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Why It’s More Important Than Ever For Businesses and Schools To Work Together

National and local businesses are among the most untapped school resources. Which is really interesting, because schools are in the business of fostering talented thinkers, innovators, and workers. On the business end, fostering talent at home reduces operational costs. It also helps local companies brand themselves as positive community stakeholders. For schools, creating partnerships with local businesses, from the mom and pop to the large multinational, offers a ton of rewards.

Beyond finances, there are many other ways schools and business can succeed together. When you look at the modern economy, students simply need different skills beyond what a traditional curriculum can take on. They need to understand networking, be adept at communicating strengths, and show technological savvy, among others.

And, critically, they need to have mentors teach them the world they are about to be entering. Businesses can step in and partner with schools, and some are already doing so. There are good ideas, such as internships, already in place. Beyond that, there are two other immediate advantages school/business partnerships can provide.

  1. Business leaders can experience first hand the way rising workers think, react, and generate ideas, because it’s just different. There’s a few other incentives here, too. In addition to lower potential training costs, businesses would also gain key demographic insights. A young entrepreneur could literally change a company’s vision.
  2. Schools can promote their own brand, have channels to grow, and seek vital community involvement. School branding is no longer a passing thought. Schools needs students to pay the bills and get funding. And to succeed. In a fierce educational landscape that includes private, specialized, charter, and public schools, schools have to work extra hard to set themselves apart.

Ultimately, just like schools are in need of sound communication to grow, businesses would hugely profit from interacting more directly with their future workforce. And it’s more than a trend – it’s becoming essential to build the workforce we need.

We are proud to have connected businesses and students together through our sponsor program, and are continuing to develop partnerships within the national education landscape. Thank you for working with us. We look forward to helping even more.