The Continuum of Work-Based and
Community-Based Learning Opportunities

The following section is excerpted from “The Continuum of Work-Based Learning”, in the California STC Work-based Learning Toolkit , pages 5-7. Interspersed are excerpts from and “AT-A-GLANCE: Work-based Learning” available on the New Ways Workers website.

Work-based learning is most effective when students are provided a developmental continuum of activities that address career awareness, exploration and preparation. This is accomplished through a series of workplace exposures combined with and supported by classroom activity over time. Students should be provided with experience commensurate with their knowledge, skills and abilities and compatible with their stage of development.

Remember…all community-based and work-based learning experiences should:

1. Be developmentally appropriate
2. Include an orientation for all parties
3. Identify learning objectives
4. Explore all aspects of the industry
5. Develop the SCANS competencies
6. Assess student performance
7. Provide opportunities for reflection
8. Link to the student’s next step
9. Be documented and recorded
10. Comply with state and federal labor laws

The following section provides brief definitions and examples of a range of work-based learning activities, divided into three categories: career awareness, career exploration, and career preparation activities. Tools and links for the activities follow in the “Tools” section.

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Career Awareness Activities

Career Awareness activities are designed to make students aware of the range of careers and/or occupations in an industry, including options that may or may not be traditional for their gender, race or ethnicity. These activities help students begin to understand the skills required for specific occupations and the expectations of the workplace. Career awareness activities may include workplace tours, field trips or informational interviews.

Workplace Tours and Field Trips. Career awareness activities in which students visit a work place, learn about the business, meet employees, ask questions and observe work in progress.

Example: Once a year, the Sheet Metal Workers’ Training Center hosts approximately 40 high school students from the Sacramento area for a full day of worksite tours and apprenticeship center visits in the fields of plumbing, electrical, and sheet metal workshop. They observe firsthand what work in the trades looks like and learn what preparation is required to pursue these careers.

Informational Interview. A career awareness activity in which students formally interview a workplace partner about his or her industry and chosen profession. The interview includes discussion of the career itself, duties and daily activities of the job and the level of education required to be successful. The students also explore growth opportunities in the industry and salary ranges for different occupations.

Career Exploration Activities

Career exploration activities provide students with the opportunity to explore fields of interest related to their career goals and academic learning. Students work closely with an adult supervisor and participate in appropriate hands-on worksite experiences. Career exploration activities may include job shadows, career mentoring or service learning.

Job Shadow. A career exploration activity in which students observe the workday of a professional, interact with clients or customers, and attend meetings and other appointments. Job shadows are designed to help students explore a field of interest while developing research skills and building occupational knowledge through a facilitated, active learning process.

Example: At the Burbank Hilton in southern California 30 high school students spend a day each year job shadowing various hotel departments. Last year, one group helped cook lunch for fellow students, another worked with hotel security to investigate a mock crime scene and a third assisted VIP service with its efforts to transport and serve important guests.

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Career Mentoring. A career exploration activity in which a student is matched one-to-one with an adult professional in a chosen field of interest to explore a career and related issues. The career mentor serves as a resource for the student by sharing insights and providing guidance about the workplace, career and education.

Example: The Orange County Register in Santa Ana has adopted a local high school journalism program. The paper provides computer and technical support and sends newsroom staffers to the school for lectures, training and mentoring. The paper also sponsors an annual summer mentor program and assists with California Scholastic Press Association’s two-week intensive high school journalism workshop.

Service Learning. A career exploration activity in which the method of teaching and learning combines academic work with service and social action. Students complete a planned series of activities and apply their skills and knowledge to help meet a need in the school or greater community.

Example: Ventura County’s Building and Trades Council works with School-to-Career and local high schools to have students build houses for Habitat for Humanity. The initiative leverages industry experts and community and government funds to offer students a learning-rich experience in construction careers and provides needy families with a home of their own.

Career Preparation Activities

Career preparation activities provide in-depth discovery of a particular career, linking the skills utilized in the workplace with academic learning. These activities also allow for the development of career and occupational skills. Career preparation activities may include paid work experience, internship or union-sponsored apprenticeship.

Work Experience. A career preparation activity in which students are at a work site doing real work for pay. They are held to the same expectations as all employees. The workplace supervisor conducts evaluations based on workplace expectations and performance. These experiences range from regular, paid employment to student subsidized employment and learning-rich work experience.

Example: The Mayor’s Youth Employment & Education Program (MYEEP) in San Francisco operates a subsidized work experience program for approximately 600 students each school year. Students are placed in non-profit or private sector worksites subsidized by the city and county of San Francisco. Students in MYEEP receive 15 hours of pre-employment training and ongoing workshop training in the areas of career development, educational enhancement and youth development.

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Internship. A career preparation activity in which students are placed in a business for a defined period of time to participate in and observe work firsthand within a given industry. Internships are highly structured, time-limited experiences that occur at a worksite. Unlike work experience, internships often allow students to rotate through a number of departments and job functions.

Example: In order to meet a critical need for future information technology workers, Agilent hired 21 high school interns during the summer. The company engaged a program coordinator to coordinate the interns and run weekly workshops on work readiness skills and connections to classroom curriculum.

Apprenticeship. A career preparation activity designed to prepare an individual, generally a high school graduate, for careers in the skilled crafts and trades. Apprenticeships consist of paid, on-the-job training supplemented by related classroom instruction. Apprenticeship training usually requires one to five years to complete, depending on which occupation is chosen.

Example: In San Diego and San Mateo counties, union representatives make classroom presentations on the various educational and skill requirements of the local building trades as well as the qualifications for application to union apprenticeship programs. The San Mateo Central Labor Council and the San Mateo Building and Construction Trades Council, along with their School-to-Career partners, created a 75-page guide to their apprenticeship programs for students, parents, teachers, counselors and other in the community.