In the changing 21st century economy, society, and workplace, it’s important that students master critical new knowledge, skills, and understandings (e.g., collaboration, problem-solving, conflict resolution) to be prepared for success as adults. In order for school and district K-12 career readiness instructional resources to provide students with hands- and heads-on opportunities to master these skills, school leaders, teachers, and students need to learn more about local industries and the knowledge and skills necessary for successful careers in different sectors.

An industry site visit, if planned strategically, can be an important lever in developing educator and student understandings. An industry site visit can lead to further engagement with industry representatives who are charged with providing input to better align education and industry in an effort to prepare students for success in the world of work. Likewise, to have optimal impact, such site visits should be part of a larger, more comprehensive and on-going approach to learning about the changing economy, workforce needs, and developing career ready graduates. It will be important therefore, for organizers to think about where such visits fit in a school or district’s larger plans for improving career readiness, as well as the activities that will both precede and follow the site visit(s) to best leverage learning from the experience.