Education for Employment Plan

Introduction

The mission of the West Bend School District is “Preparing ALL students for College Readiness and Career Success.”  “Career Readiness” is the vehicle by which we will accomplish our mission and programming should be embedded in everything we do for and with our students every day.

Career Readiness is a student-driven, adult-supported process in which students create and cultivate their own unique and information-based visions for post-secondary success, obtained through self-exploration, career exploration, and the development of career management and planning skills.

Career Readiness Mission/Vision:

Preparing ALL students for College Readiness and Career Success

Career Readiness Team:

Jenni Hanni-Schmitz - West High School Counselor

Allison Holtzer - East High School Business Teacher

Mark Drake - West High School Social Studies Teacher

Rob Willmas - Career and Technical Education Teacher

Mark Wundrock - ELL Teacher - High School

Veronica Ewing - ELL Teacher -  Middle/High School

Patrick O’Connor - Principal at Badger Middle School

Lance Roell - Principal at Silverbrook Intermediate School

Tim Harder - Director of Facilities & Technology

Brenda O’Brien - Career Education and Career Readiness Coordinator

Career Readiness Data:

  • The following are career-based learning experiences at the high school:
    • Job Shadowing
    • Guest Speakers
    • Company Tours
    • College and Career Fair (September)
    • Student Hiring Fair (April)
    • Student CTE Organizations (CTSOs)
    • Youth Apprenticeships
       
  • The following are career-based learning experiences at the elementary, intermediate, and middle schools:
    • JA Biztown
    • Guest Speakers
    • College Tours

Class of 2025 Current data is as follows:

  • 290 were concentrators - a student is identified as a concentrator if they completed at least two CTE courses in a single career pathway throughout high school.
  • 258 graduates earned Industry-recognized Certifications (IRCs)
  • 72 students are registered in the Youth Apprenticeship (YA) program.
  • 2,311 Moraine Park College credits earned 
  • 486 students are registered for a transcripted credit course (TC) through Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC).
  • $381,195 dual credit savings through Moraine Park TC classes
  • Forty (40) students are enrolled in the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course through MPTC.
  • Two (2) students are taking the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course through MPTC.
  • One (1) student is taking the Fire Fighting Principles course through MPTC.
  • 61 employer partners.
  • 12 local pathways offered

Future Goals:

In the future, we want to ensure ALL students are career ready.  Not all subgroups are participating in CTE programming at the same rate as their peers.  We are working on translating marketing materials into various languages, and we are creating support structures to ensure ALL families are welcome and participating in informational meetings such as Gearing Up for High School, Open House, and Scholarship Night with language translation readily available.

Action Steps:

  • Update website with the latest ACP information
  • Continue implementing Career Readiness in all monthly grade level meetings at the high school
  • The district plans to embed ACP and Career Readiness into the reconfigured middle school course planning
  • The district seeks to increase (year-over-year) the number of students who:
    • complete all assigned Xello lessons
    • graduate as concentrators
    • participate in Youth Apprenticeships
    • earn an industry-recognized certification
    • earn college credits while in high school

Career Readiness Success Stories:

The following are links to various news releases regarding Career Readiness in the West Bend School District.

Jackson Elementary and Junior Achievement 

Tiny House, Big Progress

YMCA Partnership (staff newsletter)

CyberPatriot Competition

In 2023, WBHS students competed in a national cyber security competition - CyberPatriot.  Students used their knowledge and skills to secure a simulated network environment by looking at Windows, Linux, and other systems within a 6-hour time period.  Competitions began in November with students advancing to the semifinal round after placing in the top 25% of the previous round.  

CTE Co-Curricular Organizations:  In 2025, 86 students participated in the following co-curricular organizations, many who competed at the regional, state, and national levels.

  • SkillsUSA
  • Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) - Thirteen students competed in the regional competition; nine students qualified for the State competition.  One student qualified for nationals.


Career Readiness Curriculum, Supports, and Services:

Grade Level Appropriate Career Readiness Activities 

Career Readiness/School Counseling Services

  • High School Counseling team offers additional support services provided for Career Readiness.
  • K-8 Counseling Team will begin to develop plans for support.

Whole School High School Support


Preparing for the Future:

The Career Readiness program in the West Bend School District ensures every student is prepared for life after high school no matter what path they plan to take.  This includes: 

  • Career and technical education provided in the school district Course Planning Guide
  • West Bend High School offers 29 transcripted credit courses through Moraine Park Technical College. Students earn college credit transferable to most colleges, and they may earn advanced standing for Moraine Park’s Associate degree program upon graduation from high school.
  • Early College Credit Program and Start College Now 
  • West Bend High School offers postsecondary four-year university/college preparation with 17 Advanced Placement (AP) courses.  
  • Youth Apprenticeship is available to any junior or senior.  
  • Job Shadowing is available to all high school students.
  • The West Bend School District offers five (5) Career and Technical Education organizations for students to join:  Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Future Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Wisconsin ProStart Invitational, BOTS IQ, Skills USA.
  • Students can receive Industry-recognized certifications in the following areas:

list of career readiness classes

 

Career Pathways:

The West Bend School District has a Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee that meets at least three times a year to advise programming and pathway improvement.  This committee uses local, state, and national data to make recommendations about continuous improvement in the Career and Technical Education departments. 

Currently, West Bend School District offers 14 career pathways.

Labor Market Information: 

Labor market information (LMI) helps our school districts develop cutting-edge Career and Technical Education programs by uncovering the skills students will need in the future. In addition, LMI can help students understand which jobs are most likely to be available and well-compensated. To access Labor Market Information for Washington County and the greater West Bend community, Click Here.

Individualized Student Supports: 

In partnership with a community-based education center, Casa Guadalupe, students work with the Director of Hispanic Literacy Programs to write their resumes, complete job applications, apply for colleges/universities, or complete other paperwork necessary for life after high school.

Casa Guadalupe and the West Bend School District partner to provide career planning through a program called Dream to Succeed.  Once a month, students who identify as Hispanic listen to area employers talk about career pathways, participate in field trips to various employers, and gain knowledge about the skills required in today’s workforce.

The West Bend School District partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters to offer Beyond School Walls, a mentoring program in partnership with West Bend Mutual Insurance Company.  Once a month, students travel to West Bend Mutual Insurance Company to meet with a professional to talk about career planning.  Students receive support with resumes, cover letters, interviewing, and they learn more about their career pathway of interest.

If a pupil is a child with a disability, the pupil's academic and career plan shall be made available to the pupil's individual education program team. The pupil's individualized education program team may, if appropriate, take the pupil's academic and career plan into account when developing the pupil's transition services.

Access for All Students: 

The Career Readiness Center offers workshops to support ALL students in their career planning.  Students can meet with recruiters, build resumes, learn about volunteer opportunities, receive support in college applications, apply for scholarships, and receive any type of individualized support.

West Bend High School partners with the West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce to offer Business Bus Tours.  Once a year, students have an opportunity to travel to different businesses for a behind-the-scenes tour of a career pathway.  Then, they meet for a business luncheon to hear from a panel of business leaders talk about their career pathways.  Students finish out the day networking with business professionals.  In 2026, students had an opportunity to tour facilities in manufacturing, emergency response, healthcare, or engineering.

The West Bend School District partners with West Bend Mutual Insurance and The Threshold on Project SEARCH. This program helps children with disabilities in Washington County gain marketable job skills plus students gain increased independence, confidence, and self-esteem. At job sites, students receive individualized coaching, instruction, and feedback.

Career Readiness Technology:

The West Bend School District utilizes Xello for the lessons and activities related to career education and portfolio development.

During the 2023-24 school year, the district piloted Money Path in the Personal Finance course. This web-based tool provides students an opportunity to see the financial impacts of their post-secondary planning, including student loans, if applicable, starting salaries, monthly budgeting, and planning for longer-term goals.  MoneyPath continues to be a resource in the Personal Finance course, a course required for all high school students.

Getting Involved:

Family Engagement
The West Bend School District engages families and caregivers in academic and career planning by:

  • Information through course selection guide, Canvas announcements, website, and social media updates
  • Parent-teacher conferences
  • Access to child’s Xello (View only)
  • Postsecondary Transition Plans - Starting at age 14 for all students with an IEP
  • Informational meetings for activities such as job shadows and Youth Apprenticeships


Community Engagement: 

The West Bend School District is proud to collaborate with over 50 business and community partners.   The most recent partnership is with Serigraph, where high students in digital media are working with Serigraph employees to produce social media posts and other marketing and promotional materials.

The Career and Technical Advisory committee meets three times per year to review labor market data, advise on high-demand careers, and offer input for continuous improvement and program evaluation.

Mini career fairs focusing on different career pathways including nursing, cosmetology, and engineering bring together higher education (including universities, technical colleges, and trade schools) and potential employers to provide information to students as they plan life after high school.

Plan for 2026-27

  • Career Fair (September) - all high school students
  • Health Science (November)
  • Cosmetology (February)
  • Engineering (March)
  • Manufacturing and Construction (March) - Slinger High School
  • Summer Hiring Event (April) - all high school students

Professional Development:

The School District of West Bend is committed to supporting our entire staff to become engaged in the career readiness process.  We provide the following professional development to staff:

  • Professional Learning Community meetings once per month for the CTE high school teachers
  • Advisory Board meetings at least three times per year to review labor market data, local participation data, and goal-setting
  • All staff presentations twice per year
    • Relevance of the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards
    • Review the E4E plan and make any changes
  • Updates at the high school staff meetings at least three times per year
    • Continue to articulate ACP lessons within the classroom
    • Continue to make connections between ACT and ACP

 

ACP/E4E Contact- Tim Harder - Director of Facilities and Technology

Board Adopted: April 13, 2026