K-12 Strategies

Stop doing random outreach. Start building a future workforce.

Most companies invest in K–12 engagement with good intentions: career days, classroom visits, sponsorships, job fairs, etc.

But without a clear strategy, those efforts rarely translate into a real talent pipeline.

Unfiltered Workforce helps employers design intentional, targeted K–12 strategies that connect early exposure to long-term workforce outcomes.

K–12 systems are being asked to prepare students for a workforce they often aren’t directly connected to. Resulting in partnerships where employers and schools often feel like they are speaking two different languages. The result? Well-intentioned programs that don’t always translate into real opportunity.

Unfiltered Workforce bridges that gap. We work at the intersection of education and industry to align strategy, programming, and partnerships with what actually matters: clear pathways, relevant skills, and real outcomes for students.

What We Actually Do

  • Program Design & Alignment
    • Build or refine career pathways tied to real occupations
    • Align curriculum with workforce demand
  • Employer Engagement Strategy
    • Structure meaningful partnerships (not one-off events)
    • Translate industry needs into education action
  • Work-Based Learning Systems
    • Internships, co-ops, and pre-apprenticeships that actually function
    • Scalable models vs. one-off placements
  • Funding & Sustainability
    • Align initiatives with WIOA, grants, and state priorities
    • Build models that survive beyond initial funding

Who We Work For

  • Employers
  • School Districts: Public, Private, Community, or Charter
  • Career Tech Centers
  • Educational Service Centers
  • Workforce Boards
  • Industry Sector Partnerships
  • State Agencies

 

UW has provided these services to organizations fitting all the above descriptions and can provide references, letters of recommendation, and/or program samples upon request.

FAQ

Employer - what schools should we (should we not) work with?

Often, employers want to say yes to a school request. However, there are schools where saying no is a better choice. UW can help identify your core partners, increasing the effectiveness of outreach.

Often, industry partners have the best intention, but they default to using the school to scout talent rather than help develop it. UW can help bridge that gap with current partners and introduce new partners.

That depends. What is important is that we aren’t just checking a box. Career fairs can/should be effective opportunities for employers, schools, and students. UW can help.

Both are important! Yet, distinctly unique.

PBL is an opportunity to implement a practical lesson aligned to academic and industry-based skills.

WBL is real-world exposure to a specific career; this can be done in many ways.

Yes. The Department of Labor has made changes that allow this.

HOWEVER, the answer for an employer can, and may always be “No.” There are many factors that relate to this. 

UW can help develop creative solutions for schools and employers.