Guest Speaker and Workplace Visits

(Employer Guides)

Guest Speakers and Workplace Visits

Students learn about specific industries/organizations by either visiting worksites or hosting a guest speaker in school. These opportunities allow time for students to learn from professionals by asking questions to learn more about the workplace.

These visits can be done in-person or through a virtual platform.

Approximate time commitment for volunteers

Approximate amount of staff needed

Guest Speaker/Workplace Visit Outcomes

Expose students to the wide range of career options available in your company / organization

Explain the training and schooling necessary for entry into the field

Share information and expectations of a professional workplace (dress code, workplace culture, etc.)

Encourage student ask questions and learn more about getting hired and advancing in different careers

Explain to student who helped you get to the job you have

Introduce employability skills to students

Preparing to be a Guest Speaker / Workplace Visit

Ask host teacher(s)/school what the goals for the presentation are
Discuss presentation outline with host teacher(s)/school
Coordinate with host teacher(s)/school/program to ensure that examples, vocabulary, and any planned activities are age appropriate and aligned to what is being taught in the classroom
Arrange any media needs with the host teacher in advance
Download media platform for virtual opportunity (if applicable)

Workplace Visit

Prepare workplace to meet safety requirements for a visit
Determine what areas of your worksite you would like students to visit
Determine tour guide and additional speakers along the presentation
Testing out WiFi streaming capacity for a virtual tour (if applicable)
Communicate with the school what participants should be wearing to the site visit (closed-toe shoes, business attire, etc.)

Following-Up after a Presentation

Host teacher will share any additional student questions/feedback with you
Debrief with your team and provide feedback to host teacher/program coordinator/point of contact
Debrief with host teacher/point of contact and arrange for other ways that the school and organization can work together to support student interest and learning along the WBL Continuum

Examples of Guest Speakers and Workplace Visits

Here is an example of a virtual tour from the Chamber of Commerce Hawai'i! The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii is a non-profit organization that has been advocating for businesses in Hawaii for over 100 years. The Chamber works on behalf of its 2,000+ member organizations to advance the state’s economic climate and help the business community thrive locally, nationally, and globally. In this virtual tour example, the Chamber pulls back the curtain to share about the team behind the virtual tours and showcase how the Chamber started gaining its members with a...goat.

To learn more about the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, visit their website at cochawaii.org.

Other Resources

Virtual Student Experiences

The Virtual Student Experiences (VSE) is a pro bono initiative spearheaded for students by students. VSE holds and records live webinars with leading industry professionals so that students can learn about different career pathways. For students that know what they want to do, VSE encourages, allows, and connects those students with professionals. Through VSE, students are given the chance to decide if their career of choice fits their personality, skills, and overall interests. Most VSE webinars are recorded and posted on the VSE YouTube Channel.

For more information: About Us | Virtual Student Experiences

Nepris* (NOW PATHFUL) - Paid subscription for schools

Our ecosystem has a diverse set of participants: Corporations, Non-profits and Post-Secondary Institutions with a common mission to provide equity of access to students through career exposure and adding real world relevance to curriculum. We provide each of these partners a platform to scale their education outreach.

For more information: https://pathful.com/

Typically one-time experiences at school or through a huakaʻi or field trip to build student awareness of the wide range of career, college, and community options available to them

Awareness Experiences

Exploration experiences go beyond brief exposure of awareness-building experiences by extending the experience through multiple interactions or more rigorous student participation

Exploration Experiences

Preparation level experiences strengthen student content knowledge and skills through coursework linked to extended interaction with community and industry professionals

Preparation Experiences

Training experiences are extended interactions that require the application of the learned technical, employability, and academic knowledge in real-world industry settings

Training
Experiences