Informal contact
- career days, in which local employers host students,
- summer science camps,
- employer visits to schools for guest lectures and demonstrations, and
- job shadowing.
Support in the classroom
- loan or donation of equipment and facilities,
- secondment of personnel from businesses to schools to teach specialized courses,
- help in the certification of graduates,
- participation of employers and skilled trades persons in curriculum planning
and
course design, and
- awards for superior performance.
Formal contact
- work experience terms for cooperative education students or apprentices,
- adopt-a-school programs, and
- work experience terms for teachers.
- We recommend that the CLFDB develop a guide to good
practices in business education
partnerships.
- We recommend that local boards identify a network of resources for bringing
the world of work into the school system.
Reciprocity must be an underlying principle in the establishment of partnerships; all
participants have a legitimate right to benefit. Partnerships are sometimes criticized as
not being reciprocal, e.g., schools want equipment provided by business, but are reluctant
to accept further involvement of business in the schools.
Business-education partnerships should also reflect the community and local economic
development needs.