Advisory Committee

July 29, 2025; SWWC New Location - 100 London Rd., Marshall MN 56258

Agenda

9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and Introductions

9:15 –10:00 Learning from the Field

• Career Navigators, Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services (CMJTS) & Career Connectors, SW MN Private Industry Council

10:00 – 10:45 Apprenticeship Focused Conversation

10:45 – 11:05 LYFT & MSC CCL Updates

11:05 – 11:45 Priorities, Actions, Roles & Resources

11:45 –12:00 Updates & Reflections/Up Next

12:00 Lunch/Networking

Key Objectives

• Identify opportunities for advancing work-based learning across the region
• Establish Action Plans/Resources for Top Priorities
   

Learning From the Field

Career Navigators, Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services (CMJTS) & Career Connector, SW MN Private Industry Council (PIC)

Your Insights… What are the takeaways from this example from the field?

• Partnerships are essential – educators, employers, workforce, community
• Building relationships across all is key
• Awareness/outreach should be strengthened
• Local champions are typically educators not admin
• Career Navigators need to be able to “sell” services as well as interact with youth
• One-on-one follow up is where the student “magic” happens
• How might we reach all students (including those who don’t “qualify” for these services)?
   

Apprenticeship Focused Conversation

What is Youth Apprenticeship?

• Structured (approved) program combining academics + paid work
• For high school juniors/seniors
• Built with employers, educators, workforce partners
• Results in wages, credentials, and workplace skills

Youth Apprenticeship, an Example of Work-Based Learning

• Falls under the Work-Based Learning (WBL) umbrella
• Connects classroom with real-world work
• Core features: Learning through work
• Supported by mentors
• Aligned with industry standards
• Builds progressive responsibility

Why Youth Apprenticeship Matters

• Builds clear school-to-career pathways
• Meets workforce needs in high-demand fields
• Promotes equity and opportunity
• Strengthens rural communities

National Policy Momentum

• April 2025 EO: President Trump supports Registered Apprenticeships
• March 2025 EO: Shifts education authority to states/communities
• Empower local agencies and employers in structuring YA experiences
• Emphasizes 1M+ apprenticeships annually
• Fact sheet specify accelerating Registered Apprenticeship programs and integrating them with AI

LYFT’s Role In Youth Apprenticeship

• Deepens employer engagement
• Offers sustainable student experiences
• Builds rural talent pipelines
• Aligns with LYFT’s mission: "relevant, engaging opportunities"
   

Discussion Notes

Challenges

• Lack of instructors w/ credentials
• Purpose/outcome of CTE @ secondary level – Is it exposure/experience or employment?
• How do we ensure student interest/buy-in?
• Employers are often “scared” of apprenticeships (union, vetting, inspection)
• Employers need intermediaries to support them; other states have them
• There is a need for earn & learn models IN the region (currently sending out)
• Apprenticeships aren’t a revenue-generator for colleges

Opportunities

• LYFT can help navigate discussion/efforts across partners
• Identify the high-demand areas and focus efforts there
• Identify successful models and share these with other employers/educators
• Gather insights from employers – what are their pain points/interests?
• Bring legislators to the table to hear from educators/employers (with the hope of advocating for systems change)

Updates

25-27 LYFT Career Pathways Budget

• Reduced regional funds available for the next two years.
• State-funded opportunities are available to our region including FutureForward, CTE Teacher Licensure, CTE Teacher Induction Program, Metier, State-wide Communications/Awareness

Future Discussion

How might we leverage and/or identify other sources of support to increase opportunities in our region?

LYFT Career Pathways Impact Grants

• $91,250 Available in SFY26 & SFY27
• $179,961.72 Awarded in SFY25
• $336,864 Awarded in SFY24

LYFT 3E’s Roadmap (Updated Web Site)

https://3es.lyftpathways.org/

LYFT Career Pathway Guides

Messaging and Marketing

FutureForward

FutureForward adds value to students' career exploration by making connections with local employers, and navigate their path to success, while supporting educators and businesses in building a strong, local workforce.

• Explore career opportunities
• Connect with professionals
• Strengthen communities

Child Development Associate Pilot Project

MSC CCL Updates

• Teacher Induction & Mentoring
• Teacher Externships & Professional Development
• Teacher Preparation & Licensure Programs

FY 25-26 Priorities

• Affirming Top Priorities
• Identifying Roles & Resources
• Establishing Action Plans

Review: Current/Future Priorities

• Optimize School Schedules for CTE and WBL
• Meet Employer Needs for Basic Skills
• Alignment with Perkins to Improve High School Experience
• Establish Consistent Liaisons
• Expand Career-Connected Learning

Priorities (FY26-27): Your Insights

• Career-Connected Learning
• Work-based Learning
• Impact Grants
• Teacher Prep/Support

What might be missing?

• Focused attention and resources for public relations/outreach
• Intentional funding strategies
• More career navigators/coordinators

What might need adjustment or more intentional focus?

• Greater support to cultivate “passionate leaders/champions”
• Helping schools with revising student registration guides (Career Pathway Guides)
• Discussion/plans of how to integrate work-based learning for all students

What are some of the ways in which you/your organization is currently supporting schools?

Your Insights…

Business/Industry Connections

• Business/Industry Tours
  • Manufacturing
  • Healthcare Careers
• Providing the “why” to local employers
• Helping schools connect with employers and community partners
• Sharing best practices

Student Experiences

• Job Shadows
• Job Applications
• Hosting Interns
• Employability presentations
• Internship classes/placements
• Student presentations of local opportunities
• Entrepreneurship presentations
• Student volunteer opportunities
• Attending/promoting/coordinating career events (Ignite/SW Expo/etc.)
• Specific Courses/Certifications – welding, healthcare, CDL, FACS
• Providing transportation to events

Outreach/Awareness

• Student outreach
• Teacher Takeovers (Ridgewater connecting with HS teachers/students)

Resources/Other Support

• Perkins alignment/leveraged funds
• Writing grants
• Sharing resources
• HS Faculty Prof Development
• LYFT Advisory Participation
   

What gaps in resources/partnerships are you seeing?

Gaps in Services and Support: Your Insights

Career Development Instruction

• Mapping a career
• Choosing a lifestyle as opposed to a “job”; lifestyle goals that lead to a career

District Support

• Identification of CTE opportunities
• Incentives/capacity to add more CTE and/or build connections
• Integrating CTE into the student experience (even if not taking CTE)
• Retaining designated/permanent/credentialed staff
• Class sizes; schedule optimization
• Lack of understanding of WBL as opportunity for any student

Student Attention

• Competition for time/over-scheduled

Awareness

• Economics of education
• Understanding what the workforce is in communities
• Decreasing volunteerism

Time for building connections in our “hurry” culture!

Blended Transitions

• From HS to higher education
• Cross purposes of PSEO/CIS
• K-16 funding model
   

Priorities: Roles, Resources & Actions

• Career Navigators/Liaisons
• Establish consistent liaisons (career navigators) for all schools; these are essential roles! (Mentioned by multiple)
• Menu & case studies of how career navigators are/can help schools
• How-To Guides with information on successful programs
• Work-based Learning
• Increased support for WBL opportunities for ALL students
• YCC work – increase WBL
• Identification of 2-4 fields for apprenticeship pilots
• Career-focused work experiences
• Career Planning/Course Development
• Increased opportunities for more students to be CTE Concentrators
• More integration of career planning within curriculum
• Develop a pathway for career navigator role
• School course guides/paths for every school
• Child development credential

Questions??

• How might we incorporate AI?
• How can we coach teachers on integration of career planning; what do they need?

What specific outcomes would you like to see this year?

Employer Support/Engagement

• Meet employer needs for basic needs and SEL
• Employer survey or meeting to engage them in discussion on WBL/Apprenticeships
• Intentional work to bring additional funding from industry, other partners

Other

• Exploration events
• Continue gathering/compiling information on gaps in the areas & how to address them
• CTE Teacher prep/support
• Guidance to SEC from post on EOPT purchases (??)
   

How do you envision you/your organization engaging in this work ?

Priorities: Roles, Resources & Actions

Outreach & Advocacy

• Share what we are doing/the information we have found
• Advocate for more career navigator work in the region’s schools
• Advocate for school course paths to be developed

Employer Engagement/Support

• Help identify employers to engage in this work
• Meetings with employers to find out their needs and coorindating to provide those skills to students
• Schedule meetings with education and business professionals to meet workforce needs locally and let students explore careers that will meet their lifestyle goals
• Provide warm handoffs to local industry
• Industry gatherings
• Establish veteran partnerships to continue engaging work experiences for student

Student Initiatives/Support

• YCC work
• Building out apprenticeships
• Provide entrepreneurship presentations
• Career Roadmaps
• K-12 Coordinator
• Recruit more students into career pathways that include CTE concentrations plus WBL placements

Educator Support

• Retaining & training staff and strengthening current relationships with schools & businesses
• Serve as central location (Ridgewater) to host/support
• Work of faculty in post sec to mentor sec

What additional resources might be leveraged to support our work?

Priorities: Roles, Resources & Actions

• FutureForward business profiles
• AI
• Private industry – if they see value, they will provide funding or cost share with districts on career navigators
• Perkins/WIOA, Pipeline, YST – alignment around common goals
• YCC and Career Pathway Credentialed Funding
• MAELC or Centers of Excellence

What action steps should we take in the next 3-6 months?

• Outreach to schools about career navigator services, LYFT grants, need for career path guides
• Outreach to local districts – get dates on the calendar for outreach purposes
• Determine a financial model to assist schools & communities to meet students and workforce desires through a career navigator

Priorities: Roles, Resources & Actions

• What specific outcomes would you like to see this year?
• How do you envision you/your organization engaging in this work ?
• What additional resources might be leveraged to support our work?

• Career-Connected Learning
• Work-based Learning
• Impact Grants
• Teacher Prep/Support

July 29, 2025 - Meeting Presentation/Notes