Work-Based Learning

► Planned career and skill development activities ► designed and developed by a team of education, business, industry, parents, and labor representatives ► to provide learners with quality transitional experiences

Career Development Work-Based Learning ► Planned activities allowing learners to explore various career pathways ► in order to make informed career decisions ► Usually occur in elementary and middle school

Career Development Work-Based Learning ► Speakers  Employer representatives explaining some aspect of worksite ► Field trips  Visits to worksite involving groups ► Job shadowing  Visits to worksite from a few hours to a few days involving employees of worksite working with one student or small group

Career Development Work-Based Learning ► Essential elements  Activities should ► Be progressive and explore variety of career opportunities ► Address learner-identified interest and aptitude ► Contribute to career development as life-long process

Career Development Work-Based Learning ► Essential elements  Activities should ► Promote understanding of educational and work requirements for a career and incorporate individualized career plans or portfolios ► Promote an understanding of relationship between educational planning and career planning ► Assist learners in identifying the employability skills, including self-employment skills, needed for a career

Career Development Work-Based Learning ► Essential elements  Roles, responsibilities, and expectations of all parties should be clearly defined prior to activity  Experiences should be based on career planning and assessment to assist learners in making career decisions in timely manner  Experiences should incorporate relationship of work to needs and function of society

Skill Development Work-Based Learning ► Planned activities which allow learners to develop skills for a specific career ► And should be a component of quality tech prep secondary and post-secondary programs

Skill Development Work-Based Learning ► Paid experience related to chosen career major and occurs during regular school year ► Unpaid experience related to chosen career major and occurs during regular school year ► Paid experience related to chosen career major and occurs during summer break ► Unpaid experience related to chosen career major and occurs during summer break ► Community service learning related to chosen career major

Skill Development Work-Based Learning ► Essential elements  Programs developed based on current labor market information, focusing on high-skill, high- wage occupations  Instruction is included in all aspects of industry  Written agreement defining roles and responsibilities is in place

Skill Development Work-Based Learning ► Essential elements  Instructional plan closely coordinated with school site curriculum is in place and based on state or national skill standards and Illinois Learning Standards  Technical skills are acquired through a supervised experience with qualified mentor

Skill Development Work-Based Learning ► Essential elements  Employability skills, including self-employment skills, are developed through experiences  Academic and vocational knowledge and skills are acquired through hands-on experiences  Skill development is assessed and clearly documented

Skill Development Work-Based Learning ► Essential elements  Programs are articulated with post-secondary training options  All learning experiences comply with Federal and State laws  Non-traditional students will be recruited and supported to assist them in entering high-wage, high-demand occupations

Terminology ► Job Shadowing ► Mentoring  School site mentor  Workplace mentor ► Cooperative Education ► Internships  Student internships  Teacher internships ► Apprenticeships