Senior-Level Business/Civic/Education Partnership is Established to Use These 12 Best Practices to Develop a Community Career Academy Master Plan

What to do
A senior-level business/civic/education advisory partnership establishes a master plan for career academies in the community. This plan should be informed by economic development and workforce needs.

Why it’s important
Communities benefit from aligning prioritized career clusters with planned career academy themes to maximize potential business support and future student employability. Career education business relationships are often with lower-level employees and off the radar screens of senior executives. It is vital to establish working partnerships with senior management.

Signs that you’re on the right track
• Master plan developed by leadership team and shared widely throughout the community
• Master plan updated annually with new workforce and economic development input
• Education community input clearly reflected in the implementation plan
• Clear five-year goal established for percentage of student population to be served by academies

NGLs that are meeting the benchmark
Sacramento, California, City Schools
Coachella Valley, California

Related Resources
Creating a Master Plan
Developing a Community Master Plan - Mike Brunelle
Making the Economic Case for Career Academies at the Community Level: Two Strategies - Richard K. Delano - Social Marketing Services LLC, Ford Fund CAIC Advisory Council
Greater pensacola Career Academy Matrix
Pensacola_Master_Plan_December_2008.pdf
   •   Tab 1 — "Success Indicator Planning Instrument"
   •   Tab 2 — "Embracing a New Economy” Economic Development Study from Pensacola Chamber"
   •   Tab 3 — "Santa Rosa County Economic Development Marketing and Brand Development Plan"
   •   Tab 4 — "Ford NGL Academy Inventory"
   •   Tab 5 — "Academy Assessment-Evaluation Plan"
   •   Tab 6 — "Network Support"
Outlining the financial benefits and positive outcomes of career academies