Prior to the transformation, Battle Creek employers long lamented the need to hire talent from other cities and states due to a lack of skilled workforce in the community. Starting in 2017 when the planning phase for Career Academies began, BCPS district leaders and the business community have helped students build job and life skills they can use after graduation, and to give employers access to a pipeline of talent.
Career Academies has been structured to expose students to new career options that they may not have otherwise considered, in direct collaboration with local employers. Students can take advantage of internships and job shadowing experiences that put them directly in the field, allowing them to begin building their own professional networks and learn more about in what sort of environment they can thrive.
Over the past four years of Career Academies programming, leaders have seen that students are eager to take advantage of these opportunities: In 2021-22, 328 freshmen attended career panels and 104 attended the Career Exploration Fair, more than in any previous year. Of the 70 BCCHS Career Academies community partner organizations in 2021-22, 88% returned from the previous year. Twenty-eight organizations participated in the Career Exploration Fair and partners contributed a total of $73,605 in in-kind investments or other donations. Eighty-four individuals from partner organizations participated in career panels and 34 volunteers conducted mock interviews for students.