Addressing Career Exploration Barriers
Building Bridges to Careers has been recognized by the Ohio Department of Education as a three-star Business Advisory Council (BAC). BACs are mandated by the state of Ohio to bring together leaders from business and education to talk, build relationships, and create strategies to both positively impact the needs of businesses and prepare students for their futures. One way that BB2C does this is through our quarterly Community & Business Advisory Council Meetings. Each meeting includes business representatives, educators, students, and BB2C staff. Past meeting topics have included:
High School Diploma Seals
Reframing Work-Based Education
Hosting High School Interns
The Impact of Internships on Students
Credentials for Career Pathways
The Portrait of a Washington County Graduate
Our annual Family Career Awareness Day, which has traditionally fallen at the end of October/beginning of November is another way that we bring together educators, business leaders, community members, and students to explore how best to bridge the gap between education and employment. Our other community and career connected learning programs and events, including Real World Problem Scenario, career mentoring, job shadowing, internships, and Discover Days, both benefit from and further our work as a BAC. The work of the BAC is guided by a governing board that includes members from all sectors along the education to employment continuum. BB2C currently serves as the BAC for all districts associated with the Ohio Valley Educational Service Center.
Tasha Werry, BB2C Executive Director, shared, “The Business Advisory Council model fits well with the ecosystem established with support from partners of all kinds from all over the counties. BB2C leads this effort for the school districts, which provides additional capacity beyond what the schools provide and increases access to career awareness programs for more students. Three Stars is a great achievement! We appreciate the Ohio Department of Education for recognizing the work of groups all over the state.”
Our next Community & Business Advisory Council Meeting is on Thursday, June 8th from 3 – 4:30 p.m. at the Washington County Career Center High School. This event is open to any educators, community members, and business representatives interested in working together to inspire career choice for our students. The topic for the meeting is Addressing Career Exploration Barriers. For more information about Community & Business Advisory Council Meetings, contact Kristi Leonard-Webber at klwebber@bb2careers.org.