Unlock Career Success with Work-Based Learning

Entrepreneurship is the venture of owning and operating a business. Students gain work-based entrepreneurial experience through a blend of classroom learning and industry professional engagement as students develop and launch their business.

Value:

The guidance offered with the industry professional enables students to make their entrepreneurial plans a reality. Industry professionals provide valuable connections, guidance and ability for long-term success.

Increase Impact:

• If connecting every student with a business mentor is too difficult, consider overlaying the entrepreneurship course with a school-based enterprise or a series of employer-led projects to increase the opportunities for developing entrepreneurial skills while engaging with business professionals.

• Intentionally align key entrepreneur skills with opportunities for application outside of the classroom to provide ample opportunities to hone important skills.

Pre-apprenticeship experiences prepare students through coursework, and as a best practice,  hands-on experiences at a worksite. Pre-apprenticeships prepare students for entry into a Registered Apprenticeship program.

Apprenticeships are progressive training and wage advancement opportunities for students to learn while they earn money through an experience directly tied to a business. Registered apprenticeships are validated by the U.S. Department of Labor and offer a nationally recognized credential.

Value:

Apprenticeships provide a model that guarantees student compensation during the learning. This structured learning model ensures student advancement in skills and compensation connected directly to an employer.

Increase Impact:

• Diversify apprenticeship opportunities to align with the interests and needs of your students. Identify which career clusters are best suited for an apprenticeship or registered apprenticeship to maximize student benefits.

• Prioritize flexibility in both classroom instruction and on-the-job training within apprenticeships to better meet student needs, rather than adhering strictly to a one-size-fits-all model.

School-Based Enterprises (SBE) are an entrepreneurial venture where students operate a business through the guided instructional support of an educator and the mentorship of an industry professional. 

Value:

School-based enterprises enable student leadership advancement as students make key entrepreneurial decisions to ensure the success of the business venture. The hands-on operational approach provides students with the real-time experience of an entrepreneur with the supportive network of other students, the educator, and an industry professional mentor.

Increase Impact:

• Structure learning before the school-based enterprise opens to ensure students have foundational knowledge for effective decision-making. This foundational learning also enables strengthened conversations with the industry professional mentor to make decisions in an efficient manner.

• Rethink the traditional school-based enterprise to seek out new ventures that fulfill a community need. Work with community leaders to design how the enterprise can positively impact the entire community.

Clinical experiences are short-term, structured training opportunities for students in the healthcare field that balances observation with hands-on application to advance student skills. Clinical experiences are documented and accumulated by the educational institution to meet different certification requirements.

Value:

Clinical experiences allow students to progressively advance their skills and expertise by learning and applying throughout their academic experience.

Increase Impact:

• Offer support for managers overseeing students in clinicals. Work with businesses to ensure clinicals incorporate mentorship and constructive feedback for student skill growth. 

• Reduce student anxiety around making mistakes by providing ample classroom preparation and practice, with guided support as students transition from observing to performing.

Internships are short-term training opportunities for students to develop skills and experience in a career pathway of interest in a professional setting. 

Value:

Through orientation, training, and portfolio-building projects, internships help students advance their careers. High school internships provide valuable experience, easing the transition to post-secondary education and career paths. Postsecondary internships boost students’ skills and ease their entry into the professional world.

Increase Impact:

• Customize experiences to build on the student’s knowledge and experience while supporting aspects the business needs. This approach leads to a true return-on-investment (ROI) for the student and industry partner.

• Collaborate as a region with other schools and colleges for a systematic approach that optimizes student learning while efficiently collaborating with area businesses.

Program-aligned placements are entry-level work experiences directly related to a career field of interest. Placements must align to student career interests and comprise an experience that the student could not gain on their own. Students can drive placements, with educator-to-manager advocacy for opportunities that extend beyond the scope of the position.

Value:

Program placements offer entry-level opportunities for students who are not yet ready for a full professional experience. These placements help students build foundational skills, gain confidence, and prepare for more advanced experiences, such as internships, clinicals, or apprenticeships.

Increase Impact:

• Intentionally design program placements to develop career-related skills and create a seamless bridge to more advanced experiences. 

• Create pathways that connect program placements to high-skill, high-wage career opportunities. Educators play a critical role in guiding students and engaging industry partners, as managers often won’t open their networks without intentional, educator-led collaboration. Without this support, students may miss out on essential professional connections available through other work-based learning programs.

A structured, career-focused relationship where a student is paired with an experienced professional who provides guidance, insight, and support. Mentorships help students build workplace skills, gain industry perspective, and explore career pathways through regular, goal-oriented interactions.

Value:

Mentorship provides structured, guided support through a sequence of interactions that increase student knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue a professional career. Mentorships provide a series of experiences and the structure needed to make a lasting impact on students. 

Increase Impact:

• Ensure mentorship program participants have experienced other work-based learning experiences to maximize the connection to a career the student has solidified interest in.

• Foster the relationship with the mentor to encourage expanded interest with their network and participation in other work-based learning experiences.

Championships are hands-on competition experiences that align with industry standards and the SkillsUSA Framework, supporting the development of technical, personal and workplace skills. 

Value:

The SkillsUSA Championships mirror real-world scenarios, offering students a deeper understanding of their chosen careers. In addition to gold, silver, and bronze medallions, competitors may earn scholarships, tools of the trade, industry certifications and even job offers directly from the competition floor. Most importantly, they gain a sense of confidence that comes from knowing they are among the best in their field.

Increase Impact:

• Sequence championships with other work-based learning experiences to maximize the interactions with industry partners with technical skill advancement.

• Find opportunities to align classroom assessments with Championship technical standards. This alignment with industry expectations will enable growth and future success for students while bridging the valuable feedback on skills from industry professionals.

Resume lab experiences offer a valuable opportunity for students to develop skills necessary to access a professional career. Learning and practicing skills alongside industry professionals enables students to gain important insight for effectively navigating a professional career.

Value:

Human resources and other industry professionals offer valuable insight into the trends and industry perspective that students should leverage for successful preparation and transition into the workplace. The skills required for applying, interviewing and meeting daily expectations in a professional workplace differ significantly from those in part-time student positions. These labs can focus on key areas such as resumes, cover letters, job applications, interview preparation, professional social media presence, etc.

Increase Impact:

• Integrate the skills students develop through the SkillsUSA Framework to strengthen the connection between its Essential Elements and real-world career demands. 

• Use volunteer time efficiently by scheduling visits strategically and connecting learning across multiple sessions. For example, HR professionals can first present a resume workshop to highlight common mistakes and then follow up with individual resume reviews once students have completed their drafts.

• Generate value for the labs by utilizing professionals as part of the instructional model. Final copies must be reviewed by a professional; this could be combined with a work-based learning opportunity or other planned professional interaction.

Mock interviews are a one-on-one student professional interview with an industry professional that mimics a professional interview. 

Value: 

Mock interviews give students a chance to practice professional interview skills with a business professional, gaining valuable feedback to help them improve. This practice experience enables students to gain the skills needed to transition into a professional career to close the gap in understanding the key differences between part-time jobs and professional careers. This experience closes the gap in students’ interview preparation by preparing them for the professional interview process, which differs from part-time job interviews. Whether it’s a short speed-interview round or a formal panel with community professionals, this experience helps students feel confident, prepared, and equipped to show up professionally.

Purposeful Impact: 

• Incorporate resume labs to prepare students to maximize the mock interview experience. 

• Collaborate with area schools or colleges to maximize industry professional time and allow students a first look at how to navigate amongst competition.

Industry-led projects connect students with local businesses (or virtual partners) to solve real-world business challenges, promoting skill development, and the practical application of their learning. 

Value:

Employer-led projects enable students to see the value of what they are learning. These real projects provide an authentic assessment in the student’s ability to apply knowledge and skills while effectively honing key employability skills, such as listening, communicating, adaptability, and problem-solving.

Increase Impact:

• Students should have ongoing access to industry professionals during the project to meet expectations and build professional networks.

• Guide professionals to articulate clearly the project’s career connections, enabling students to appreciate it as a worthwhile learning experience beyond a mere graded assignment.

Simulated experiences use technology, equipment, or virtual reality to allow students to try out elements related to careers while bridging the experience with industry professional interactions.

Value:

Simulated experiences increase student interest, skill development, and connections to careers that would otherwise be too dangerous or pose too many risks for students to explore.

Increase Impact:

• Utilize the industry professional to connect more than just talking about the career. Encourage connections to real projects related to the simulated experience, or find safe opportunities for an accompanying industry tour.

• Use simulated experiences to enhance skill practice to prepare for advanced work-based learning experiences.

Career expos foster learning by allowing students to learn through hands-on experiences such as interactive booths, simulators, or equipment related to each career represented by the business professional.

Value:

Career expos are more effective than traditional career fairs as each interactive booth is designed for students to try out different careers. This large-scale event empowers students to try different careers, ask career questions to professionals, and reflect on career interests. 

Increase Impact:

• Support industry professionals with options for interactive booths related to their career prior to the event, if desired. This collaborative brainstorming will enable time for industry partners to identify supplies needed and generate a valuable student experience.

• Consider efficiency options to minimize school day disruptions, maximize industry partner time, and directly connect students to degree programs for the careers represented. Colleges fulfill the efficiency gap by hosting the career expo and inviting nearby schools.

Job shadows offer experiences to observe and advance a deeper understanding of a career path, typically lasting between a few hours to one full day. Extended job shadows last beyond one day and can go on for a week or longer.

Value:

Job shadows allow students to observe a career path in a work setting and ask in-depth questions about their career. This provides the opportunity for students to reflect on whether they could envision themselves in that career for an extended period of time.

Increase Impact:

• A job shadow is likely the first one-on-one experience a student has had in a professional setting. Ensure students are prepared for the experience by discussing transportation, attire, expectations during the job shadow, and having a pre-made list of questions ready for the time allotted to ask informational interview questions. This will increase follow through and a successful experience that both the student and industry partner will appreciate.

• Group job shadows can provide peer support for students anxious about this experience and can address the students’ interests with limited industry partner time. To ensure the experience doesn’t lose value, limit group job shadows to three or fewer students. Job shadowing becomes an industry tour if more than three students participate simultaneously.

Guest speaker visits involve business professionals, either in person or virtually, sharing insights and experiences related to their careers. 

Value:

Guest speakers provide an interactive opportunity for students to dig deeper into understanding related careers that real people have in their community. This awareness provides valuable information for students to make academic and career decisions.

Increase Impact: 

• Educators can amplify the impact of guest speakers by requesting the professional share real work samples that don’t violate confidentiality. Work samples enable students to understand the career on a deeper level to make informed decisions.

• Evaluate the professions represented as guest speakers to bridge gaps in careers that students may not be aware of but are in demand and provide high wages.

Informational interviews connect students one-on-one with an industry professional to ask detailed questions about their career by phone, video call, or in person. 

Value:

Focused career questions allow students to learn more about a career beyond the typical information found online. Informational interviews provide valuable insight and can help increase access to careers that are difficult for students to access because of a variety of barriers.

Increase Impact:

• Connecting students with professionals in careers that location, the professionals’ inability to engage in other experiences, or a deliberate intention to build student confidence with professional communication often make it difficult to access.

• Many students have limited experience with industry professionals. Review phone, videoconferencing, or in-person etiquette to ensure students are respectful and are comfortable with how to manage the experience.

Industry tours provide students with the opportunity to visit a business, explore various workstations, observe work in action, and interact with business professionals across different roles.

Value:

Students experience a career setting, learn about a variety of career paths associated with the business, and engage in deeper career learning by asking questions during the tour. 

Increase Impact:

• Work with industry professionals to arrange for students to rotate within the business at different workstations to provide depth to a variety of career paths. This rotation will allow for a small hands-on activity related to the career, amplify the diverse career paths available with the business, and encourage student interaction because of the smaller group sizes. 

• Arrange for two or three different industry tours to maximize a day trip and increase student knowledge of the diverse careers available to them.