City College of San Francisco
John Halpin
Associate Dean, WorkForce Development

“The workforce environment as we know it is undergoing a period of immense change. Fueled in part by the shifts made necessary by the pandemic, we have seen a dramatic increase in remote/virtual work, use of AI technology, and the prevalence of gig work. The educational landscape has had to adapt as well, with institutions having to reinvent the educational experience through virtual learning, the introduction of new disciplines, and new forms of communication. Community Colleges have remained in demand, especially for those adult learners who are looking to upskill and better prepare for new and different employment. These institutions support students from underserved backgrounds, who might be lacking equitable opportunities, role models, or relevant networks to support their goals and dreams. In light of all of these shifts, we ask ourselves: As educators, how can we be sure we are best preparing our students to meet these changes? As students, how can you boost your confidence, create meaningful connections, and graduate with the skills you need to succeed in a workforce that differs from those faced by previous generations?

These questions have guided my work throughout my career. I have been creating and implementing workforce development programs in San Francisco for over 25 years, including the last seven years at City College of San Francisco. My primary goal is to provide resources and support our students as they make progress in their career journey. When I first met Patty Alper, we were part of an eight-person catalyzation session hosted by the Knowledge Impact Network where she was the featured guest. At the time, she was describing her vision for bringing together the business community and academia. She asked an impactful question, “What would education look like, if we added skilled, trained practitioners to mentor students while they worked on projects within their field of choice?” Her concepts and methods, based on her model of Project Based Mentoring®, are spelled out in the book you now hold in your hands.

For students to be competitive in the current workforce environment, they will need to be proficient in remote collaboration methods and emerging technologies, have excellent presentation skills, be adept in project management, and be able to establish empathetic and respectful relationships. How can educators and educational institutions help their students get there? Developing more work-based learning opportunities for students to engage with employers, including virtual work-based learning, and involving employers in curriculum to be more responsive to ongoing changes in workforce requirements, are critical steps to success.

Enter Project Based Mentoring, the keystone to Patty Alper’s work and the anchor of this book. Based on the experience of the Career Services team I lead at City College, we continually hear from employers that they want to see examples of projects completed by job applicants. Many students do not have access to the social capital needed to provide them with such opportunities. Having a mentor-based project embedded into curricula not only gives students an ability to build a project portfolio, but also provides an opportunity to grow their professional networks. Teach to Work provides educational institutions with a practical, step-by-step guide to collaborate with interested businesses to develop project-based mentoring opportunities for students who historically would not have access to such experiences.

The benefits to such a model and program are immense. For the students, they gain insight as to how to develop a hypothesis for a real-world problem, and they develop project management skills by creating a timeline and seeing a project all the way through from research to implementation to post-implementation analysis. They also gain skills in collaboration, building relationships, and oral and written communication. For the industry professionals and companies involved, they gain an ambassador for the company, a pipeline to new hires, leadership skills, and the motivational spark that comes from collaborating with the next generation of talent. For the educational institutions implementing these programs, comes new partnerships in the community, pacing with industry changes, links to potential internships and jobs for students, and avenues for philanthropic contributions.

It is my sincere belief that with true partnerships between the business and education sectors cultivated through the Teach to Work Project-Based Mentoring program, the benefits to all will be vast. My vision is to grow the Teach to Work model, not only within our own college and relevant departments, but across colleges in the Bay Area and beyond. I applaud Patty Alper for her innovation, her materials, and her guidance. And I applaud you, the reader, for diving in with us! Together, we can do such meaningful work.”