parent’s Guide to Experiential Learning” encourages parents and guardians to consider opportunities for experiential learning in the home environment.

The “Employer’s Guide to Experiential Learning” will describe the benefits of employers taking part in a range of experiential learning activities, while providing contact information for connecting with school boards and educators. Employers can make classroom presentations, conduct workplace tours, provide job shadowing and mentoring opportunities, and participate in OYAP and cooperative education programs.

“Employers participation will be critical to support learning beyond the classroom,” says Doug Sartori, the president and board chair for Workforce WindsorEssex. “By doing so, we will give students the chance to explore different career options and build their skills for the jobs of tomorrow.”

“Due to the shortage of skilled trades, we need to find talent and grow them from within our organization. We do this through high school co-op placements, hiring students from the OYAP program and by offering apprenticeships to new employees getting into a trade,” says Jena Reid, the human resources manager at Cavalier Tool & Manufacturing.

“We also strongly encourage our employees to attend job-related schooling by reimbursing tuition costs upon successful course completion. Without these training and development opportunities, we wouldn’t be able to keep up with customer and industry demands.”

Workforce WindsorEssex has also launched a new online Experiential Learning Hub that aims to help provide connections for educators, service providers, students and employers.

The Experiential Learning toolkit and guides for educators, parents and employerscan be downloaded here: www.workforcewindsoressex.com/experiential-learning-hub/.