Last January, Elevate Rapid City partnered with Pathways teachers from Rapid City Area Schools to host a Teacher Industry Day focused on connecting educators with local businesses. Nearly 30 Career and Technical Education teachers participated, touring Black Hills Energy and Phase Technologies to learn more about career pathways, workplace environments, and in-demand skills.

By spending time inside these businesses, our local teachers learned how local industries work and how classroom lessons connect to real jobs. This allows teachers give students better information as they think about future careers.

“Teacher externships help bridge the gap between education and industry by giving educators firsthand experience in a business,” said Bobbie Jo Donovan, College and Career Readiness Manager for Rapid City Area Schools. “When businesses engage in externships, they share insights that help align classroom instruction with real-world skills.”

But externships don’t just have to be overly-produced, multi-stop industry tours. They can be as simple as hosting a few teachers for a shop floor tour or discussion with company leaders.

A teacher externship is a short, structured experience that allows educators to observe workplace operations, ask questions, and learn about industry needs. These experiences are flexible in length and designed to fit within normal business operations.

 

 

Why Employers Choose to Host Teacher Externships

Employers host teacher externships to help teachers understand local jobs and industries. Over time, this helps students learn about career options and what skills they may need.

Benefits for employers include:

• Helping students learn about local careers
• Building stronger relationships with schools
• Giving employees a chance to share their career stories
• Supporting a future workforce that is better informed

Externships are meant to support long-term career learning, not short-term hiring. There are seven key steps to getting it right.

 

 

Step 1: Understand the Purpose of a Teacher Externship

Before hosting an externship, it is important to understand what these experiences are designed to accomplish.

Teacher externships are not about filling staffing gaps or assigning work tasks. Instead, they are short, intentional opportunities for educators to observe, ask questions, and gain insight into your industry. The goal is awareness and alignment, not productivity.

When teachers see workplaces like Phase Technologies and Black Hills Energy up close, they gain clarity around how roles function, what skills matter most, and how careers progress over time. That understanding carries back into the classroom and influences how students think about careers long after the externship ends.

 

Step 2: Identify a Point of Contact Within Your Organization

Most employers designate a single staff member to serve as the primary point of contact for the externship. This person helps coordinate schedules, communicate with school partners, and ensure the educator feels welcomed and supported throughout the experience.

Typical responsibilities include:

• Coordinating logistics and scheduling
• Serving as the main liaison with the teacher and school district
• Checking in throughout the externship
• Helping guide reflection and follow-up

 

 

 

Step 3: Determine the Scope and Timing of the Externship

Teacher externships are intentionally flexible and can be tailored to fit your business operations. Typically, they can range from a few hours to a several days. 

When determining scope and timing, consider:

• How much time you can offer
• Which parts of your business to show
• How many teachers you can host
• When your operations be least disrupted

  

Step 4: Create a Simple, Intentional Experience

Externships are most effective when educators are exposed to multiple perspectives within your organization. Rather than focusing deeply on one role, many employers choose to highlight how different functions work together.

A strong externship experience often includes:

• A brief welcome and orientation
• Facility or site tours
• Job shadowing across departments
• Conversations with employees about career paths
• Discussions about required skills, credentials, and training

The goal is not to cover everything, but to provide enough context for teachers to confidently explain your industry and its opportunities to students.

  

Step 5: Prepare Your Team to Participate

Employee engagement plays a critical role in the success of a teacher externship. Let your team know why the externship matters and how their participation supports long-term workforce development.

Encourage employees to:

• Share their career journeys
• Talk honestly about workplace expectations
• Explain how education connects to their role
• Answer questions from an educator’s perspective
• These conversations often benefit employees as well, reinforcing pride, purpose, and leadership development.

 

 

Step 6: Communicate Expectations Clearly With the Teacher

Before the visit, share key details with the teacher, such as:

• Arrival time and location
• Dress code and safety expectations
• Parking or access instructions
• Confidentiality considerations, if applicable
• Who to contact with questions

Clear expectations upfront help ensure the externship runs smoothly for everyone involved.

 

Step 7: Reflect and Stay Connected After the Externship

After the externship, you may want to check in with the teacher and ask for feedback. Some employers stay connected by visiting classrooms, joining career events, or sharing updates.

Many employers continue the relationship by:

• Inviting teachers to future events or tours
• Offering classroom guest speaking opportunities
• Sharing updates on industry trends
• Highlighting student-facing opportunities such as internships or job shadows

Ongoing connection and communication can ensure the time you’ve invested does not go to waste.

Ready to Get Started?

Hosting a teacher externship is a practical, manageable way to influence how students learn about careers while strengthening relationships with local schools. Elevate Rapid City works alongside employers and educators to help coordinate connections and support meaningful externship experiences.

If you are interested in hosting a teacher externship, email Taylor Davis, Senior Director of Workforce Development & Partnerships, at taylor.davis@elevaterapidcity.com to start the conversation.