College & Career Readiness Radio

Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is Brian Johnson. Brian explains why simply “placing kids” isn’t enough and why districts must define clear quality criteria so work-based learning experiences are aligned, mentored, and meaningful. He shares the six basic characteristics he uses to vet opportunities: minimum hours, alignment to a student’s pathway of study, a professional mentor/supervisor, a real-world environment, student interest, and space for students to discover what they don’t want. Brian describes his student intake process, where he learns about each student’s pathway, interests, dislikes, and dream organizations and uses that to co‑design potential placements. He has students spend two weeks actively using their own networks—family, neighbors, community—to try to find a placement, teaching them that finding a job is a skill and giving them “skin in the game.” Brian notes that 50–60% of students typically find their own placements, and then he steps in to formalize details with partners and ensure the experience meets district criteria. He talks about preparing and coaching industry partners, including helping them understand the developmental realities of working with teenagers and why their feedback is so powerful. Brian outlines a clear termination process: partners coach first, but if performance doesn’t improve, they are encouraged to end the placement just as they would in real life. He emphasizes that termination should be a learning experience, not the end of the road, and he builds in a redemption process so students can reflect, get coaching, and try again. In the redemption phase, students must fully own the search for their next experience, while Brian commits to supporting them (including making calls alongside them if they struggle to find something). He explains how he creates “competitive opportunities” where students must apply and interview, even if there are enough slots, so they feel pressure, practice competing, and learn to handle rejection. Brian shares how he uses “rejection therapy” and real examples (like a student losing an opportunity after signaling wrestling was a higher priority) to help students understand professional expectations. He contrasts asking for unpaid favors from industry with offering a “menu” of ways to partner—career fairs, speaking in classes, mentoring, hosting interns, hybrid options—to make participation realistic. Brian cautions that relying on philanthropy alone is not sustainable and urges coordinators to approach this work more like relationship‑based sales that respect a business’s needs and constraints. He calls for advisory boards and partners who truly bring value and ideas to the table instead of just “checking the box” of attendance. Brian explains why work-based learning must be part of a district’s DNA, not a last‑minute add‑on in 11th or 12th grade, and why culture and expectations have to be built over time. He describes “curiosity fairs” for pre‑K–4, where students dress as what they want to be and meet real professionals from those fields, alongside more traditional career fairs in grades 5 and 7. He emphasizes using parents and families as the first and strongest partner network in elementary schools, inviting them in as speakers and role models from all kinds of jobs. He encourages schools to think less about hitting home runs and more about consistent exposure so students don’t reach senior year with no idea what they want to do. Brian’s closing message is that educators should stop trying to control everything: they should own the systems and supports, but students must own their journeys, their effort, and their outcomes.