What will a school partnership cost us in staff time?
What a school partnership costs in staff time depends on what you contribute, and the largest share usually comes from hosting students or participants in the workplace. Sharing knowledge, such as speaking to a class or giving input on what a program teaches, takes a few hours at a time. Supervising an intern, mentoring a student over several months, or hosting an apprentice takes sustained time from supervisors and coworkers. That time comes on top of work they're already doing.
To estimate the cost, list the people who would be involved and the hours each would give over a term. That usually means a coordinator who communicates with the program, employees who attend meetings or speak to classes, and supervisors and coworkers who host or mentor. Then ask whether those hours are realistic alongside their current responsibilities. Employees who are already stretched may experience a partnership as one more demand, which affects their wellbeing and the student's experience.
The range of contributions, from the lightest to the most demanding, is set out in What can an employer actually contribute besides money?
What can a school partnership return, and how long does that take?
A school partnership can return candidates who already understand your work, a program whose curriculum is closer to what your roles require, an earlier look at people entering your field, and opportunities for your own employees to develop by teaching and mentoring. These returns usually take longer to appear than a hiring cycle. Students or participants need time to complete a program, and changes to what a program teaches go through the institution's own approval and scheduling processes before they reach a classroom.
No one can responsibly tell you in advance how many hires a partnership will produce or how much it will save you, and we don't. What you can do is decide ahead of time what you'd want to see at the end of a trial. That might be meeting candidates you would consider hiring, hiring one or two people from the program, or seeing the program change something in response to your input. Then you can judge the partnership by your own experience.
When does a school partnership not pay off?
A school partnership is unlikely to pay off when it's expected to solve a problem it can't solve, or when the organization can't sustain its side. Several conditions make that more likely:
- The roles don't match what nearby programs teach. If no local program prepares people for your work, a partnership may take years of program development before it affects your hiring.
- The need is urgent. A partnership is a poor fit for a position you need filled this quarter.
- The people you hire aren't staying. A partnership brings people in, and it doesn't change the conditions that may be causing them to leave.
- The relationship depends on one person. When the employee who championed the partnership leaves or changes roles, the relationship can stall unless someone else takes it on.
- The commitment is larger than the staff can sustain. A partnership that starts with more than your supervisors can carry may fade, which can leave the program worse off than a smaller, steady commitment would have.
- Neither side has said what it needs. Without an agreement about what each partner hopes to gain, it's difficult to tell whether the partnership is working.
If turnover is the larger problem, look at it first. What is turnover actually costing us? covers how to size it, and Why do good employees keep leaving when we pay competitively? covers the common causes.
What is the smallest version of a school partnership worth trying?
The smallest version of a school partnership worth trying is a single contribution to a single program, for one term or one year, with a clear idea of what you will look at afterward. For example, an employer might choose one role it hires for regularly, find the program that prepares people for it, and offer a guest speaker, a site visit, or input on one course. A slightly larger trial might add one or two work experience placements, supervised by employees who have agreed to the role and have time set aside for it.
At the end of the trial, look at how many hours it took and from whom, whether it led to meeting or hiring candidates, how the employees involved experienced it, and whether the program found the contribution useful. Ask the program and your own employees, as well as reviewing the numbers. Those answers will tell you whether to continue, expand, change what you contribute, or stop.
If the trial includes internships or apprenticeships, How do we know whether our work-based learning program is working? covers what "working" means for that kind of program.
The Grantibly perspective
Lauren's perspective
We treat workforce decisions as business decisions as well as people decisions, and a partnership with a school is an investment of staff time that should be weighed the way any investment is. The question isn't only what a partnership will cost. It's also what it costs to keep operating without understanding the problem you're trying to solve, whether that problem is hiring, preparation, or people leaving after they arrive.
At the same time, we avoid making unsupported promises about return on investment. Good information should help an organization determine where an investment is likely to make a meaningful difference, and where it isn't. Our perspective here comes from evaluating education and training programs that prepare people for high-demand careers. That work has given us a close-up view of how employers and educators work together, and of what happens when the systems intended to support workers do or don't work as intended.
