Strategic Intermediary Functions

Four strategic intermediary functions are critical to successful, sustainable community efforts to connect work and learning for young people:

Intermediaries bring key leaders together and provide a forum for ongoing dialogue and decision-making about joint efforts. They convene leaders of educational and other youth-serving institutions, businesses, and other community resources to improve young people's pathways into postsecondary learning and careers.

To accomplish this function, intermediaries engage in activities that may include but are not limited to:

• Identifying and engaging local leaders;
• Convening the local leadership body around issues of common concern;
• Building a common vision among key stakeholders; and
• Creating a forum for building a system that connects schools and other youth-serving institutions with workplaces and other community resources.
  

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Intermediary organizations perform key, day-to-day, operational functions in their communities. They work:

• With employers/workplace partners to create demand for working with youth and provide services to address the needs of the partners;
• With schools and youth-serving organizations to build staff awareness and buy-in and provide services to support school involvement;
• With youth to connect them to appropriate quality experiences and improve the quality of work-based learning; and
• With all partners to provide the communications link among partners and create a system focused on quality and continuous improvement.

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Intermediaries frequently evaluate the operations and impact of local efforts to connect schools and workplaces. They regularly review program performance, promote continuous improvement, and encourage adjustments in strategies and activities based on their assessments of performance.

To accomplish this function, intermediaries may engage in activities that include but are not limited to:

• Setting goals and measuring success;
• Using data to improve performance;
• Conducting regular and formal reviews;
• Commissioning or conducting external evaluations; and
• Sharing information, strategies, findings, and results.

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Intermediaries frequently develop, promote, and influence policies that strengthen the ongoing connections of schools and other youth-serving institutions with workplaces and other community resources.

To accomplish this function, intermediaries may engage in activities that include but are not limited to:

• Generating public awareness and support;
• Influencing programmatic, local, and state policies;
• Connecting to and aligning with other systems;
• Representing the labor market interests of workplace partners;
• Generating resources; and
• Promoting the long-term commitment to education.

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