BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL | Policy Manual

9141 - BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL

Purpose and Management

Businesses are important partners who can help shape the educational experiences of all students in Ohio schools. Businesses can partner with schools to share news about job trends and opportunities, as well as economic changes that shall affect jobs. They can play a role in ESC curriculum development and help create new opportunities for students, such as work-based learning experiences.

The Governing Board recognizes the increasing importance to the nation’s productivity and future well-being of its citizens that students enter the labor market with employable skills and attitudes.

The Governing Board and ESC staff also recognize that the necessary educational effort involves close cooperation among interested parties and that decisions regarding the curriculum should not be made without appropriate input from those affected by the educational results.

In order to obtain more effective assistance from groups particularly affected by student entry-level skills and potential employers, the Governing Board shall establish and appoint a Business Advisory Council (“BAC”) to serve as a continuing advisory group to the Governing Board and administration, as well as participating school districts, pursuant to R.C. 3313.82, R.C. 3313.821, and applicable laws.

The BAC shall advise and provide recommendations to the ESC on matters specified by the ESC including, but not necessarily limited to, advising the ESC on changes in the economy and job market and the area in which future jobs are most likely to be available; advocating for the employment skills most critical to business and industry and the development of curriculum to teach these skills; aiding and supporting the ESC by offering suggestions for developing a working relationship among businesses, labor organizations and educators; identify new and emerging careers; offering recommendations on needed knowledge, skills and competencies; advocating for effective curriculum; offering work-based learning opportunities; and making recommendations on the facilities and equipment needed to teach work-based skills.

The Governing Board has entered into an agreement with affiliated school districts so that the BAC shall represent businesses of the participating school districts.

For those school districts with whom the ESC has entered into an agreement under R.C. 3313.843 and/or R.C. 3313.845 to receive any services from the ESC, the ESC is willing and able to serve as the school district’s business advisory council and represent the business of the school district provided that a joint agreement is entered into between the school district and ESC appointing the BAC to serve as the school district’s business advisory council under the terms and conditions agreed upon by the school district and ESC.

For those joint vocational school districts and/or cooperative education school districts that are not required to appoint their own business advisory councils as a matter of law, the ESC is willing and able to allow such school districts to participate in the BAC to the extent permitted by law and agreed upon by and between the joint vocational/cooperative education school district and the ESC.

The BAC shall operate in accordance with the standards established by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board.

Regular updates from the BAC shall be reviewed by the Governing Board.

As a public body of the ESC, the BAC shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Ohio Open Meetings Act and Ohio Public Records Act.

The BAC shall be composed of five (5) members. The ESC Superintendent shall serve as the BAC Chairman.

The ESC Superintendent shall appoint the BAC members and the ESC’s contact representative. BAC membership should be representative of the ESC, be available to attend meetings and participate in council activities and have a sincere interest in making a positive contribution to ESC/BAC ventures.

BAC Members may be selected from:

local or regional businesses and industries;
workforce development or economic development groups or organizations;
local chambers of commerce;
local business or industry associations;
other organizations with unique knowledge of the local economy or business environment, such as higher education institutions;
the ESC Governing Board (at least one member);
ESC leadership teams; and
Participating school district leadership teams.

The BAC shall document its practices in a written description of how the BAC shall work. The description should include:

mission statement;
member appointment and terms of service;
appointment of officers and responsibilities of each office;
BAC meeting schedules;
process the council shall use to provide public notice of all meetings;
process for taking and recording minutes of each BAC meeting;
procedures for appointment of BAC subcommittees, if applicable;
parliamentary procedure to be practiced during BAC meetings;
process for reporting to the Governing Board on a quarterly basis; and
schedule for review and revision of description of operations of the BAC.

This description outlines the BAC’s purpose and guides its management by defining the BAC’s responsibilities and limitations as well as expectations for its members.

Conflicts of Interest

The maintenance of unusually high standards of honesty, integrity, impartiality, and professional conduct by members of the BAC is essential to ensure the proper performance of school business as well as to earn and keep public confidence in the ESC.

BAC Activity

The ESC Superintendent, working with the members of the BAC, shall decide the manner in which meetings are conducted, the way decisions are recorded, the process for developing the required plan and joint statement, and other activities of the BAC.

Frequency of Meetings

The BAC shall meet with the ESC at least quarterly.

BAC Plan

The BAC and ESC shall develop a plan specifying matters upon which the BAC shall advise and make recommendations to the ESC. The plan shall be revised and updated annually. The plan shall be filed with the Ohio Department of Education each year.

At minimum, the plan shall address how the BAC shall make recommendations on these items:

delineating employment skills and developing curriculum to instill these skills;
changes in the economy and job market, and the types of employment in which future jobs are most likely to be available; and
developing a working relationship among business, labor, and education personnel.

The BAC may consider incorporating these elements into their plans:

The schedule of required joint meetings of the ESC and BAC for the year. The BAC shall meet with the ESC at least quarterly).
A schedule, as determined appropriate, of additional meetings of the BAC or of BAC subcommittees.
Data analysis or other information that describes changes in the economy and job market and the types of employment in which future jobs are most likely to be available. Data may also focus on student skills or deficiencies and other information that informs the plan.
A needs assessment, based on data analysis, that identifies business community needs as well as students’ educational needs. The latter includes the academic, nonacademic, and employment skills and knowledge students shall have to succeed in higher education and careers. Needs might include such things as improving awareness of job opportunities, and improving certain skills among students.
A schedule and description of events, activities or programs conducted by the BAC to address the identified business or student needs. While the law does not prescribe specific events, activities or programs may include:
1. Job Fairs or Conferences: A gathering of business representatives and employees in a location that allows students and families to learn about business activities and job opportunities in the ESC or region.
2. Job Shadowing: Organized opportunities through which students can shadow employees of businesses to understand the nature of the business and job.
3. Internships, cooperative training, work-based learning opportunities or employment for students: Organized opportunities through which students perform work over an extended time in a business setting to fully understand the nature of a job and how to do it. This can include unpaid as well as paid work; including full-time, part-time, or summer employment.
4. Mentoring and tutoring programs for students: Programs through which employers provide opportunities for employees to serve as mentors and tutors to students, helping improve academic skills as well as social, emotional, and workplace and employability skills.
5. Career Counseling and Exploration: This can include helping students learn to use the OhioMeansJobs suite of tools and services. It may also include other career exploration activities or training for ESC employees on career counseling strategies.
6. Promoting student commitment to being drug free. This may include activities that raise awareness for students not only about the dangers of drug and alcohol use, but also how the use of drugs and alcohol negatively impacts workplace safety and productivity. Focus on how the commitment to remain drug free is a win-win situation for both employers and employees. If possible, provide examples to illustrate the point.
7. Promoting the use of the OhioMeansJobs Readiness Seal. This may include activities that raise awareness by employers and students of the seal and help students gain and demonstrate competencies included as part of the seal. It may also include training for employers on how to rate students on the various competencies required for the seal.
8. Informing curriculum design and development: This may include any of the following:
  1. reviewing curriculum materials for technical content accuracy;
  2. identifying knowledge or skill competency levels and performance standards in both technical and academic courses;
  3. helping the ESC obtain instructional materials;
  4. identifying employability skills;
  5. donating or otherwise helping the ESC acquire equipment or facilities for specialized training needs;
  6. encouraging and promoting secondary and postsecondary connections;
  7. recommending technical resource personnel;
  8. using OhioMeansJobs K-12 to show desired employability skills for in-demand jobs;
  9. supporting a school’s application for STEM designation; and
  10. offering recommendations to implement career pathways.
9. Engaging educators: This may include activities that provide teachers and other ESC personnel with information and experiences relative to the businesses in the community. It may include activities like teacher externships and other learning opportunities for educators.
Publicizing and communicating local economy and job information: This would include activities designed to inform students, educators, and the community about changes to the local economy and which jobs shall be most in demand. Activities may include:
1. developing and implementing a local marketing plan for in-demand careers;
2. arranging for meetings between chambers of commerce or business roundtables to discuss economic development in the area;
3. preparing and sharing reports and information on employment trends from the U.S. and Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics;
4. inviting representatives from postsecondary and the workforce development community to meetings to discuss the future of jobs in the area; and
5. using OhioMeansJobs K-12 to show in-demand jobs both throughout Ohio and in the local community.
Fostering collaboration, beyond the BAC, among business, labor and education personnel. Activities may include:
1. broadly engaging local businesses to support the community’s education system and participate in activities specified in the plan; and
2. soliciting input from businesses on the work of the BAC.

Submitting a Joint Statement

The BAC and ESC shall file a joint statement, not later than the first day of March of each school year. This joint statement should report progress on work they outlined in the BAC plan for that year, summarize actions taken and actions pending, and specify how the BAC and ESC have fulfilled their respective responsibilities under the law.

At a minimum, the joint statement should reference:

meetings conducted by the BAC;
the BAC’s plan and implementation progress;
brief summaries of specific activities the BAC conducted;
the nature of the BAC’s advice and recommendations, if any, on needed employment skills and curriculum development to instill those skills;
The nature of the BAC’s advice and recommendations, if any, on economic and job market changes and the types of employment in which future jobs are most likely to be available; and
the nature of the BAC’s advice and suggestions, if any, for developing working relationships among businesses, labor organizations, and educational personnel.