Every district we speak to wants to increase the number of WBL experiences for their students. Unfortunately, most are hindered by the unstructured model they are operating within. Opportunities go missed as districts wait for students to find the best career for themselves, then time and resources go to waste as district staff source internship and apprenticeship opportunities as needed.

Matching is better than searching 

Students might have an inclination for their careers, but the adults around them heavily influence that notion. Most students will only know of the jobs their parents, guardians, or mentors show them. Districts have the ability to broaden this perspective by pairing students with the right opportunities based on data. 

Matching students with opportunities allows districts to proactively manage their students' WBL experience rather than reactively responding to what students find. 

Solving the Opportunity Bottleneck

Most districts we speak with have high aspirations for their WBL programs but fall short of finding enough opportunities for their students. SchooLinks solves this bottleneck by enabling districts to source opportunities from 3 sources:

1. The District: Most districts have activities partnerships with local businesses to fulfill internships, apprenticeships, and other opportunities. These can all be organized in district-run programs so students can be placed based on student activities and data.
   
   
2. SchooLinks: SchooLinks has a robust industry partner network with 15,000 companies. Districts can create program criteria based on their students' interests and district strategic initiatives. Companies on the network can opt-in to fulfill these requirements, whether virtually or in person.
   
   
3. Students: Students can bring their own opportunities (e.g., internships) to the district for approval, which ensures that the opportunity fits the district's requirements. 

All of these sources bring opportunities to the same place—SchooLinks Programs. By centralizing opportunities in a single solution, districts can ensure that all students are getting the experience they need to inform their post-secondary plan. By broadening the sourcing of opportunities, districts can solve the opportunity bottleneck issue, improve stakeholder experiences, and scale WBL initiatives to every student.

Read About - SchooLinks' Innovative Approach to Work-Based Learning with "Student Sourced Opportunities”