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Work-Based Learning

Career Experiences for Every Student

Work-Based Learning (WBL) is an educational strategy that provides students with real-life work experiences where they can apply academic and technical skills to develop their employability. WBL programs are targeted to bridge the gap between the learning and the doing. The Work-Based Learning continuum provides career awareness, career exploration, and career immersion opportunities across middle and high school grade bands.

Studying
Online Class
Math Homework

Learning About Work

Career Awareness

Grades 6-12

Students interact with industry partners from a variety of career fields. This interaction is designed to broaden student awareness to a spectrum of occupations, while sparking student thought about post-secondary opportunities and goals.

Experiences May Include:

Career Fairs

Guest Speakers

Volunteerism

Workplace Tours

Learning Through Work

Career Exploration

Grades 10-12

Students actively assess and build upon their emerging talents and competencies while navigating career interests. They begin to develop career-specific skills necessary for in-depth work-based learning, in their chosen pathway, and continue to evaluate post-secondary opportunities and goals.

Experiences May Include:

Industry Mentored Project

Informational Interview

Job Shadowing

Mentorship

Learning For Work

Career Immersion

Grade 12

Students attain college and career readiness through practical application of learning in pathway-chosen industry immersions. While demonstrating knowledge and career-specific skills, students develop effective, collaborative relationships within diverse teams of colleagues and clients. Through this continuum, students are also afforded the opportunity to earn industry-recognized certifications, where applicable.

Experiences May Include:

Internships

Practicum Experiences

Service Learning

Student-run Enterprises 

WBL: My Services

More About WBL

WHAT IS WORK-BASED LEARNING?

Work-Based Learning provides a combination of school and workplace learning with local employers.

Students either work off-site at an employer's location, or employers come on-site to the classroom.

Students learn first-hand how to succeed in the workforce, learning what it takes to be successful while gaining both an education and valuable technical skills in their chosen pathway.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

More than ever before, students need to know how their classroom experiences translate to the real world.

It is essential to teach the "why" in the classroom and how it transitions to the workplace.

EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS

Students not only learn industry-specific technical skills, but professional skills valued by employers, such as collaboration, communication, resilience, teamwork, and work-ethic.

WBL Experiences in Action

LAUNCH

Grades K-5

Coming Soon!

AWARENESS

Grades 6-12

Workplace Tours

Guest Speakers

Career Fair

Career and Technical Student Orgainizations

Volunteerism

EXPLORATION

Grades 10-12

Industry mentored project

Information interview

Job Shadow

Mentorship

Service Learning

IMMERSION

Grade 12

Industry Mentored Project

Internship

Practicum

Student-run enterprise with industry partnership

Service-learning

WBL Team

In the ASD, each high school has a dedicated Work-Based Learning Specialist.

Together, our team supports students and teachers across the District's secondary schools.

ASD High School Students: Looking for a Job or Work-Based Learning Immersion? 
Visit your school's Work-Based Learning Virtual Office to explore available opportunities and more!
Take Me to the WBL Virtual Offices

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