Join us as a BCCHS Career Academies Partner

Join us to prepare the
leaders of tomorrow.
BATTLE CREEK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL CAREER ACADEMIES
Every Bearcat Graduates Career, College & Community Ready.

THE ACADEMIES VISION:
For Battle Creek to remain regionally
competitive, the community must
establish an educational foundation
that builds a strong and sustainable
workforce.
By fostering collaborative
partnerships between Battle Creek
Central High School and the
local business community, every
Bearcat will graduate career,
college and community ready,
resulting in a workforce that is able
to support industry expansion and
continued economic and business
development.

WHAT ARE THE BCCHS CAREER ACADEMIES?
The Battle Creek Central High School Career Academies are small learning communities within the
school that integrate traditional academic coursework with work-based opportunities. All Battle
Creek Central students will be part of the Career Academies, turning the high school into a “wall-towall,”
state of the art education experience. The Academies will bridge the gap between classroom
experiences and career expectations, empowering students to excel in school, the workforce, and
beyond. Every BCCHS Career Academies student will receive:
• Career exploration opportunities to help them identify their passions and set career goals
• Soft skills training that will translate to any career field
• Hands-on experience in a purposeful area of career focus
In addition to earning a high school diploma, every BCCHS Career Academies student will have the
opportunity to graduate with either an industry-recognized credential or college credit.
Every Bearcat Graduates Career, College & Community Ready.

CAREER PATHWAYS FOR A THRIVING COMMUNITY
Battle Creek Central High School is comprised of two Career Academies, each of which will house
four career pathways for students to select from as their area of focus.
Academy of Business, Engineering and Industrial Technology
Information Technology
Finance
Business
Engineering & Skilled Trades
Academy of Health and Human Services
Nursing
Health Care
Public Safety
Education

Each pathway was selected through a
collaborative community effort to reflect
current industry needs and economic
growth trends in Battle Creek.
As a result, Career Academies graduates will
be equipped for high-demand, high-wage job
opportunities right here in our own community.

ACADEMY PARTNERSHIPS: THE KEY TO SUCCESS
An engaged community is the cornerstone of effective, powerful Career Academies at Battle
Creek Central High School. Community partners are essential to helping students connect the
academic world to careers available in their own community through an array of collaborative
services, such as:
• An increased understanding of workforce trends and needs in order to effectively shape the
structure of career academy offerings
• Co-teaching and teacher externships to ensure cohesive learning material
• Hands-on learning career exploration, such as career-fair and panel participation,
company tours, job shadows, and student internships
These deep-level interactions help BCCHS graduates allow employers to build a workforce that
has the competencies and credentials needed to successfully sustain and grow local businesses.
“Extensive employer engagement will create a better prepared workforce to assist in building the
local talent pipeline and fulfilling the immediate hiring needs of employers.”
Ashley Ioveno, Business Services Coordinator
Michigan Works! Southwest

“[We] are excited about intentionally joining
the academic and local business communities to
offer career exploration and guidance to BCPS
students. This coupling of education and business
will provide a wonderful opportunity for students
to transition to life beyond school successfully.”
Kenneth C. Bauer, President / CEO
Goodwill Industries of Central Michigan’s
Heartland, Inc.
“Battle Creek’s business leaders see today’s
students as the professionals and entrepreneurs
of the future. We are excited to have the Career
Academies to help get more young people
pursuing careers in Battle Creek and being part of
a bright economic future for our city.”
Shabaka Gibson, Vice President
Battle Creek Unlimited
“
Our schools need to train our kids in
the skills that [local] companies need
to hire...basic life skills as well as job
specific skills for all levels. We, as
employers, need to do our part to ensure
the schools understand what we need
now and in the future.
As skills shift and new technologies are
introduced, we need to work together
as a community to ensure the supply of
talent and skills meets the demand. Being
involved ensures that Rosler and other
companies have the workforce available
to grow our businesses in Battle Creek.
Bernhard Kerschbaum, CEO
Rosler Metal Finishings

JOIN US TO BUILD OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE
Current Engagement Opportunities
• Career Exploration Fair:
Showcase your organization
and the various careers
offered within your field to
300+ 9th grade students.
• Career Panels: Participate
in a panel discussion to help
students better understand
your field and decide
whether your industry is the
right fit for them.
• Job Shadowing: Provide
work-based learning
experiences for small groups
of 10th grade students.
• Guest Speaking: Visit a
classroom and speak with
students about your area of
expertise.
• Industry Tours: Give
students a first-hand look at a
typical working environment
within your industry by
offering a tour and discussing
career opportunities.
• Project-Based Learning:
Participate as an audience
member or judge as students
present the results of problembased
learning projects.
• Academy Advisory
Board: Meet regularly
with other BCCHS Career
Academy Partners to provide
guidance for academyspecific
programming and
curriculum.
• Celebrations: Attend
school and academy events
and celebrations, such as:
Freshman Declaration Day,
Decision Day, sporting
events, theatre productions,
graduation and more.

JOIN US TO BUILD OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE
Future Engagement Opportunities
• Co-Planning & Co-Teaching: Bring
real-world application to the classroom
by spending a day with a general
education teacher.
• Career/Certification Mentors: Meet
regularly over the course of the year with
a small group of students, helping them to
learn career-specific information, soft-skills,
and prepare for industry exams.
• Teacher Externships: Host a team of
teachers for 2-3 days in your business in
order to help them stay current and learn
practical applications for what they teach.
• Academy Internships: Provide students with
a workplace setting, where they can perform
duties related to the industry being studied.
• Capstone Experience: Support students in
completing their senior capstone experience.
We are following a cohort implementation, meaning we will be at full implementation for all students and
engagement opportunities by the 2021-22 school year.

Battle Creek Public Schools
Battle Creek, Michigan
Goodwill Industries of Central Michigan’s
Heartland, Inc.
Goodwill Industries of Central Michigan’s Heartland
is serving as the Convening Organization for the
BCCHS Career Academies. Goodwill plays an
important role by connecting local businesses with
the Academies and helping them build a pipeline for
their future workforce.
For more information, contact:
Sarah Kerry, Community Engagement Specialist
Goodwill Industries of Central Michigan’s Heartland
skerry@goodwillcmh.org
269-788-6500 ext. 2028
Learn More:
battlecreekpublicschools.org/CareerAcademies
facebook.com/BattleCreekCentralBearcats