Berks Business Education Coalition

What it reported doing in 2024

Higher education campus visits: over the course of 20 years, 2003-2024, more than 40,000 students from each of the 18 berks county school districts have visited on the campuses of the five (5) berks county based colleges and universities for what for most was their first-time setting foot on a higher education campus. While this program was initially intended for freshmen, we've now allowed the schools to determine the students, whether their freshmen, sophomores or undecided upperclassmen, who would make the most of the opportunity. During the spring of 2024, 2,325 students from 14 of the 18 school districts visited five (5) campuses: albright, alvernia, kutztown, penn state berks and racc. We expanded our visits to include berks technical institute, a school offering certificates in the trades.inside berks business: for more than 20 years the inside berks business program has brought educators into the workplace each summer to experience first-hand the range of businesses in berks county and the career and employment opportunities in the workplace. The educators participate to understand how their subject prepares students for future careers. Twenty-six (26) educators selected a career pathway to follow over 3 days, with nineteen (19) completing the work. Each day allowed them access to 1 or 2 businesses to learn about the industry, career opportunities and the skills/education required. Fourteen (14) for-profit and non-profit enterprises participated from august 6-9, 2024. This year, we added a tract to explore small business and entrepreneurship. Three (3) organizations who work with entrepreneurs and eighteen (18) small businesses participated.students interacting with business: since 2013, more than 31,000 students ranging from ninth graders to undecided upperclassmen have visited participating berks county businesses for a "boots on the ground" experience to learn first-hand about a business, career and employment opportunities, and the soft skills that employers value in a good employee. In spring 2024, 200 students from three (3) school districts visited six (6) businesses. The fall program in 2024 was expanded over two (2) weeks to provide flexibility to both schools and businesses. From november 4-15th, 1,720 students from 11 schools visited twenty-eight (28) businesses. Schools selected the students that would benefit most from the program. Some schools stayed with the 9th graders, but others selected undecided upper classmen.high school internships: the berks business education coalition is a strong champion for high school internship programs. In 2024, seventeen (17) of the 18 berks county school districts included internships as part of their senior (and sometimes junior) year curriculum. The programs have grown markedly in the diversity and breadth of the programs, all of which recognize for credit student placements within the community or within the school district where students explore possible career direction and gain valuable adult-like skills before graduation. The spring of 2024 saw 1,112 seniors gaining valuable career readiness by interning in their field of interest. This represents almost 22% of the senior cohort. In the fall of 2024, 1,074 seniors spent time in their field of interest. This represents 24% of the senior cohort.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 78.1%; rating input score 78
• Program expense ratio: 80.1%; rating input score 80

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 3.3%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.31; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 59.1%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 2.4% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -0.5% per year; rating input score 0; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -4.1% per year; rating input score 0; 17th percentile among comparable filings