Find information on how to connect to future employees and indicate areas of interest for partnering with schools.
Employers need workers with the right skills (and soft skills!) to succeed in the 21st century.
TigerPath is designed to provide those skills and connect students with real-world experiences and opportunities. Hutchinson area employers gain an opportunity to connect with potential future employees.
Real-world work exposure is instrumental in guiding students down potential career paths and introducing possibilities they may not have considered by allowing them to experience life outside the classroom.
There are a multitude of ways that employers and non-profit organizations can get involved and support the success of TigerPath. Employers who wish to be involved have 100% control over to what extent AND in what ways they wish to contribute.
Check out the ways you can connect with potential future employees and/or partner with TigerPath below:
Students/Teachers GO to Businesses
Teacher Externships
Teachers go inside businesses related to their areas of expertise to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the industry itself.
WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE?
An art teacher spends time inside a local screen printing shop learning what positions they hire and the skills they are looking for in applicants. She then can help students in a STREAM TigerPath Academy class looking to go into any fields related to printing, textiles, art set-up.
A math teacher connects with a local accountant to review trends in the field, learn what software is important to teach, and discovers how businesses and non-profits in this area are relying on their accountants. the teacher can then better prepare students in a Business TigerPath Academy class.
Job Shadowing
This is an observation opportunity for students to watch and listen while “shadowing” one or more employees within your company for specific amount of hours (could be anywhere from 1-1000 hours!)
WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE?
A student, who has yet to select a Tiger Path Academy is possibly interested in becoming a cosmetologist. The student spends a morning with an area salon and spa, shadowing four different employees watching, journaling, and asking questions between customers.
Unpaid Internships
UNPAID hands-on learning opportunities for students within your company, typically for a trimester. Students should be given appropriate tasks, projects, and/or assignments to gain skills and experience.
WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE?
A student submits a resume and cover letter to the participating business for review. In this case, the student wants to intern at a local manufacturing business as part of a STREAM Tiger Path Academy class. The plant manager has opted to put the student through a mock interview prior to awarding the internship. The student is given a handbook to review, as well as a confidentiality agreement to sign. Hours are set up for 8am-10am every Tuesday and Thursday for 4 weeks. The student’s time will be split between shadowing two staff, attending a scheduled client meeting, accompanying staff to a tradeshow, and helping with tasks on the shop floor. The goal is to provide students with hands-on experiences wherever possible.
Paid Internships
PAID hands-on learning opportunities, typically part-time, for student within your company to gain skills and work experience in field of interest.
WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE?
A student interested in the plumbing and heating field has selected the STREAM TigerPath Academy and is working part-time for a local plumber. She is gaining experience and learning the aspects of the business that she never knew existed like working with the city, coordinating projects with other contractors and builders, ordering parts and materials and planning large projects.
Facility Tours
Area businesses work with educators to provide tours of their facilities for groups of students, teachers and parents.
Businesses COME to Students/Classrooms
Guest Speaking
Business owners and people working in a specific career willing to share by coming into the classroom to present or guide the class through a simulation or exercise.
What might this look like?
An EMT comes into a Sci-Hi TigerPath Academy class for an entire day to guide the students through a simulated car accident scenario and all the steps taken from arriving at the scene through transporting patients to the emergency room.
An insurance agent or banker spends an hour with a Business TigerPath Academy class sharing what a typical day is like, explaining busy seasons, answering questions, and relating stories of helping customers through challenging situations.
Mentoring
Students and people in the workforce are paired up to spend time talking in person or online. Students have someone in their preferred field to brainstorm ideas with, ask questions, review resumes or scholarship essays, do a mock interview, or simply just listen.
WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE?
A student interested who has selected a Business TigerPath Academy because she is interested in starting a business is paired up with an area business owner for a mentorship. Due to their busy schedules, they exchange emails frequently.
A student interested in the medical field is taking related classes as part of his Sci-Hi TigerPath Academy. They are paired with a nurse. The student meets with their mentor for coffee a couple of Saturdays during the school year to talk to them about the classes and post high school education required, and what to expect on a typical day.
Job Fairs
Help with organizing or attending job fairs at Hutchinson Public Schools to interact with students, answer questions, and talk about hiring needs and desired qualifications. Employers also have an opportunity to discuss potential scholarships, apprenticeships, or part-time employment opportunities for which students can apply.
Other Options
Experiential Learning Donation
Donate supplies or items for classrooms or labs to help with exploration.
WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE?
Dental mold display, accounting or graphic design software, tools or specialized machines, educational posters and diagrams, memberships, conference attendance fees, bolts of fabric, stethoscope and blood pressure cuff, and building supplies, etc.
Is your business ready to get started?
Request an internship, mentorship, apprenticeship or work experience arrangement with an upperclass Hutchinson High School student. Fill out our Employer Interest Survey to get the process started.
Click here for Employer Interest SurveyQuestions?
Contact us for any questions or feedback you may have by emailing Andrea, the TigerPath Coordinator.