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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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“[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

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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.

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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.

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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