Client best practices: Building and growing a work-based learning community network

Opportunities abound for students in northern Colorado thanks to a strong network 

In Northern Colorado, community runs deep. 

Employers actively encourage local students to fill their talent pipeline in sectors like health care and manufacturing—and a comprehensive, regional Work-Based Learning (WBL) program helps bring them together.

Tanya Alcaraz, Director of CCR & Innovation at Poudre School District (PSD), has been sitting at the table with businesses for years. “Our sector partnerships have meetings once a month to talk about employers’ needs as well as what they can offer young people,” she said. 

When PSD adopted Xello (then Career Cruising) in 2017, they finally had a CCR solution that could help strengthen a Work-Based Learning program that meets the needs of businesses and students.

Ultimately, the Northern Colorado Work-Based Learning Alliance launched NoCo Inspire, a hub where local organizations, school districts, higher educational institutions and more, partner to share resources and align education and workforce needs to increase community access to WBL programs. 

Today more than 24,000 students, 615 businesses and eight school districts are part of the K-12 WBL initiative. 

And Xello is the beating heart at its center. 

“When an employer in Northern Colorado wants to connect with a student for an internship or to hire them, we have an ‘easy button’. We post it on Xello and they automatically have access to all high school students in all of Northern Colorado, not just one region.”                                                                                                                                                                  Tanya Alcaraz, Director of CCR & Innovation

At PSD, students can easily use Xello to find local WBL opportunities that align with the discoveries they are making about themselves and career pathways on the platform. They can access local company profiles and find out what kind of roles are available to them, including job shadowing, internships, and apprenticeships. When they see a role they like, they can easily request to apply right in Xello. 

“Since 2021, 551 WBL opportunities have been posted on the Xello platform, there have been over 4,000 student requests, and we’ve logged 2,300 completed WBL activities,” said Alcaraz.

When students make a request on Xello, a dedicated WBL coordinator receives an alert and will call them in for a meeting to help ensure their resume is prepared and their Xello profile is updated. 

“It’s great to have this layer of support to show students how they can apply. For example, if it’s a job shadow opportunity, they can talk about expectations and talk to the student about why they requested it to ensure it’s a good fit and, ultimately, a high-quality experience for both the employer and the student,” said Alcaraz.

Meanwhile, employers can post opportunities for students throughout all eight school districts. “Their goal is to help kids learn about careers that are high wage and in-demand. And they have supportive K-12 partners to help them do that,” said Alcaraz.

High school students gain workforce readiness skills by participating in career tours, internships, apprenticeships, capstone projects, or paid part-time work experiences. Students who take two or more courses in a career pathway can earn one elective credit for every 15 hours they participate and meet the capstone requirement for graduation.

“One of the reasons I like using Xello for Work-based learning is the broad continuum. Students can learn more about themselves, do career assessments, go on college tours… all the work we’ve been focused on following the Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP),” said Alcaraz. 

“I love when we see a student doing research and becoming interested in a career in Xello. With the WBL module, they can see a list of all local opportunities so they can make a request to have an experience. It brings everything in one place where students, counselors, CTE teachers, WBL coordinators all work together.”

Accessibility is built in 

It’s also evened the playing field. Alcaraz says that, prior to Xello, students had to have their own network to have a WBL experience, or they had to ask a counselor or teacher. “Now, every kid has access to a network. Every kid can find a job shadow connected to their career interest in northern Colorado without having to walk into a counselor’s office.”

WBL coordinators can also connect students with programs they may not know about by being aware of their interests and what they’ve discovered in Xello. 

“I did not expect the numbers of students who are using Xello on their own in summer or on weekends or at night with no one telling them to. They know where to find information so that student agency has been great.”

The right people in the right roles make all the difference

When it comes to collaborating with other districts and workforce partners, Alcaraz says good relationships and a strategic plan are key. 

“The tool is amazing, but it’s still about the people. A funded intermediary or champion to help coordinate everything is essential. We’re working on grants and aligning funding moving forward.” 

The NoCo Inspire hub, including Xello, makes the process streamlined for all parties. 

“Many of the school districts around us have adopted Xello. When an employer in Northern Colorado wants to connect with a student for an internship or to hire them, we have an ‘easy button’. We post it on Xello and they automatically have access to all high school students in all of Northern Colorado, not just one region.

“Aligning our systems is the vision for the future. We want all employers to know that if they want to engage with a high school student, they need to register with Xello.”

A real success story

The goal of this network was clear: to connect high school students with real-world job opportunities, opening pathways to rewarding and fulfilling careers. The Northern Colorado Work-based Learning Alliance has succeeded in creating a work-based learning program that benefits students, educators, and employers. By offering a wide range of opportunities, making access fair, and supporting collaboration, this network helps all students in the region gain valuable career experience. Xello is proud to be part of this success story.