Workplace Learning Connection

Location: East Central Iowa
Cost: $305,726 (2005 fiscal year budget)

Making connections between school and careers is the focus of out-of-school time learning opportunities for East Central Iowa young people in the Workplace Learning Connection program. Driven by the federal School-to-Work Opportunities Act, the nonprofit sustains regional school-to-career activities through the active engagement of educators and employers. It is an intermediary in seven counties and 33 school districts, providing career education and work-based learning to students in elementary, middle and high schools. Workplace Learning Connection reaches about 20,000 students annually.

The program coordinates internships, job “shadowing” experiences, career days, classroom career speakers and worksite tours for students. It also has a program specifically for students K to 5, and has hosted weeklong career exploration summer camps for middle schoolers. A teachers’ professional development course is also offered to help connect classroom subject matter with the workplace. Through these efforts, Workplace Learning Connection coordinates programming that is aligned with state requirements. In the 2005 fiscal year, there were eight people on staff, four full-timers and four part-timers (20 to 30 hours).

The program enlisted an advisory council of area school superintendents to help negotiate service fees with the school districts. Annual fees are $3 for students in grades 6 to 8 and $5 for high school students, while elementary school students are served on a fee-for-service basis. Schools generally cover fees through funding from the federal Perkins program, which supports   career and technical education, and Workplace Learning Connection receives payment in a lump sum at the start of the school year, which helps to budget for programming.

The program receives funding from a number of sources. In its 2005 fiscal year budget, for example, these sources included the federal H1B program ($12,000), the Regional Tech Prep office ($11,000) and county boards of supervisors ($14,000), in addition to school district fees ($83,000). Local businesses were a key partner, providing in-kind employer time and direct financial donations totaling about $67,000. The state’s Grow Iowa Values Fund provided nearly $47,000 for a full-time staff position, while general operating support came from the local Grant Wood Area Education Agency ($30,000) and Kirkwood Community College ($42,000).

Although it pays rent, WLC is headquartered at a local community college—another sign of support for its work.

www.kirkwood.edu/site/index.php?d=860

Updated January, 2009.