All About FBLA Organization & How it Helps Students Build Career-Readiness Skills
by Valerie Kirk
3 min to read
On any given day at a Connections Academy-supported online school, you may find some students talking about business ethics, honing their leadership skills, learning how to run effective meetings, or discussing financial literacy.
These key business skills and many other topics are discussed at the virtual Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) meetings, which is one of Connection Academy’s college and career readiness.
What Does FLBA Stand For?
FBLA stands for Future Business Leaders of America and is the largest business career and technical student organization in the nation.
What is FBLA?
Their mission is to inspire and prepare students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences.
Connections Academy has partnered with FBLA to help students explore diverse careers in business and information technology (IT). With the career outlook for business, finance, and IT occupations projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations, FBLA helps students gain valuable leadership, communication, collaboration, and career-specific skills that are prioritized by today’s employers.
What are the Benefits of Participating in FBLA?
According to research done by Pearson, nearly eight out of 10 students are aware that to be employable, they need the right skills. While 72 percent want to know more about what they should do to position themselves for success outside of academic success, 42 percent admit that they don't even know where to start and 26 percent are concerned about making connections with those who can help them on their career journey.
FBLA often helps to bridge those gaps. Students that participate in FBLA can receive training and mentorship opportunities through the hundreds of FBLA local, state, and national competitive events. FBLA also offers connections to their 22 collegiate and 62 industry partners.
"FBLA helps to prepare students for the next chapter of life, giving them the opportunity to explore the many aspects of business and leadership," said Leanne Tacosik, Indiana Connections Academy CTE Business Teacher and FBLA chapter advisor.
What are FBLA Competitive Events?
Students in the organization participate in project-based activities to develop skills that they can present at these events. Business professionals volunteer with FBLA to provide feedback on these activities, which can help students learn and grow.
Indiana Connections Career Academy, a Connections Academy school focused on science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) disciplines and career readiness, has been participating in FBLA for several years. At a recent state leadership conference, they took home six chapter awards and placed in numerous individual and team events, including:
- 1st place, Intro to Social Media Strategies
- 1st place, Business Ethics
- 1st place, Exploring Business Issues
- 1st place, Digital Citizenship
- 1st place, Elevator Speech
- 1st place, Running an Effective Meeting
- 2nd place, Intro to Business Procedures
- 3rd place, Virtual Personal Finance Challenge Fall
- 4th Place, Intro to Business Communication
- 4th Place, Intro to Public Speaking
"We are so proud to see our students' hard work and dedication come to fruition at the FBLA Indiana State Leadership Conference," said Tacosik.
Is FBLA for College or Career Prep?
The skills learned in FBLA benefit all students, whether they are headed to college, credentialing, trade programs, the military, or right into the workforce.
Whether students have a clear idea of what they want to do after high school or are just starting to figure out their goals, participating in FBLA can give them insight into careers in business and IT. The skills they can learn have the potential to crossover into many career opportunities and help them gain valuable connections in the business world.
Preparing Students for Life After High School
Connections Academy is passionate about helping our students feel confident and prepared for their journey after high school. FBLA is just one of the many extracurricular organizations and activities that help students learn important skills they will need for any post-graduate path they choose.
Learn more about our College and Career Readiness initiatives or if online school is right for your business-savvy student.
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