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Youth Experiential Learning Policy Committee. November 27, 2013 9:00-11:00. Meeting Objectives: Understand and incorporate feedback we’ve received via survey from the committee and GWDC Using feedback and discussion, improve our draft recommendations. 9:00 Welcome and Introductions
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Youth Experiential Learning Policy Committee November 27, 2013 9:00-11:00
Meeting Objectives: • Understand and incorporate feedback we’ve received via survey from the committee and GWDC • Using feedback and discussion, improve our draft recommendations 9:00 Welcome and Introductions 9:10 Reviewing Recommendations and Survey Feedback 9:40 Review Recommendations from other GWDC Policy Committees 10:00 Improving our Draft Recommendations: Discussion and Decisions 10:50 Next steps 11:00 Adjourn
Draft Recommendations Work-Based Learning License Incentives for Schools Incentives for Business Transportation
Feedback: General Themes • Need to be inclusive of all types of EL, not just internships • Scope and Focus • Types of opportunities • Types of participants • Carrots vs. Sticks • Funding? • Community and Employer role
Work-Based Learning License Required to oversee credit-bearing experiential learning programs • “Open up” the license: • Allow teachers to earn license through continuing education (ongoing training req’d of all teachers, usually offered at little or no cost) • Make the license available to non-teachers • In the future, make training on EL a mandatory part of the basic teacher license
Work-Based Learning License Ideas and Concerns • Proper balance of quality and access • Requirement: • Limit to certain areas of instruction? • Use incentives instead? • Other ways to connect teachers to the workplace?
Incentives for Schools • Mandate an EL credit for graduation • Integrated with now-mandatory college & career plans • Ensure multiple avenues for students to participate in EL (broadly defined) • Grants to schools to expand EL • Similar to 2007 grants to expand access to AP and IB courses • Money for teacher training, support, materials needed to launch a high-quality EL program • Recognize schools that reach key milestones (% of students graduating with an EL credit) – financial rewards and recognition
Incentives for Schools Ideas and Concerns • Students have limited electives (but could EL be built into core courses?) • Increased use-of-funds flexibility as an incentive • Mandate would require considerable oversight to make it high-quality • Mandate too broad? Would all students benefit? • How funded?
Incentives for Business Specifically, how to engage small- and medium-sized businesses? • Create an award for businesses that provide EL experiences • Grants (or tax relief) to small/medium-sized businesses in high-growth or strategic industries
Incentives for Business Ideas and Concerns • Do such awards and incentives already exist? Are they effective? • Businesses respond better to financial incentives than to awards • MN Chamber Business Barometer: businesses want better help navigating, finding, connecting to existing opportunities. Prefer better tax climate overall to new tax incentives. • Use existing community-based channels/connections • Create an internship “tool kit” for employers • How to pick “high-growth” or “strategic” industries? Industry vs. occupation?
Transportation • Establish a volunteer corps of Minnesotans to provide transportation and mentorship around internships.
Transportation Ideas and Concerns • Liability / safety issues • Pay schools (or other organizations) directly and have them make arrangements? • Pay for subscriptions to car sharing services (Car2Go, HourCar)? • Use other, existing infrastructure?
Adult Committee Recommendations • Minnesota Internship Exchange & Fund • Online internship exchange • Grants for teacher training • Wage Reimbursements • Preparatory and reflective seminars • Data driven • Two goals: closing skills gaps and eliminating regional disparities
Adult Committee Recommendations • GWDC committee to: • Identify/select metrics to measure effectiveness • Create common vision of an effective EL experience • Facilitate continuous improvement
Adult Committee Recommendations • Encouraging EL in higher education: • Grant funding from Minnesota Internship Fund for training to professors on EL • Recommend that HE institutions change policies and programs to encourage EL opportunities, broadly defined.
Adult Committee Recommendations • Apprenticeships • Still looking for good ideas. How to increase access and offerings? • Work Experience Coordinators / “broker” role • More outreach to small- and medium-sized employers • Training fund for mentors to take on apprentices • Additional quality assurances/requirements of apprenticeships • Require employers / large jobs to have apprenticeships • Equal Opportunity • Credential requirement