HOLYOKE — The Healey-Driscoll administration recently announced that they have awarded $281,000 in Work-Based Learning grants to 14 school districts across Massachusetts, including $24,976 to Holyoke Public Schools.
Holyoke schools join the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s pilot program that aims to build systems and strategically align resources to expand impactful work-based learning opportunities, such as internships and pre-apprenticeship programs, that prepare students for success in college and careers.
Jules Gillis, advanced learning manager at Holyoke High School-North and Erin Linville, chief of strategy at Holyoke Public Schools, talked about how the funds will be used.
The funding will be strategically used to strengthen and expand Holyoke Public Schools’ work-based learning infrastructure. This includes increasing student internship placements, broadening the types of industries and pathways available to students and enhancing career-readiness training through our continued partnership with Signal Success.
A portion of the funds will also support the development of a collaborative referral system between Holyoke Public Schools Work-Based Learning staff and MassHire, to ensure students are properly matched with meaningful internship opportunities that align with their interests and aspirations.
Gillis said, “This initiative is directly aligned with our mission to ensure that every student has a clear and personalized pathway to post-secondary success. Through expanded internship placements and enhanced career-preparation training, students, particularly those from diverse and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, will gain access to hands-on, real-world experiences that prepare them for success in both higher education and the workforce.”
Linville said that this year, 134 high school students participated in work-based learning, 59 at Dean and 75 at North, and they will be able to expand this number with this financial support.
In 2017, Holyoke Public Schools released a high school redesign plan to create high interest pathways for students that result in a competitive advantage after high school. The plan was developed by nearly 100 educators, students, community members and national experts with support from the Barr Foundation.
Across all high school campuses, every pathway prepares students for career and college success, has applied learning opportunities in the classroom and the community, is aligned to 21st century education and industry-based standards and provides opportunities for students to earn stackable credentials.
Gillis said, “We are building a stronger foundation for Holyoke’s future workforce. We are excited to continue this work and grateful for the opportunity to make a meaningful, lasting impact on the lives of our students.”
Besides benefiting the students, Gillis explained that this initiative can also benefit the teachers and staff because this funding helps deepen its integration of My Career and Academic Plan, MyCap, and MEFA Pathways, a college and career planning website, into personalized student planning.
MyCap is a student-centered, multi-year planning tool designed to provide middle and high school students with ongoing opportunities to plan for their academic, personal and career success in high school and beyond.
This pilot also prioritizes the use of MEFA Pathway as a statewide portal for their work-based learning plans and aligns them with statewide efforts to integrate YouthWorks to expand student access to work-based learning opportunities.
Teachers will have more resources and structured support to guide students through the career exploration and internship placement process.
“Holyoke Public Schools will also benefit from a stronger partnership with MassHire, allowing us to streamline processes and expand our offerings without duplicating efforts,” Gillis stated.
