Friday, April 19, 2019
Congratulations to Kaukauna High School for recently winning Advanced CTE’s 2019 Excellence in Action Award* for its Manufacturing Program! To those familiar with the program, the award comes as no surprise. Nels Lawrence has championed it for more than 20 years, and he and the CTE staff have been very successful at creating a pipeline for students interested in manufacturing.
With strong youth apprenticeship and dual credit programs, many Kaukauna students get an impressive start on their postsecondary path. Year-end CTE statistics typically show a 90 percent completion rate with a consistent 100 percent of job offers (either full- or part-time) for program participants.
A look at graduates of the program shows that, for a five-year period, 86 percent of KHS program graduates stayed in the same career path and attained advanced training, validating the choices they made as high school students.
How does Kaukauna do it, and how can you develop your own program? Here are some of the steps Lawrence and his staff have taken to get the program where it is today.
Line up the employers. Twenty years ago, Lawrence made calls to employers to find out which ones would be open to working with students. Today, CTE leaders and teachers can build capacity more quickly by tapping into the district’s business education partners. Look to regional workforce development boards, economic development boards, chambers of commerce, or industry associations as possible sources of support. Once employers are identified, Lawrence suggests that you set up “interviews” to help them fill out state paperwork associated with the program.
Line up the students. Evaluate students’ levels of performance and assess their skills and knowledge in order to match him or her to the most appropriate work setting.
Prepare the students. At Kaukauna, students must take a “Co-op Youth Apprenticeship” class prior to enrolling in work-based learning. The class trains students in professional skills and human resources priorities, such as appropriate dress and harassment in the workplace.
Follow up with employers. Get feedback from employers as soon as possible after a student is placed so that if something is not working out, steps can be taken quickly to correct the situation. For students who need more support, this is a key step and requires more employer contact.
Work with the union. Lawrence said this is a relatively new development at Kaukauna. As recently as 5 years ago, some unions overlooked the opportunity to employ high school students, but now as the workforce is aging and retiring, the union has begun investing in and training students. Nels Lawrence and Jeff Knaus, business manager for Local 400 Steamfitters & Plumbers, spoke recently about the partnership on a local TV news station.
Continue promotion. Build trust in the community to build the trust in parents. Talk with community groups and the local newspaper to get the word out. Once the program gets traction, good student word-of-mouth will help expand the program.
Program success has come with positive changes over time. Employers now seek Lawrence out for trainees, for example. He’s also seeing a cross section of students from mid-level performers to valedictorians graduating from the program. And increasingly, employers are willing to fund technical college degrees and provide flexible work schedules to accommodate school schedules.
*A second 2019 Excellence in Action Award went to Mishicot High School for its Plant Science Program. Watch for a future story coming soon!