Every Student Deserves a Clear Path to a Career

Born in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado in the fall of 2019, our mission is to “build sustainable bridges between education and industry to transform career exploration and development, creating thriving workforce pipelines for all students.”

Having proven our model with 17 K-12 school systems and nearly 500 business partners, we have been invited by industry leaders and workforce development leaders to scale our model to other communities.

BEA’s model leverages the principles of generational knowledge transfer in conjunction with design thinking to support communities in developing and implementing repeatable, scalable, and quality-driven CCL and talent development systems.

CCL learning is an organized sequence of activities designed to provide students with insights into their talents, interests, and aptitudes and real-life career exploration opportunities utilizing short duration career investigation activities hosted by industry partners.

​Desirable CCL outcomes for students include an understanding of a “day in the life” of an occupation of interest; the necessary knowledge, educational pathway, and professional skills required for early career entry; and, the development of professional relationships with a variety of area employers that may be in a position to hire the student.

• CCL MARKETPLACE web platform licensing and training

• CCL program design thinking facilitation and training

• Business partnership development, onboarding, and training

• Education professional development and training

• Professional skills curriculum and training

• Elementary career exploration kits

There are tremendous opportunities in the economy for high school and college graduates that will lead to satisfying work and competitive wages for students. However, many K-12 students, especially during middle school and high school, are woefully unaware of most of the great jobs available for early career entry. In fact, according to a survey completed in 2019, middle school students are able to name only 4 jobs. (Adams County, Colorado public schools).

A well designed CCL program makes it easy for middle school and high school students to explore careers, investigate occupations and participate in short duration training in occupations of interest. By participating in sequenced and organized CCL activities, students will be in a more informed position to make career or post-secondary decisions and stay focused on their early career education and skill-building.

Educators gain powerful tools to fulfill their responsibility for career development and workforce readiness while enhancing student engagement. Our career-connected learning (CCL) systems provide teachers, advisors, and staff with easy access to bring real-world career experiences directly into their classrooms. These flexible opportunities can be implemented with groups or individual students, emphasizing meaningful reflection that reinforces learning and connects academic content to future careers.

When students discover how their unique talents and interests align with career opportunities, they become more motivated and engaged in their studies. This increased engagement leads to improved academic performance, higher graduation rates, and more successful transitions to post-secondary education or careers. Educators benefit from seeing their students take ownership of their futures while meeting essential accountability requirements for career readiness preparation.

Industry partners gain access to a proactive solution for today's critical talent shortages. With 69% of U.S. employers reporting difficulty filling open positions and demand for skilled workers continuing to grow, the traditional "post and hope" hiring approach is no longer effective, particularly in high-demand fields such as healthcare, IT, engineering, skilled trades, and business operations.

By partnering with K-12 education through our career-connected learning systems, businesses can "build their own" workforce rather than compete for limited talent in the marketplace. This strategic approach allows companies to:

• Introduce students to their industry early, building awareness and interest

• Shape curriculum and skill development to meet specific workforce needs

• Develop relationships with potential employees before they enter the job market

• Create a sustainable pipeline of qualified candidates who understand their company culture and requirements

Participating in a designed talent development system provides businesses with a long-term strategy to fill critical positions and maintain a steady flow of skilled workers. This proactive partnership approach reduces recruitment costs, improves employee retention, and ensures a better match between candidate skills and job requirements.

Parents gain peace of mind knowing their children are developing a clear direction for their future while building essential skills for success. When students discover how their unique talents and interests connect to real career opportunities, they begin forming a sense of purpose and a pathway to self-sufficiency that every parent wants for their child.

Our programs help students identify high-demand occupations that offer solid earning potential, job security, and rewarding career advancement opportunities. This strategic focus means your child is more likely to enter a field with strong employment prospects and a sustainable standard of living.

Through meaningful career conversations facilitated at school, reinforced at home, and enhanced by interactions with industry professionals, students develop well-informed career goals that drive their academic engagement. Parents benefit from seeing their children become more motivated in school, make better educational choices, and develop the confidence that comes from having a clear vision for their future.

Additionally, parents gain valuable insights into today's job market and can support their children's career exploration with current, relevant information about in-demand fields and the education or training pathways required to succeed in them.

#EveryoneHasAStory is an innovative career exploration project that connects students directly with real professionals across hundreds of different occupations. Through our podcast and video series, working professionals share their career journeys, daily responsibilities, and insights about their industries in engaging, accessible formats.

This digital library of career stories allows students to explore diverse career paths on their own time and at their own pace. Each professional donates just 60 minutes for an interview, but their story has the potential to influence and inspire thousands of students as they consider their future career options.

By leveraging authentic voices from the workforce, #EveryoneHasAStory helps students understand what different careers actually look like beyond job descriptions, providing real-world perspectives on education requirements, career progression, challenges, and rewards. This approach makes career exploration more relatable and meaningful, helping students make informed decisions about their educational and career paths.

This project serves as both a valuable resource for students and an efficient way for busy professionals to give back to the next generation of workers.

Those interested in helping BEA scale and sustain its mission can donate their time, talent, and treasure!! Contact us

• Business & Industry

• Communities

• Students & Parents

• Primary & Secondary Education

• Post-Secondary Education

• Apprenticeship Programs

• Colorado Springs, CO

• Fountain, CO

• Woodland Park, CO

• Cripple Creek, CO

• Peyton, CO

• Calhan, CO

Interested businesses, school systems, and communities can click here to schedule a call. We’ll meet with you to learn more about your goals and how BEA can assist!

The CCL MARKETPLACE is the easy-button answer to a fragmented community of schools looking to connect students with valuable career exploration and training experiences. The web tool and content are designed to empower student/teacher self-service (with school system and BEA staff support), while providing structured and repeatable elements that are extremely valuable to both K-12 and industry partners.

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The web tool is FERPA and PII compliant to protect minor student privacy. Other valuable features of the web tool include:

For business partners/career representatives:

• Manage all of your sponsored opportunities in a single place

• Simple and easy onboarding process

• Easy to use opportunity creation templates

• “How to” best practices for hosting CCL activities for young students

• Ongoing access to BEA support

For teachers, students, and parents:

• All digital permission forms and parent acknowledgements

• Students gain access to a new world of career exploration, all in one place

• Students can participate in live, virtual or in-person real-world opportunities with willing professionals

• All communications and interactions occur behind the login wall of the software.

• The software and communication function provide adult navigation, supervision and support.