Educator Ambassador Program

New York State schools are a critical partner in our state’s workforce development strategy. Our P-12 school system plays a vital role in students’ development not only in educational attainment and the development of social-emotional skills, but also in workforce development. As many students move through the P-12 system, they learn about academic subject areas but may not engage in career readiness training through career exploration and work-based learning.

To support the design and implementation of career-readiness curricula statewide, the New York State Department of Labor in partnership with the New York State Education Department launched the first New York State Department of Labor Educator Career Development Ambassador Program, a four-week summer training for teachers, librarians, and counselors in Grades 6 to 12 to develop, implement, and deliver 21st century career-readiness curricula or strategies to New York’s students.

Today’s students will be tomorrow’s workforce. Teachers and counselors already serve on the frontline and have the potential to shape the workforce. Each day in the classroom, teachers are working with students to identify their interests and develop their knowledge and skills, in turn helping them to prepare and learn skills to be best prepared for career or higher education opportunities.

Flyer: Be a Career Development Ambassador!

Goals and Design

Programming is designed to help participants acquire strategies and tools to align classroom instruction with career exploration to build future pathways to employment. Participants receive distance learning instruction in various topics throughout the program. These sessions cover NYSDOL organization and operations, career development theory and practice, and business and industry spotlight panels. Sessions are delivered live to all participants simultaneously and recorded for future reference.

Learning Objectives

• Functions and services of the Department of Labor, including key divisions and workforce programs (e.g., Division of Workforce and Employment Solutions)
• Labor market data and research and changes impacting the regional job market
• Professional development boot camp (e.g., resume writing, interview prep, networking, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Deep dive of regional workforce programs, including the local career center(s) and workforce boards
• Business immersion with tours of local business/industries (e.g., healthcare, advanced manufacturing, information technology, financial services); meet with key business members for informational interviews (e.g., HR, Learning and Development, Workforce, Apprentices, Journey Workers, Interns)
• Final Project: collaborative lesson-plan/unit development to be brought back to districts
  • Topics include:
    • Creating a LinkedIn Profile (Collaborative WBL), Motivation lesson plan (LI zone) Student resources sheet (LI zone)
    • Transferable Soft Skills in the Performing Arts
    • Implications for Our School Districts
    • Career Exploration Step One: Aligned Interests

Program Participants

New York State teachers, librarians, and counselors, grades 6-12, with more than five years of experience in a school setting, and an interest in career-readiness and workforce development. Applicants serving historically underserved communities were encouraged to apply. In addition, successful participants should possess an aptitude and demonstrated track record of leadership and disseminating ideas to peers and colleagues.

Application Process

Press release was released in February 2023. 2024 Job Postings are now available. Participants are required to apply directly to through the posting. Eligible candidates receive a screening interview via Interview Stream followed by a virtual interview by team leads. The team chooses participants from diverse backgrounds, expertise, subject matter, years of experience and school type and location (e.g., city, suburban, rural, private, public, charter, etc.).

2023 Educator Ambassadors

Locations

Participants represented nine of the ten economic regions in New York State and were placed in our larger Career Centers throughout the state.

2023 Educator Ambassador Bios

Participants who successfully completed the program received a Certificate of Completion from the Department of Labor and Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) credits.

Support Post-Program

NYSDOL views the Ambassador program as the beginning of ongoing relationships with the participants.  After the program ends staff will remain available to the participants to consult, assist in the delivery of content, serve as guest speakers, and assist with business engagement activities. 

NYSDOL will also maintain a site providing access to materials developed during the program.  The site will serve as a common point of engagement to disseminate updated information to participants, including materials developed by subsequent cohorts.

Select emeritus participants will be invited to work for NYSDOL in the planning and delivery of future years of the program.

For more information on the Teacher Ambassador Program, please email [email protected].