Why Participate in Students@Work
By participating in Students@Work, you are building your future workforce. Middle school is a crucial time for dropout prevention. It is also when high school curriculum planning takes place. Direct experience with the workplace demonstrates the relevance of education and career awareness to future success for North Carolina students.
How to Participate in Students@Work
There are three possible ways that your business can host a program activity:
- Host a field trip at your workplace. Field trips provide a chance to experience concepts firsthand, making learning more engaging and memorable. Through interactive activities, show the students what your business is all about. Let them see the career opportunities available to them and get them interested in what you do. This could be for a full school day, half a day, or a couple of hours.
- Visit a school. Have a representative from your business present to a group of students about your career and industry. This may work best for those businesses where safety or other considerations make an on-site visit impractical.
- Host a virtual program. Connect with a wider scope of students, particularly those in underserved areas or when bringing students into the workplace may not be an option. You can partner with one school or school system or offer one program for them all to attend. There are many options here!
Examples of Ways to Participate with In-School Visits
- Create a video showcasing what your business does, who it serves (who your customers/clients are), the types of hard and soft skills your employees use, how they are applied in the workplace everyday, and the culture of your workplace.
- If creating a video isn't an option, a suggestion is to develop a PowerPoint® that incorporates photos of all facets of your business, such as the building itself, employees working and the products you produce or the services you provide.
- Have students interact about the things they have learned about recently in class and how those skills are applied in your business.
- Have students role play using some of the soft skills that are important in your business.
- Is there something you can take to the presentation to let the students touch, build or somehow gain a hands-on appreciation of what your business does or a skill that is needed in your workplace?
- Let students ask questions.
State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) Students@Work℠ Week Approach: The key to SECU’s success with Students@Work℠ is their network of branches all across the state and the relationships they have established with teachers. When contacting teachers to discuss their participation in Students@Work℠, SECU offers to have students come to the branch for a tour and discussion with employees about their job responsibilities, or they go into the classroom to give presentations and conduct financial literacy activities.
Buncombe County Students@Work℠ Approach: Approximately 35 businesses in the Asheville area partner with the Buncombe County school system and others to coordinate programs that take place each day of a specified week during Students@Work Month. They serve approximately 800 students from local schools by offering “industry spotlights” that tie to areas identified in the Chamber of Commerce’s plan for job creation. Each day focuses on local businesses associated with one area of industry, such as advanced manufacturing; science and technology; arts and culture; health care and hospitality. The program format for each visit includes a 30-60 minute on-site visit for students with a tour of a business plus an activity appropriate to that employer.
Examples of Ways to Participate Virtually
Example 1: Have a representative from your business plan to be on live to moderate the program. This person would introduce the program and explain what the students will be doing and learning at the beginning. (suggested 1-2 minutes)
Create a pre-recorded video that could include the following: (suggested 25-30 minutes)
- A welcome by the CEO/President/Senior Executives in which an overview of the business and industry is given and in which academic and key skill expectations of employees are emphasized.
- An overview of what the business is and does and how it’s important to the community and potentially to the lives of the students.
- Demonstrations by various employees showing and explaining what they do, the types of skills they use in their job (especially if there’s a way to relate them to what students are learning in class), why they enjoy their job and the type of education or training they received to be successful in that job. Please address any areas of interest that students have indicated ahead of the program as appropriate.
- A pre-recorded video tour of your business or facility, explaining what happens in each area and the various jobs associated with each area.
The business moderator asks students if they have any questions about what they’ve seen or learned. (Suggested 10-15 minutes).
The business moderator concludes the program. (Suggested 1 minute).
Example 2: Have a representative from your business plan to be on live as part of a Zoom classroom to moderate the program. This person would introduce the program and explain what the students will be doing and learning at the beginning (suggested 1-2 minutes).
Create a pre-recorded video that could include the following:
- A welcome by the CEO/President/Senior Executives in which an overview of the business and industry is given and in which academic and key skill expectations of employees are emphasized (suggested 5 minutes).
- Give a video overview of what the business is and does and how it’s important to the community and potentially to the lives of the students. (3 minutes)
- Demonstrations by various employees showing and explaining what they do, the types of skills they use in their job (especially if there’s a way to relate them to what students are learning in class), why they enjoy their job and the type of education or training they received to be successful in that job. Please address any areas of interest that students have indicated ahead of the program as appropriate (suggested 10 minutes).
Have an interactive activity that students can complete while online that you provided to the teacher ahead of time. The business moderator would lead the activity. Allow a few minutes for any questions from the students about what they’ve seen and heard so far. (As you've probably learned by now, a good way to call on individuals in a group Zoom is to ask participants to wave their hand or to ask students to put any questions into the group chat.) (Suggested 10-15 minutes)
Show a pre-recorded or live tour of your business or facility, explaining what happens in each area and the various jobs associated with each area (suggested 5-10 minutes).
Have another interactive activity that students can complete while online that you provided to the teacher ahead of time. The business representative who is on live would lead the activity (suggested 10 minutes).
The business moderator asks students if they have any questions about what they’ve seen or learned (suggested 3-5 minutes).
The business moderator concludes the program (suggested 1 minute).
Example 3: Have a representative from your business plan to be on live to moderate the program. This person would introduce the program and explain what the students will be doing and learning at the beginning (suggested 1-2 minutes).
Create a pre-recorded video that could include the following: (Suggested 25-30 minutes)
- A welcome by the CEO/President/Senior Executives in which an overview of the business and industry is given and in which academic and key skill expectations of employees are emphasized.
- An overview of what the business is and does and how it’s important to the community and potentially to the lives of the students.
- Demonstrations by various employees showing and explaining what they do and the types of skills they use in their job (especially if there’s a way to relate them to what students are learning in class), why they enjoy their job and the type of education or training they received to be successful in that job. Please address any areas of interest that students have indicated ahead of the program as appropriate.
- A pre-recorded video tour of your business or facility, explaining what happens in each area and the various jobs associated with each area.
After the video, have some of the employees featured in the video join you from your location or so that they are visible online. Have the moderator introduce each one and ask them to explain why they enjoy their job and the type of education or training they received to be successful in that job. During this time, please address any areas of interest that students have indicated ahead of the program as appropriate (suggested 15 minutes).
The business moderator asks students if they have any questions about what they’ve seen or learned. Let them direct specific questions to the individual employees that they have just heard from or any general questions to the moderator (suggested 10-15 minutes).
The moderator concludes the program (suggested 1 minute).
Expectations for Businesses
- Determine the type of program your business will be able to host.
- Read the Students@Work Toolkit.
- Create a Resource for Students@Work℠ through the Navigator platform. Be sure to select ‘Students@Work’ in the Overview Information section when creating your Resource.
- Initiate contact with Students@Work℠ Local School Coordinator when you receive notice that your program has been selected and of who that partner is.
- Be aware of and adhere to deadlines.
- Take the lead in planning your Students@Work℠ program with your partnering Local School Coordinator. Email Megan Johnson at megan.johnson@nc.gov regarding details of your program.
- Complete the Pre-Program Business Informational Document (also see Toolkit page 9) for teachers and students offering a brief summary of your company and what the students will be doing and are expected to learn during your program. This document should be submitted to Megan Johnson at megan.johnson@nc.gov by February 17, 2025, and to your partnering school.
- Assist with publicizing your Students@Work℠ program through your local media by utilizing the materials provided by NCBCE in February or through the creation of your own publicity materials.
- Share your photos with us! Take photos of your Students@Work℠ program that align with your partnering school system’s requirements and upload to your business album in NCBCE’s Flickr account during Students@Work℠ Month or following completion of your program. See Toolkit page 9 for Flickr instructions.
- Provide feedback on Students@Work℠ by completing the Business Post-Program Survey by April 25, 2025.
Business Action Plan for Students@Work
Step 1: Get your management on board and committed to be involved!
- Obtain senior management endorsement and designate a point person to set logistics, determine budget, and assemble materials for participants.
- Determine the type of program you can facilitate - whether you can host students at your business, do an in-school presentation or host a virtual program.
- Determine the number of students your business can accommodate.
Step 2: Register for Students@Work℠ through the Navigator.
Step 3: Recruit volunteers from within your business to assist with your program.
Step 4: Initiate contact with your Students@Work℠ Local School Coordinator when you receive notice that your program has been selected and of who that partner is. Begin planning a program with the school coordinator.
- Work with school coordinator to set a date for your program.
- Work with school coordinator to identify the goals and objectives for your program.
- The school selects students and educators for participation.
- The school coordinator will ask students about their career interests and will report to you about the types of careers that students named. Incorporate this information into your program and help students connect those career interests with jobs at your business.
- The school provides transportation and obtains necessary release forms (including media release forms if students are allowed to be shown on camera.)
- Communicate expectations to school leadership for student behavior during your program.
Step 5: Business sets agenda. See following section for ideas and sample agendas.
Step 6: Develop message for students. This will guide your employees during their interactions with students.
- Overall message should focus on career awareness and exposing students to as many potential careers as possible with an emphasis on STEM if appropriate.
- Set expectations of the workplace, including the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in today’s work environment, as well as language, dress and the concept of personal responsibility.
Step 7: By around February 28, 2025, let Megan Johnson (megan.johnson@nc.gov) know how your business is participating by submitting the 2025 S@W Program Form. This includes which school(s) are involved, the date of your program and a general description of how the program will be structured and details of what the students will be learning.
Step 8: Provide school contact with Pre-Program Information Document (see Toolkit page 9) for participating teachers and students offering a brief summary of who your company is and what the students will be doing and are expected to learn during your program. This document should also be submitted to Megan Johnson (megan.johnson@nc.gov) by February 28, 2025.
Step 9: Take photos of your Students@Work℠ program that align with your partnering school system’s requirements and upload to your business album in NCBCE’s Flickr account during Students@Work℠ Month or following completion of your program (see Flickr instructions on page 9).
Step 10: Your feedback is important to us! Provide your feedback via the Business Feedback Survey by April 25, 2025. See page 9 of the Toolkit for links to the survey.
Expectations for Local School Coordinators
The Students@Work℠ Local School Coordinator is responsible for:
- Understanding that businesses can choose to host programs in three ways. These are worksite location, student location, or virtual.
- Referring and adhering to the 2025 Students@Work℠ deadlines and School System deadlines.
- Selecting a business partner through the Navigator. If school coordinators recruit their own business partners, they should make sure the business partner registers through the Navigator.
- Communicating with the business to plan the Students@Work℠ program. All programs should be finalized around February 28, 2025. This includes letting the partnering business know how many students will be participating and what type of class(es) they will be presenting to.
- Informally survey students about their career interests and report to their partnering business about the types of careers that students named.
- Coordinating all standard field trip procedures if the program is taking place away from school or coordinating all in-school visit procedures if the program is taking place at school.
- Preparing students for their Students@Work℠ program by walking them through the Pre-Program Business Information Document prepared for them by the business. The information contained in the document should be reviewed with students prior to the Students@Work℠ program taking place.
- Ensuring that any necessary media forms are completed for students at least two weeks prior to the scheduled Students@Work℠ date.
- Administering Student Pre-Program Surveys before the program takes place as well as Student Post- Program Surveys by April 25, 2025.
- Completing the School Pre-Program Survey by around February 28, 2025, and the School Post-Program Survey by April 25, 2025.
2025 Weeks of Focus
2025 Industry Weeks of Focus
- March 3–7: Small Business and Entrepreneurship
- March 10–14: Education and Healthcare
- March 17–21: STEM and Clean Energy
- March 24–28: Hospitality, Tourism, and Retail
- March 31–April 4: Government, Public Service, and Legal
- April 7–11: Manufacturing and Agriculture
- April 14–18: Transportation and Construction
Register with the Navigator
Students@Work℠ Navigator Business Registration Process
If you participated in Students@Work℠ last year and already have your program created as a resource in the Navigator platform:
Step 1: Log in to Navigator and go to the user dashboard.
Step 2: In order to ensure your worksite location is correct, click on ‘Profile’ in the left column and edit the ‘Locations’ box. It is recommended to title the location with the name of your business instead of ‘Headquarters’ or ‘Raleigh office,’ as you will select the location for your resource from a drop down menu with all other business locations listed as options to select as well.
If you will have programs in multiple locations or if your headquarters is out of state, create a location titled “Company name – Corporate Headquarters” and the address of your headquarters. Then click “Add a location” and title it “Company name – Raleigh” (or wherever that program will be taking place) and include the address for that location.
Step 3: Click the "Resources" link on the left-hand side and then click “Archived” at the top of the page to view your company resources. Your Students@Work℠ resource will be there.
Step 4: Click on the program to open it, click on “Duplicate” at the top right of the page and then confirm that you want to create a duplicate.
Step 5: Click on "Resources" again on the left side, go back to the “Archived” tab and open the copy of the original program.
Step 6: Click on "Appointment," then "Students@Work". Then you can edit the title to "2025 Students@Work – [Company Name]", make any other changes that you need to and then save the changes.
***Important Notes***
- In your program description, please indicate whether your program will be Virtual, Student Location or Worksite Location. Please also include that the exact date for the program will be set in coordination with the partnering school. (***if you don’t want to set a date ahead of time.)
- The form requires that you include a date for your program. If you will be deciding that once you are partnered with your school, you can select the entire month of March and indicate “Program date will be determined in coordination with partnering school” in the ‘availability notes’ section.
Step 7: Once you are ready for your program to go live, click the “Unarchive” button in the top right corner and confirm that you want to unarchive it.
Step 8: Click on "Resources" on the left side of the page, and you should see your program for this year under current programs.
***Note*** If there is someone new who will be managing your program, please contact Megan Johnson at megan.johnson@nc.gov. All businesses should also see additional notes at the end of this document.
To Create Your NCBCE Profile in the Navigator:
Step 1: Create your NCBCE profile at go.wblnavigator.org/sign-up. You will be told that your account is pending, but you will still have some functionality on the website while you are waiting on your registration to be validated.
When you are designating the location, it is recommended to title it with the name of your business instead of ‘Headquarters’ or ‘Raleigh office,’ as you will select the location for your resource from a drop down menu with all other business locations listed as options to select as well.
If you will have programs in multiple locations or if your headquarters is out of state, create a location titled “Company name – Corporate Headquarters” and the address of your headquarters. Then click “Add a Location” and title it “Company name – Raleigh” (or wherever that program will be taking place) and include the address for that location.
Step 2: For security purposes, we will validate your account. (This is our safety measure to ensure only approved companies are loading resources on the Navigator site - resources that are searchable to teachers and other educators.)
Step 3: When you receive an email letting you know that your account has been validated, sign in to Navigator at go.wblnavigator.org.
- You will need to have a logo/cover image available to set up your resource.
- Click on the "Resources" tab in the left column.
- Click on the "Create Resource" button in the top right corner.
- Click "Appointment" → "Students@Work"
- If it gives you an error message and won’t let you go on during any of these steps, try signing out and then signing back in.
Step 4: Under “Template” select "Start from Scratch."
Step 5: In the “Cover Image” section, click the white space and add the file image you would like to appear on the resource card. This could be a company logo, a photo, even an icon of some sort. If the image does not fit perfectly, leave it and our IT person will be able to adjust the same image to fit. Your image will not be changed, just altered to fit the space.
Step 6: Under “Title,” give the program a name. This should be "2025 Students@Work – [Company Name]."
Step 7: Under “Description,” provide an overview of the program. This can be as descriptive as you would like it to be and should mention the county where your business is located. Including the location ensures that school systems in your area will know that yours is a program they will strongly want to consider. In your description, please indicate whether your program will be Virtual, Student Location or Worksite Location. Please also include that the exact date for the program will be set in coordination with the partnering school. **Note ** If you prefer to set a date ahead of time, that is fine.
Step 8: Under “Grade Level,” Students@Work should reflect Middle School.
**Note** Unless your program traditionally targets high school students.
Step 9: Under “Career Cluster,” indicate your industry and also any industries that have relevance to the work you do.
Step 10: In “Files,” if you have an agenda or presentation to share with the schools, you may add it here in this section. This can be added now or closer to the Students@Work program date. Consider including attachments that could help streamline the administrative elements of the program. For example, if the event is on-site, is there parking, registration, or dress code information in which the teachers should be aware? You could also attach information on your company that you would like students to see or read ahead of time.
Step 11: Under “Location Type,” choose Virtual, Student Location or Worksite Location. In the “Location Details” section add any details about the location the educator should know. Since "Location Notes" is a required field, feel free to put TBD if you don’t have anything specific to put at this time.
Step 12: Under “Availability,” choose the date of your Students@Work program. If you have a specific time for the program, you may add the time in the “Availability Notes” section. The form requires that you include a date for your program. If you will be deciding that once you are partnered with your school, you can select all of March and indicate “Program date will be determined in coordination with partnering school” in the ‘availability notes’ section.
Step 13: “Review” allows you to review your Students@Work details and either save as a draft or publish now.
- Submitted resource/program forms are searchable to educators and can be added to their request box. Once they select your program, they will be able to message with you directly about timing and other details.
Notes:
- Once you have submitted a program form, you can edit the details of that form at any point. Simply select “Resources” in the left column, click on “Current,” at the top of the page and select your program. You can edit the specific sections as needed.
- If you want to turn your listed program to a dormant / inactive stage after posting, click "Archive" in the top right corner of the resource.
Planning Process for Businesses
- After you have submitted your business’s information for the program, schools will go into Navigator and select the program that would be a good fit for them. Your business contact will be notified when your business is selected. This notification will include the name of the contact at your partnering school.
- Once your program has been selected, the school contact will reach out to the Students@Work contact for your business to begin planning the program.
- All correspondence about the program from NCBCE will be conducted through email.
- Any documents or information that need to be relayed to your partnering school can be uploaded to Navigator by clicking on your Students@Work resource card, and the school can access it that way.