Work-based learning (WBL) is an instructional method that links work experience with school-based instruction to prepare students for both college and career by
High-quality WBL enhances students’ understanding of classroom theory through participation in its application in the work environment. It gives students the opportunity to engage meaningfully with the work experience and to take responsibility for their learning.
- promoting and developing critical thinking;
- fostering social and psychological development; and
- enhancing career- and workplace-related knowledge.
High-quality WBL enhances students’ understanding of classroom theory through participation in its application in the work environment. It gives students the opportunity to engage meaningfully with the work experience and to take responsibility for their learning.
What is Career Prep?
Career Preparation education is a method of instruction that combines classroom instruction with paid employment. Both student instruction and employment are planned and supervised by the school and the employer so that each contributes to the student’s career objective and employability. Below are some of the key items to know when considering Career Prep or yourself or your student.
Training Stations
Student Jobs in Career Prep are called Training Stations . The determination of what constitutes an acceptable training station is critical to providing relevant experiences for each student’s career objective.
The teacher, known as the coordinator, MUST approve all student training sessions.
Some important considerations for approval are:
The teacher, known as the coordinator, MUST approve all student training sessions.
Some important considerations for approval are:
- The business organization should exemplify high ethical standards. Care must be taken to ensure whether the organization is one that exemplifies high ethical standards in the relations with customers, clients, and employees. The student-learners for whom coordinators are responsible are at an impressionable age. Teachers/Coordinators are encouraged to avoid placing students in situations where they may be compromised by instances of poor ethical practices.
- The training station should provide a safe environment. Buildings, equipment, and grounds should meet local and state safety regulations.
- For example: Students cannot work out of someone's home. They must be employed at a physical place of business and must be under supervision at all time. An example of a training station that would not be approved would be babysitting or child care in their own or another person's home.
- The employer must be in compliance with all labor laws. The training station must comply with local, state, and federal labor regulations related to minors. Information is available from the United States Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Laws regulating wages, the issuance of student-learner certificates, the employment of minors in hazardous occupations, and situations requiring work permits are primary areas of concern. The minimum wage and overtime standards apply to student-learners who are employed by employers subject to regulations.
- Payment of wages: Students are required to document hours worked via copies of their paystubs. Paystubs should contain the student's name, the dates in the pay period, rate(s) of pay, and the hours worked during the pay period. If gross pay, deductions, and net pay are listed, that is nice as discussing taxes, withholding, etc. are valuable points of learning.
Work Hours
Students must average 15 hours per week during each semester. 15 hours a week X 18 weeks in a semester equals 270 hours. Again this is an average per week. A large portion of the student's grade is based on the work based portion of the class, and if the student does not meet the hours worked requirement in a given semester, they cannot receive a passing grade for the work-based portion of their overall class grade.
Hazardous Occupations
Career Prep teachers, parents, and students should be aware of those occupations that are deemed hazardous by the Fair Labor Standards Act. This act provides a minimum age of 18 years for any nonagricultural occupation which the Secretary of Labor “shall find and by order declare” to be particularly hazardous for 16 and 17 year old persons, or detrimental to their health and well-being. There are currently 17 hazardous occupations orders in effect that define occupations in which the minimum age for employment is 18. The complete list may be obtained from the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor. Please see following link www.dol.gov/whd/childlabor.htm
Goals of Work-Based Learning
- Provide relevance and meaning to learning experiences
- Provide hands-on application
- Offer contextual and integrated learning experiences
- Demonstrate connections between school and work
- Encourage career awareness and exploration
- Learn relevant employability skills and what employers want
- Provide specific career preparation and skills of the job
- Give dignity to practical learning, application of knowledge, and work
- Provide a capstone experience for students· involved in a career cluster pathway of study.
Benefits of Work-Based Learning
For the student:
For the employer:
- Students have the opportunity for learning useful employment skills on real jobs under actual working conditions.
- Interest in classroom work is stimulated by the application of academic and job-related learning to job situations.
- As wage earners, students develop understanding, appreciation, and respect for work and workers.
- The ability to get and hold a job helps young people develop a mature and realistic concept of self.
- The transition from school to employment is made easier.
- The ability of the student to develop a post-high school plan for employment and continuing education is enhanced.
- The number of young adults making a successful transition from school to work is increased, thereby adding to the number of economically productive members of society.
- A continuing pattern of school-community partnerships is developed.
- CAREER PREPARATION on-the-job training helps improve the community's pattern of job stability by giving local students job skills and civic competence.
For the employer:
- Employers are assisted in analyzing jobs and developing training outlines.
- The private sector is provided with opportunities to take an active part in the education and career preparation of students in the local community.
- Students are prepared to work in their own localities, under the supervision and following the methods of a specific local employer.
- Classroom instruction gives student-learners a more thorough understanding of job related theory and knowledge.