We hope you will want to build on our work and design a work-based learning program for your library. The success of your program depends not only on the planning you do, but also your flexibility to learn and grow from the experience. We recommend you begin by taking these next steps:
Learn the CTE Model and Timeline
Research the career and technical education program in both your state and local school district. These programs are similar throughout the United States in terms of their mission and goals. You will find that the programs have a curriculum and paid, work-based learning experiences. The logistics of this can vary, and it’s important to understand the structure to see how your library may fit into it. For example, if your library is open Monday – Friday until 5:00 P.M., and CTE students are released from school at 3pm to work, it will be difficult for students to work there when considering travel to the location. You will also want to know when students register for the CTE program at their high school and consider recruiting strategies.
Establish Partnerships
Reach out to your local high school and/or school district to learn about their CTE program. Share your interest in serving as a workplace partner and your commitment to recruiting students from underrepresented backgrounds. Visit the school and meet with CTE teachers and students. Ask lots of questions. What do they expect from a workplace partner? Who are the current workplace partners?
Find Funding
Ensure your budget will cover wages for the CTE student(s). Seek funding opportunities if needed because work-based learning expenses are paid. There are many documents to create and prepare to help guide these partnerships and experiences. The documents and forms we used and consider essential are available in the toolkit section of this website. We encourage you to download these and adapt them to fit your setting and needs.
Where can you find funding for a program like this?
- Grants – this funding would allow you to experiment and build upon programs like ours. This isn’t a sustainable source of funding, but it could help you get started. Look into opportunities from IMLS as well as your state library.
- Sponsorships – a local business or bank may be willing to sponsor a program like this for multiple years. Once you have a relationship with your local high school’s CTE department and a program plan, reach out to see if you can find someone willing to sponsor it.
- Non-profits – there are organizations dedicated to recruiting young people from underrepresented backgrounds to join the workforce. For example, STL Youth Jobs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides meaningful paid work experiences and trainings for young people, ages 14-24, in the St. Louis, MO region. Your community may have an organization like this.