Arizona’s School-To-Work system is an evolving network of business/school partnerships that integrates work and learning in new ways. It is designed to give all of Arizona’s youth a better chance at a quality life, and to provide employers with a larger pool of higher-skilled workers. Through on-the-job experience, an integrated curriculum, and career awareness, students leave school prepared for the worlds of work and higher education.

• School-To-Work brings the workplace into the classroom – and transforms workplace into places of learning. School-To-Work is bringing new meaning and relevance to education, making Arizona’s young people better students, and ultimately better employees and citizens.

• School-To-Work links students with high-skill, high-wage careers in those industries, or GASPED (Governor’s Strategic Partnership for Economic Development) clusters, which drive Arizona’s growing
  economy.

Your business, whether small, medium or large, can participate in School-To-Work. You determine your company’s level of involvement. Here are a few ways you can become involved:

• Visit classrooms as a guest speaker or teacher. Talk about your educational and career background.
• Participate in school-sponsored career fairs.
• Invite students and teachers to explore careers in your company or industry through field trips and job
  shadowing.
• Provide internships for students and teachers that help them explore an industry and develop their knowledge of workplace skill requirements.
• Provide expertise as consultants to student-operated businesses or school-based enterprises.
• Implement a registered apprenticeship program.

Advanced technology. Demand for highly skilled workers. Fierce competition in the international marketplace. Today, many high school and college graduates are not fully prepared to face the realities of the world of work.

School-To-Work actively prepares and motivates students to succeed in the types of jobs the future workplace will demand. It broadens students’ career and education choices, enabling them to make informed decisions about which options to pursue – including continuing their education. It also helps young people make the transition needed to become tomorrow’s employees and executives.

School-To-Work can only be as effective as employers, working in collaboration with educators, make it. Your involvement is essential to the success of a new generation of workers and your business.

Q. How much will it cost my company?

1. Your financial contribution depends on your company’s level of involvement. For example, visiting a classroom as a career resource is an investment of time. If you become involved in activities such as job shadowing or paid work experience, your investment will vary. Reduced costs for recruiting, screening and initial training, and turnover of employees will offset costs for these activities.

Q. Will I choose the students placed in my company?

1. Yes. While all Arizona students will have the opportunity to participate in School-To-Work, the students that you work with will be selected using a process you develop with teachers, parents, counselors and other partners.

Q. How much paperwork will my employees have to do?

1. If you place students in your workplace part-time, front-line employees and mid-level supervisors will need to participate in student evaluations. If you offer short summer internships or job shadowing days, little paperwork is required.

Q. Who is ultimately in charge of the initiative?

1. Responsibility for coordinating local efforts belongs to local partners – employers, educators, parents, students, School-To-Work coordinators, and others. Local community-based School-To-Work partnerships decide what types of activities are most beneficial for the students and businesses within each community.

Q. Can STW be a source of employees we need today?

1. School-To-Work works best when used as part of a system – a system that continuously matches future demand for employees with a future workforce. In some cases, however, School-To-Work can fill your immediate and short-term needs for employees.

The organization of School-To-Work in Arizona makes it easy for employers to become involved. The state is divided into local and regional partnerships with common goals. To find out how to reach your local or regional partnership, contact:

The Arizona Department of Commerce

Office of Workforce Development Policy

School-To-Work Division

3800 N. Central Avenue, Building D

Phoenix, Arizona 85012

Phone (602) 280-8130 -- Fax (602) 280-8139

The Arizona Delta Partnership is an example of a partnership

of schools, volunteers, and Industries/Businesses dedicated

to the enhancement of existing School-To-Work Activities.

Check out the Delta Partnership links below.

Delta Partnership WEB Pages

Or e-mail the Delta Partnership Coordinator - Hal Wochholz

hal.wochholz@boeing.com