Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) recently welcomed high school educators and counselors from across the valley for its Business Services Educator Externship Day, a collaborative event designed to strengthen connections between education and industry while expanding career exploration opportunities for students.
Hosted by PVCC's Office of Strategic Partnerships in partnership with the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) and the Maricopa County School Superintendent's Office, the event brought together educators from the Paradise Valley, Deer Valley, and Scottsdale Unified school districts for a day of hands-on learning about the college's business, accounting, cybersecurity programs, as well as other career and technical education pathways. Those in attendance will take what they learned and share with more than 12,000 students across their districts, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond the PVCC campus.
"This event highlights the importance of the industry-to-education connection," said Dr. Brianna DeGeus, executive director of PVCC’s Strategic Partnerships. "When our K-12 and higher education institutions are listening to the employer voice, our students are better prepared and make a more successful transition to the workforce. PVCC offers particularly robust programming in advanced business services, and hosting our K-12 partners to exchange ideas and join forces to prepare the future workforce was a delight."
Bridging Classrooms and Careers
According to labor market data from LightCast, business and finance are the economic engines in Arizona. The industry:
- Has an employment concentration six percent above the national average
- Is projected to grow five percent through 2030
- Offers median annual earnings of $71,700.
PVCC’s Externship Day event gave attendees firsthand insight into high-demand industries while equipping them with realistic resources to strengthen classroom instruction and expand students' awareness of career opportunities. Teachers received practical strategies to integrate into their classrooms, including lessons on resume writing, interviewing, networking, workplace professionalism and transferable skills.
"Preparing students for meaningful careers requires K-12 education, higher education and industry to work together. Students cannot prepare for opportunities they cannot see," said Dean of Career and Technical Education Dr. Sean Petty, emphasizing the importance of career awareness, exploration, and preparation while highlighting Arizona's growing business and finance sector. Petty described PVCC as a "one-stop shop," offering Dual Enrollment, Concurrent Enrollment, certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor's degrees that all provide affordable pathways to high-demand careers.
The event featured presentations from PVCC faculty leaders in business, accounting, and cybersecurity, along with keynote speakers Scott Vanderpool, Bank of America Phoenix president, and Maricopa County School Superintendent Shelli Boggs. Participants also engaged in roundtable discussions with Lynn Clark, CPA, accounting program director; Stacy Smith, JD, paralegal program director; and Alexander Francuzik, cybersecurity faculty member, exploring college readiness, student engagement and successful transitions from high school to higher education.
"It was great hearing from the program instructors on how we can expose our students to their programs and how they can apply what they learn in their classes to real-life situations and career opportunities," said Donna Wittwer, a counselor at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Az.
The afternoon concluded with an industry panel featuring business and finance leaders who discussed workforce trends, employer expectations, and the skills students need to succeed. Panelists emphasized interview preparation, strong resumes, mentorship and professional confidence while sharing how a variety of educational pathways can lead to rewarding careers.
"The professional panel that discussed how students can present themselves before, during, and after an interview was insightful and relevant so that we could give this information to the students we work with," said Wittwer.
"Students don't realize their worth," added panelist John Walters, market leader for Trucordia. "You've got to get them to believe in themselves, be aware of what barriers they may be facing, give them a hand-up and help them achieve their potential."
Educators received a Career Exploration Toolkit filled with classroom activities, career research resources, advising tools, and lesson plans to help students identify their interests, strengths, and values while connecting them to educational pathways and future careers. Many participants said they plan to incorporate career exploration tools, mock interviews, and advising resources into their classrooms while building on new partnerships with PVCC faculty, business leaders and community organizations.
The knowledge, resources, and partnerships developed throughout the day will help educators strengthen career-focused instruction, expand students' awareness of postsecondary opportunities, and better prepare thousands of Arizona students for success in college, careers and the evolving workforce.