The Lake County Regional Office of Education (ROE) is excited about two initiatives that will benefit students and businesses in Lake County.
Career Navig8 Lake County
The ROE is thrilled to announce Career Navig8 Lake County, a large-scale career exploration event that will take place at the Lake County Fairgrounds on October 30, 2024. This event is open to all 8th graders and high schoolers across Lake County and is designed to inspire students to explore and plan their careers in collaboration with local businesses. It will align with districts’ comprehensive career readiness curriculum and the PaCE Framework, helping students discover diverse career opportunities within the community and beyond.
The event focuses on providing hands-on experiences for students, supporting the mission to develop well-rounded individuals who are self-directed learners, collaborative workers, complex thinkers, quality producers, and community contributors. Businesses representing different career pathways will host booths featuring interactive activities to engage students and provide insight into various careers.
The ROE is calling for businesses and industry partners to join them as vendors for this event. Participation will not only allow students to connect with potential future employers but also allow companies to showcase the skills and career pathways they offer. Even if businesses cannot attend, they’re encouraged to provide their information for future collaboration in career exploration and workforce development initiatives.
Lake County ROE’s SchooLinks Intermediary Account
The Lake County ROE has recently invested in SchooLinks to enhance career exploration and workforce development across their districts. SchooLinks offers various tools, including:
- Shared industry partner database
- Event scheduler
- Program management
- WBL-Lite (work-based learning) tools for each district
- Experience tracking and certification management
- Industry partner portal to streamline business connections with schools
These features will allow districts to manage and track interactions with industry partners, share resources across districts, and coordinate career events like Career Navig8 more efficiently. The platform’s ability to consolidate student experiences and manage industry partnerships ensures that every district benefits from a centralized system for tracking events, internships, advisory boards, and more.
How These Initiatives Complement Each Other
Career Navig8 and the SchooLinks platform work in tandem to enhance career readiness for students and foster stronger connections between schools and businesses. Career Navig8 provides the hands-on experiences that introduce students to various career paths, while SchooLinks offers districts the tools to manage these relationships and track the impact of career readiness programs over time. Together, these efforts support a more streamlined, comprehensive approach to career exploration and workforce development across Lake County.
