Employer Role in Development | Origin: HQ101
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
CTE High-quality Framework: Standards-aligned and Integrated Curriculum --> Employer Role in Development
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
This module reinforced the importance of involving employers in curriculum development and revision. While NCCER provides the foundation for my plumbing curriculum, feedback from contractors, union apprenticeship representatives, and other industry partners helps connect instruction to workplace expectations.
I intend to gather more consistent feedback from these partners about the technical and employability skills students need. I will use their input to refine hands-on projects, reinforce areas where students need practice, and strengthen preparation for apprenticeships and employment. I also look forward to learning how my peers maintain employer partnerships and use feedback to improve their programs.
When we as school teams are working on readying our students for future careers we need to be working with future employers and getting the proper needs of those employers met when developing our curriculum.
I learned that employers play an important role in keeping CTE programs current and relevant. Their feedback helps identify the technical and employability skills students need to be successful after graduation. I plan to continue using input from advisory committees and local business partners to review my curriculum, update projects and make sure students are learning skills that match real workplace expectations.
I will continue to work towards my students being employability ready. Some of our students participate in the 21st century after school program and I think that helps as well.
What I learned: I have the structure but not always the method. The IAC puts the right people in the room. This module gave me names for what to do once they're there — DACUM, Critical Incident, modified Delphi.
The one that stuck: modified Delphi. Iterative survey rounds, starting from existing standards, until the input actually converges. My current model can still let one loud voice in a single meeting steer a pathway. Iteration guards against that. A meeting is a snapshot. Delphi is a signal.
The other: Critical Incident Technique. Employers documenting real cases of behavior that got a worker fired. That's a sharper input to the employability side than any rubric I'd write on my own.
How I'll apply it: run the Curriculum & Certification subcommittee as a modified Delphi loop, not a one-time review. Idea being same people / better method. And pull Critical Incident examples to anchor our CRP work in what actually goes wrong on the job.
I plan to apply this by continuing to review workforce trends and industry expectations when planning my Computer Science lessons. Technology changes fast, so I want to make sure students are learning skills that match what they may see in college or future careers. I also want to be more intentional about including employability skills, real-world tasks, and current tools so students can see the connection between what they do in class and opportunities after graduation.
I use input from local plumbing companies to try to include the needed training in the classroom
I plan to share what I have learned about employer engagements with my teachers during a workshop or PD session.
I work with industry partners and accept their feedback.
We always hear about how important it is to get industry partners' input on curriculum and learning outcomes, and this is the first time I have ever seen a list of actual techniques for doing this. What we DON'T want to do is gather a bunch of industry representatives and have them lecture teachers on all of the things they aren't doing- I have seen this before and it is counter-productive. I appreciate the methods described in this module for interfacing with industry in a way that encourages collaboration.
It is critical to get employer feedback and find ways to engage industry with CTE Programs. They need to also feel relevant and see what's in it for them.
Employability is a critical 21st-century skill that can be modeled and developed in each student. Student management systems in a CTE setting should mirror the workplace under the real of employability skills. Programs such as YouScience can help students better understand themselves and how they operate in a team setting.
