Career Mentoring Through Work-based Learning
The Amarillo College Earn & Learn program connects students in their selected program of study to the work environment, which their program leads to, through industry-driven curricula and opportunities inside and/or outside the classroom. The main goal of such a model is to prepare students to be successful in the workplace on their first day of work. This goal is accomplished by infusing programs and courses with the following Earn & Learn opportunities:
- Workforce Internships/ Mentorships
- Experiential/Project-Based Learning
- Cooperative Education
- Industry tours
- Industry Guest speaking events
Through these opportunities, The AC Earn and Learn program offers employers the chance to play a crucial role in training talent for their future careers through career mentoring. Employers serve as mentors for students by offering them support unique to their field, general career and educational advice, and opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Career mentoring is one activity in the continuum of authentic work-based experiences provided to all students engaged in career-related programs through the AC Earn and Learn program. Industry mentors have a special understanding of how to impart practical knowledge to students taking part in work-based learning programs. Due to the nature of career mentoring programs, these students are able to build both hard and soft skills, expand their networks, and get knowledge from experienced professionals.
Students who have access to industry mentors in their chosen fields can get various advantages, including the following:
- Offer the opportunity to build a relationship with a caring and knowledgeable adult
- Give students exposure to jobs, careers, and industries
- Offer a chance to practice communication skills and develop professional skills.
- Help students make the connection between school and the workplace.
- Inform career planning
- Build self-esteem, self-worth, and confidence
- Enable students to begin identifying areas of career interest
Studies on workforce mentoring have indicated that career mentors help young people integrate classroom learning into real-world employment settings and recognize the relevance of education to possible occupations. Additionally, career mentors help facilitate good first-job experiences for young people. Since career mentoring is so important to workforce development, it is imperative that industry partners, public sector organizations, and community stakeholders collaborate in order to provide the next generation of leaders with the support and direction they need to enable them to thrive in school, at work, and beyond.
For more information about AC’s Earn and Learn Program please contact Barbara Joelle Wahi at bjwahi@actx.edu.
Blog written by Barbara Joelle Wahi, Senior Director Work-based & Experiential Learning
