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High school expands Education at Work program; staff call for broader outreach and employer vetting
Summary
Dr. Sachs and Liz Miller presented the district's Education at Work program, a credit‑bearing work‑based learning pathway for juniors and seniors that pairs students with local employers, includes required clearances and supervisor evaluations, and the district plans to expand outreach to juniors and non‑tech‑school students.
Dr. Sachs and Liz Miller presented Education at Work, a work‑based, credit‑bearing pathway that lets Perkiomen Valley students earn elective credits while working with vetted local employers.
"Students do receive credit for it because there's an educational component to it," Dr. Sachs said, describing classroom work on interviewing, resumes and workplace etiquette that complements on‑the‑job learning.
Miller said employers must sign a written agreement taking responsibility for supervision and must provide child‑abuse and criminal clearances for staff directly supervising students. Students submit time logs and, where applicable, pay stubs; Miller said pay stubs are reviewed (personal details may be redacted) to confirm legal wages and to track hours toward course requirements.
The district has placed students with a range of local partners, including turf management, salons and small service firms; Miller described a case in which a student who could not get to work because of car trouble was provided a company vehicle and later hired full time. The presenters said they are developing a list of approved employers and are expanding outreach to community partners including the Chamber of Commerce.
Trustees asked for more public information: several said Education at Work should be documented in a brochure or on the district website with eligibility, application steps, supervision requirements and examples of placements. Administrators said they will expand advertising and better describe how the program differs from a two‑week career shadow or the technical‑school pathway.
Ending: The committee encouraged wider promotion of Education at Work and asked staff to prepare clearer materials for families; staff said they will expand employer outreach and post program details to district information channels.
