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Improving opportunity for all by integrating school, community and the workplace.

Connecting businesses to schools with work-based learning.

Increase students’ workplace competencies with hands-on learning.
Engage students better, connecting relevant learning with future careers.
Build economic sustainability, training students for employment opportunities.
Business
Schools
Community

The Work-based Learning Journey

Connecting today’s classroom to tomorrow’s careers
Find where your journey begins below

Career Awareness Career Awareness

CareerAwareness

Grades 8–10

Career Exploration Career Exploration

CareerExploration

Grades 9–11

Career Experience Career Experience

CareerExperience

Grades 10–12

Career Preparation Career Preparation

CareerPreparation

Grades 12–14

Career Development Career Development

CareerDevelopment

Grades 12–16

Successful career readiness should include a continuum of work-based learning that involves meaningful interactions with employers. By providing in-depth, hands-on activities, real-world work is integrated into students’ education, preparing them for valuable careers.

Working with our business and education partners, we bring awareness to students about numerous industries and vocations.

Student BenefitsDiscover your passions and interests, and how they can relate to an attainable career.

School BenefitsIgnite a sense of purpose in students by creating relevance between school and work through real world interactions.

Employer BenefitsDemonstrate the impact your work has on the community while increasing student awareness of technical careers.

Through applied career exploration, we bring job-relevance to students in their educational setting.

Student BenefitsExplore potential career pathways and start creating a data-driven career plan.

School BenefitsIncrease student interest in academics with work-based learning experiences.

Employer BenefitsAlign student’s interests and aptitudes with job opportunities that meet your employment needs.

We intersect school and workplace environments with practical education programs and customized vocational training.

Student BenefitsLearn valuable hard and soft skills while building an impressive portfolio through on-the-job training.

School BenefitsProvide new learning opportunities that give students the work-experience needed to validate their pathway choice.

Employer BenefitsTrain and develop the future workforce to create a more robust, diverse and innovative talent pipeline.

Through on-site work experience, we prepare students with the knowledge and skills necessary for productive, fulfilling careers.

Student BenefitsGain work experience in your desired career pathway while taking classes that advance your career options.

School BenefitsIncrease student engagement in academic coursework related to their desired careers.

Employer BenefitsTeach students the skills necessary to thrive in your workforce while increasing your productivity.

Students develop professionally through WBL, becoming productive members in their community.

Student BenefitsImplement a personalized career-training plan, whether that means securing employment in your desired job or continuing education.

School BenefitsIncrease the amount of students who graduate career-ready.

Employer BenefitsGain access to highly motivated employees, already trained and developed to meet your company’s needs.

The Work-based Learning Journey

Connecting today’s classroom to tomorrow’s careers
Find where your journey begins below

The GPS Ed work-based learning continuum includes career awareness, exploration, experience, preparation and development for students in technical industries.

Your Partner in Work-Based Learning Implementation

Work-based Learning Intermediaries work closely with public and private educators of all levels, employers/associations, and community-based organizations to provide needed capacity and services to connect stakeholders and make more career options accessible to more youth by strengthening and expanding work-based learning opportunities.

Your Partner in Work-Based Learning Implementation

How We Help Prepare Students for the Real World of Work

Building Scalable & Sustainable Work-based Learning Programs

Because outcomes and return on investment matters, every new client solution begins with DISCOVERY. This is where we make sure there is a solid understanding of your short and long term goals, project scope and budget. During this phase, we will build the framework for your unique solution, which will have lasting and measurable impact on its success.

Customized solutions DESIGNed to accelerate impact for scale We help you define your goal around high-quality practices in work-based learning We work with you to identify your resources and needs We collaboratively design a work-based learning solution you can launch quickly Using our expertise to BUILD and pilot your solution We gather resources, train stakeholders, and help you launch a pilot Full suite of GPS Ed tools and resources to EXECUTE your scalable solution From your pilot we help you quickly identify ways to adapt and adjust to any encountered hurdles in order to run a repeatable model year after year Clear and meaningful data provided to help EVALUATE for continuous improvement We will help you identify ways to move closer to high-quality practices in work-based learning We guide your scaling efforts to serve more students We can even help you grow your work-based learning program to support broader opportunities
Service Delivery Model

Design

Customized solutions DESIGNed to accelerate impact for scale

  • We help you define your goal around high-quality practices in work-based learning
  • We work with you to identify your resources and needs
  • We collaboratively design a work-based learning solution you can launch quickly

Build

Using our expertise to BUILD and pilot your solution

  • We gather resources, train stakeholders, and help you launch a pilot

Execute

Full suite of GPS Ed tools and resources to EXECUTE your scalable solution

  • From your pilot we help you quickly identify ways to adapt and adjust to any encountered hurdles in order to run a repeatable model year after year

Evaluate

Clear and meaningful data provided to help EVALUATE for continuous improvement

  • We will help you identify ways to move closer to high-quality practices in work-based learning
  • We guide your scaling efforts to serve more students
  • We can even help you grow your work-based learning program to support broader opportunities

How can we help you?

Whether you’re ready to implement WBL or just want to learn more about the process, our Solutions team is here to help.

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Why GPS Education Partners?

We provide accelerated, customized, and outcomes-based solutions by partnering with businesses, schools, and community-based organizations to develop the next-generation workforce.

There are a plethora of online guides and examples of how to build and run a work-based learning program, but when you are looking for someone to support you, to walk the road with you – GPS Education Partners is there to help you.

GPSEd provides a proven solution to prepare a diverse body of students for future careers more rapidly than traditional pathways. Our work represents a broad ecosystem of educators, businesses, and community leaders who believe in the transformation of education and training to develop our future workforce.

To date, this collaborative work has prepared students across the country with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to succeed in a career and in life. GPSEd has helped youth of all socio-economic backgrounds not only find careers, but become contributing members of their communities and develop critical personal skills needed to gain and sustain employment.

We build high-quality WBL programs that promote youth success in the workplace.

We have more than 2 decades of experience that our clients are tapping into to avoid common mistakes and to shrink the learning curve.

SchoolSchool Solutions

Milwaukee Lutheran High School
MPS Pathway Solution

Wisconsin

Oregon Virtual Academy (ORVA)
K-12

Oregon

Central City Cyber School
Cyber High Charter School

Wisconsin

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
MPS Pathway Solution

Wisconsin

Uplift Education
Public Charter School

Texas

SchoolCommunity Solutions

DuPage, Illinois Regional Office of Education (Dupage ROE)
WBL & Youth Apprenticeship Collaboration

Illinois

Hennepin West Education Consortium in Minnesota (HWEC)
Youth Apprenticeship Program

Minnesota

SchoolBusiness Solutions

Association for Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
WBL Manufacturing Association Collaboration

Wisconsin

Gustave A. Larson
HVAC/R Technician Youth Apprenticeship

Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois

Generac Power Systems
Manufacturing Youth Apprenticeship & Alternative Education Program

Wisconsin

Johnson Controls (JCI)
Service Tech Career Development Learning

California

3M
Manufacturing & Academic Partnership (MAP)

Minnesota

Building a Brighter Future Through Work-Based Learning

Student Testimonial

Jumpstart a career through Youth Apprenticeships

Digital 101 Podcast, IT Pathway, Student Interview

See how Gustave A. Larson employed a unique work-based learning program designed to fill the unmet workforce needs in the HVAC/R industry by building awareness and experience opportunities for youth.

Case Study

Find out more about how work-based learning ecosystems improve opportunities for all by integrating schools, communities and workplaces.

Whitepaper

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen is joined by GPS Education Partners (GPS Ed) and representatives of DuPage County Schools to discuss school and industry partnerships and work-based learning.

Getting Smart Podcast

What Our Partners Are Saying

We have received really positive feedback from participants. One of the biggest benefits for students is that they are able to earn high school credits and earn a paycheck to begin their pathway to financial independence. In addition, they can explore college and career options while developing valuable workplace skills and technical competencies—all before graduating from high school.

Dr. Darlene RuscittiSuperintendent of DuPage County Schools

The JCI and One Front Street Teams were both so enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and welcoming.

Foothill High School Instructor

I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. I learned a lot about how HVAC systems work, especially when it comes to 500+ feet buildings. I not only learned how they worked on a basic level, but was also able to see them and the various mechanisms in place that make the system work (i.e. how evaporation from the chillers is accounted for, how insect contamination in the water is accounted for, etc).

Foothill High School Student

Tons of interesting stuff to look around at, staff there (from Johnson Controls + One Front Street) were both super helpful and willing to answer questions / show us the more intricate parts of the system which was amazing.

Foothill High School Student

The partnership with GPSEd, Milwaukee Public Schools and community partners are second to none. The on-the-job training and exposure are just what our students need to be set on a trajectory for success.

Alex ErdmannCollege & Career Center Advisor / Planning Assistant at the Barack Obama SCTE College and Career Center

As a school partner, I am so grateful that our students will have the opportunity to participate in high-quality Youth Apprenticeships. They have been asking for more hands-on opportunities to learn skills that will help them in their future. They can't wait to begin.

Jackie HaydenCollege and Career Coordinator, Brooklyn Center High School

The Impact of WBL Starts with a Conversation

Ready to take the first step toward implementing Work-based Learning in your community? Contact us and let’s see if we are the right partner to guide and support you on your journey.