What is Work-Based Learning
What is Work-Based Learning?
WBL is a partnership between education and business to create a skilled workforce for now and for the future.
It’s all about opportunity!
The skills needed in today’s business world are very diverse; it can be difficult to meet the demand with the traditional school-based model. In a WBL model, schools provide classroom theory and supportive technical training in a student’s chosen career plan, and businesses provide students the opportunity to experience and master their skills in a live setting.
There are many different types of WBL experiences, from mentoring a student at school to job shadowing, internships or apprenticeships at the business. WBL experiences provided by business interaction create a relevance to the technical training that is difficult to achieve in the classroom. WBL provides students critical insights to help them be successful, whether they choose college or career.
Opportunity for Students
- Touch, feel and experience a career to see if it is really what they want to do
- Develop the soft skills businesses demand
- Gain work experience to prepare them for their chosen career
- Get their foot in a door that might lead to being offered a job
- Build a network with professionals in their career
- Observe professionals in their chosen career
- Get exposure to careers in their community
Opportunity for Business
- Provide employers the opportunity to influence their future workforce
- Build a pool of skilled workers
- Serve as a recruitment strategy for the best and brightest emerging workers
- Allow business to experience potential employees in an educational setting
- Create a positive reputation in the community for providing growth opportunities for students
Opportunity for Schools
- Provide students with valuable experiences to prepare them for their careers
- Create closer ties with businesses and community
- Increase student motivation
- Increase student enrollment
- Reduce dropout rates
How do I get involved in WBL?
Contact your local CareerTech technology center or high school and start the discussion about how a WBL partnership can create opportunities for you.
Another way to get connected is to use the resources on this website. You’ll find a more detailed overview of WBL. You will also find supportive resources on how to participate in different types of WBL from middle school, high school, technology center, and even in a business’s current workforce.
The CareerTech system is dedicated to growing WBL across the state, because we know how powerful opportunity can be.
