Speaking Business: Why Work-Based Learning Needs Employer-Centered Messaging to Reach Scale
September 3, 2025 | Written by Andy Ferrera (Kinetic West) and Dr. Chantelle George (Chantelle George Consulting)
Welcome back. This is Part 2 of our multi-part blog series on growing work-based learning through proven growth strategies. Catch up on Part 1: To Grow Work-Based Learning, Think Like a Salesperson.
The Current Messaging Challenge
Here's the fundamental problem holding back work-based learning (WBL) from reaching scale: Most WBL messaging focuses on what students will gain or what the local / state government wants rather than the benefits for employers. These are messages focused on student wages and experiences or Governor initiatives and complex organizational charts. While a student or government-centered approach works for the small group of civically-engaged employers, it won't win over the majority of employer organizations necessary to training millions of students per year.
Let us be clear: This does NOT mean we care any less about serving students. This does not mean we're advocating for straying from our core mission to unapologetically focus our programs on students furthest from opportunity—especially students of color, students with disabilities, students in rural areas, and students from low-income families. That's where all the necessary work to build and improve programs must go.
What we're saying is that the messaging to recruit employers cannot be the same messaging that convinces school districts, postsecondary institutions, and nonprofits. We have to lead with messaging and solutions that help us reach the majority of potential employer partners.
The Scale We Need vs. Where We Are
Work-based learning and apprenticeship models have experienced significant growth over the past few years, however these programs still represent a small sliver of how people train for jobs and how employers cultivate new talent. When looking at the numbers, youth apprentice participation has grown to over 40,000 youth annually - a great start. But, when compared to the over 40 million youth between ages 16 and 24, this represents just 0.1% of all youth participating in a program.
All this to say, high quality WBL is still in early days and has a long way to go to reach material scale. We believe getting there will require substantially higher public investment and incentives (see Switzerland and the UK) as well as a rethink on the messaging that we’re using to introduce and recruit employers to build and grow WBL. Enter our next framework: the product adoption curve.
The real question is how we move from serving passionate early adopters to achieving the scale necessary to transform how young people transition from education to careers.
The Product Adoption Curve: A Framework for Understanding the Challenge
To understand how to solve this messaging challenge, we need a framework that explains why early adopters behave differently than the majority. Enter the Product Adoption Curve, popularized by Geoffrey Moore in his bestselling book "Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers" (1991, revised 2014).
In this framework, Moore segments the population of potential customers into groups: early adopters, majority, and laggards. The y-axis represents the total number of potential customers and the x-axis represents time. Crucially, in between the early adopters and the majority is what Moore calls the “chasm” which represents the significant differences between these two customer segments. The key insight: the purchasing behavior of early adopters is fundamentally different from the purchasing behavior of the majority. To reach the majority, marketing and messaging must fundamentally change.
Consider electric vehicles as an example. Early adopters are motivated by lower environmental impact, experiencing cutting-edge technology, and the desire to be first. The “majority” segments however are motivated by different preferences: lower total maintenance costs, convenience, performance, and reliability. They don’t care about being first, they care about a car that works. EVs, like other new technologies and services, have had to fundamentally change their messaging to reach the majority of customers. In the Product Adoption framework, this shift is known as “crossing the chasm.”
Where Work-Based Learning Stands Today
Applying the Product Adoption Curve framework, we can see that work-based learning is still in the “early adoption” phase and has not yet “crossed the chasm” to reach the majority.
Current employer messaging appeals to early adopters but creates barriers for the majority. A messaging shift is needed to reach a broader set of employers. Here’s what it looks like in practice:
The Key Difference: Leading with Business Value
The key difference? The current messaging asks employers to care about students first. The needed messaging shows employers how work-based learning solves their business challenges while also serving students exceptionally well.
This shift doesn't abandon our mission—it strategically communicates how our student-centered mission aligns with employer needs.
Making the Shift: Practical Steps
Applying this messaging shift can feel daunting, especially for organizations deeply committed to student-centered mission statements. Here's how to maintain your values while adopting employer-focused language:
Leverage existing resources: Use tools like the WBL toolkit and Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) Resource Library to find messaging that other communities have successfully used with the majority of employers.
Test with your early adopters: Work with your current employer partners to refine messaging to recruit new employers. They can help you understand what resonates with local business leaders.
Focus on employer risk aversion: The majority of employers are more concerned about potential problems than potential benefits. Address their concerns head-on with clear, simple explanations of how your program mitigates risks.
Make it simple: Complex processes and multi-stakeholder explanations create friction. Employers don’t need to know how the “sausage is made.” Develop streamlined materials that busy employers can quickly understand and act upon.
Looking Ahead
The path to scale requires crossing the chasm between early adopters and the pragmatic majority. By shifting our messaging from student-focused to employer-focused—while never losing sight of our mission to serve students—we can build the sustainable employer partnerships necessary to transform how young people transition from education to careers.
In our next post, we'll dive deeper into employer decision-making by exploring how to tailor messaging for three key roles within employer organizations: senior leaders, HR leaders, and hiring managers. Understanding how each of these stakeholders evaluates work-based learning partnerships will help you craft messages and build solutions that resonate with key stakeholders across employer organizations.
References:
Jobs for the Future. "Youth Apprenticeship RAPIDS." Analysis of registered apprenticeship data 2010-2020.
Moore, G. A. (2014). Crossing the chasm: Marketing and selling disruptive products to mainstream customers (3rd ed.). HarperBusiness. (Original work Published 1991)
Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA). (n.d.). Resource Library. Retrieved from https://www.apprenticeship.org/resource-library
This is the second post in a multi-part series exploring strategies for scaling work-based learning through improved employer partnerships. Are you interested in advancing your employer recruitment strategies? Please complete this short interest form to stay up to date on the latest posts.
About Chantelle George Consulting: Chantelle George Consulting (CGC) is a premier consulting firm dedicated to community engagement and social impact. We focus on identifying systemic barriers, providing actionable solutions, and empowering our clients to promote equitable opportunities for all students, regardless of their background. With a deep understanding of underserved communities, our team of consultants helps bridge gaps in communities by developing inclusive environments, fostering collaboration, and empowering leaders.