One of the Consortium’s longest running programs is Educator in the Workforce (EIW). Some of our earliest iterations, then called Teacher in the Workforce, can be traced back to the 1990’s. While the program’s name has changed, our focus continues to be on connecting educators and employers so that students become more aware of career opportunities while building the knowledge and skills needed to meet workforce demands.
This school year, educators from twenty schools travelled to eight different worksites, touring their facilities, learning about their products and services, exploring careers, and participating in hands-on activities. Consortium staff work with each employer partner to design these events so that educators can walk away with tangible next-steps. For some, this inspires new ways to connect their curriculum to real-world examples, while others leave feeling better equipped to point their students toward emerging career pathways.
The Consortium offers two different EIW models. The first is designed to accommodate individual educators who want to expand their workforce knowledge. These EIW opportunities are advertised throughout the school year and are open to any interested educator. Our other model serves cohorts of educators from a school or district. Consortium staff arrange a series of EIW experiences over a school year and work with cohort participants to reflect on what they learn, helping them to integrate those learnings into their curricula and classroom activities.
For our employer partners, EIW enables them to help build their future workforce. For every educator who learns about their industry, potentially hundreds more students are also impacted. EIW provides employers with a meaningful way for them to collaborate with schools and the Consortium’s network of corporate partners continues to expand.
Currently, the Consortium is planning EIW opportunities for the 2026-27 school year. Any school, educator, or employer interested in learning more is encouraged to contact Gina Barrett, gbarrett@tcfpe.org, or Jenn Sethman, jsethman@tcfpe.org.
The Consortium thanks our corporate partners for hosting educators this year: Aerotech, Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Union Local 9, Giant Eagle, PPG, Premier Automation, Sheet Metal Workers Local Union #12, Turner Construction, and UPMC.
