Career
Pathways
Career Pathways
Connect2Next is NTC’s career pathways program that cultivates the next generation to be curious, critical thinkers who are eager to improve their STEM skills, and develop the tools necessary to succeed in the workplace and beyond.
We’ve discovered that different organizations have very different opinions on the best time in a student’s educational journey to intervene with workforce development and career pathways education. That’s why we target students in upper elementary, middle school and high school through unique programs, each articulated to address specific needs for specific grade levels.
NTC has developed high school programming that centers on green careers in STEM industries, offering utilities and other companies the opportunity to recruit and inspire their future workforce. We’ve also developed programs to give younger students a head start to enhance their success.
Why? Because the pipeline to STEM careers isn’t as steady as it used to be. STEM-focused occupations have grown 79% over the last three decades and are projected to grow at least 11% more by 2030. Yet, “only 20% of high school graduates are prepared for college-level course work in STEM majors.” * We want to begin connecting students to the subjects, skills and career opportunities they need to succeed, as soon as they’re ready.
*According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) as reported by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), July 2022.
Connect2Next: STEM Challenge Overview
Connect 2 Next: Pathway to the Future Overview
Connect 2 Next: Career Connections Overview
Featured Programs
Connect2Next: (Grades 3-5)
This program engages students in grades 3-5 through a live STEM challenge, presented as a mock taping of a STEM-themed TV show. A key content focus is how the three C’s of STEM – creativity, collaboration and critical thinking—are used to apply STEM disciplines to solve problems. Student volunteers actively engage in helping to develop solutions for the show’s characters by using science, technology, engineering and math, and the application of creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. Supported by educational materials for student and educators, the live event shows STEM in action and encourages students to study STEM, setting them up for continued success as they make their way through middle school, high school and beyond.
Connect2Next (Grades 6-8)
Students in grades 6-8 participate in a STEM Career Pathways exploration. The live event starts with collecting responses of the students’ favorite things and connecting them to real-life STEM occupations. After reminding the audience of using the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math, and the application of creativity, collaboration and critical thinking, we use student volunteers to brainstorm an invention, create a speed job interview session and more.
The performance shows STEM in action, spreading awareness of all the opportunities that lie in the energy utility sector and encouraging students to study STEM in the interest of having a meaningful and successful career. It is supported by educational enrichment materials for students, additional lesson plans for teachers and gamification.
Connect2Next (Grades 9-12)
Connect2Next: Career Connections focuses on vital career pathways information for high school students, divided into two programs for upper and lower grades. By high school, students have mostly identified as “good” or “bad” at STEM and move away from coursework that could help to create a future in that direction. Therefore, high school is a crucial time to focus on strong STEM career pathways.
Our program for grades 9–10 focuses on encouragement and awareness of the educational path needed to pursue careers in STEM. Soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are explored as well. Connect2Next for grades 9–10 often pairs a live event in school with custom videos of industry professionals, an online careers portal, and connections to internship information.
For our program targeting students in grades 11-12, we partner with organizations that already provide thorough training, unique internship opportunities, and certification programs but perhaps lack access to interested students. It takes meaningful engagement to develop the diverse and robust workforce that is needed to bring all industries forward. Our programs connect that missing piece—at scale—in schools throughout our partners’ service territories.
Educational Points
Every NTC program is built around several educational concepts related to the overall subject matter and supported by the curriculum connected to those concepts. The content in each of our programs is articulated to appropriately connect to different grade bands in the K–12 setting and align with state and national education standards. Words matter, and we work with each individual client to craft messaging that presents your unique industry information to the schools in your communities.
Your business needs skilled workers in order to flourish. Our customized career pathways education engages students early, helping them to develop vital soft skills while learning specific information about careers within your industry. We can even drive interest and participation in workforce development programs that are unique to your region or state. We connect students to STEM career information through the following educational concepts:
- The difference between STEM and STEAM
- The importance of STEM education
- The three C’s of STEM: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking
- How your interests and education combined enhance your job skills
- How STEM learning connects to school, the workplace and your community
- How STEM is used to solve problems, big and small
- The ways soft and hard skills affect your employability
- Exploring different fields of interests and setting career goals
- How to make decisions that support your career pathway
- The future of green careers in your community and beyond
- Customized educational concepts: What do you need to teach your communities?
In order to prepare our young workers with the skills necessary to perform their jobs, many companies and schools are turning to STEM workforce development programs to train them.