Melissa Canney is the Director of Innovation Policy for ExcelinEd.
Your state has likely already developed an education-to-workforce platform to support statewide economic growth and ensure the future prosperity of your citizens. Work-based learning (WBL) should be a key driver of student career readiness in these efforts. It is essential that all states have a robust K-16 WBL continuum of experiences and exposure that spans K-12 and postsecondary.
But too often, WBL is associated only with capstone internships completed by high school juniors and seniors. It should offer much more.
High-quality WBL programs allow students to engage with employers and industries along a continuum of progressive experiences across K-12 and postsecondary. In fact, WBL is an essential element of career and technical education (CTE), and ExcelinEd’s CTE Playbook series highlights a state-promoted WBL continuum as one of eight non-negotiables of a high-quality state CTE program.
With statewide, cross-sector leadership and aligned policies that support high-quality local implementation, all students can experience a K-16 career pathway that integrates academic, technical and work-based learning experiences leading to success in the career of their choice.
What can this look like for an individual student?
Think through a student’s journey to career readiness. What should the student know and be able to do? What policies and supports does he or she need to be successful?
| Academic | Technical | Work-Based Learning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School | Develops grade-level proficiency in math and reading. | Develops basic digital literacy skills. Participates in Code.org’s Hour of Code. | Joins worksite visits and employer presentations. Conducts informational interviews. Identifies IT, Engineering, and Healthcare as areas of interest. |
| Middle School | Completes Algebra 1. Maintains proficiency in all content areas. | Builds digital proficiency. Learns basic app-building programming. | Job shadows at a local company. Creates a 10-year education-to-career goals plan. |
| High School | Earns college credit through AP math, science and computer science courses. | Completes a Cybersecurity CTE program of study. Earns CompTIA Network+ and Security+ industry certifications. | Completes industry-led projects in CTE courses, resulting in presentations to employer partners. Builds relationships with IT-industry mentors. Completes a capstone internship with a local cybersecurity company. |
| Postsecondary | Earns an A.S. degree early because of credits and certifications earned in high school. | Earns higher-level cybersecurity industry certifications valued by employers. | Works for local companies through the campus IT co-op program. Creates a portfolio of projects completed and skills developed. |
| Career Advancement Opportunities | Begins career at an above-entry level position because of credentials and work experience and advances within the company. Earns a dual B.S. in cybersecurity and M.B.A. in business administration with plans to open a cybersecurity consulting company. |
Assessing and improving state WBL programs and policies is hard work that requires effective leadership, a clear vision and sustained collaboration from a variety of public and private stakeholders. When done well, all the hard work is worth the investment and challenges: a strong state WBL program will allow states to be truly responsive to the needs of both employers and students.
ExcelinEd’s new playbook Developing High-Quality State Work-Based Learning Programs can help states design and implement effective WBL programs that radically benefit students and their state.
The playbook offers recommendations and resources to support states in developing and implementing high-quality WBL programs, including:
Explore the following resources or visit ExcelinEd.org to learn more.
