What is Work-Based Learning?
Apprenticeship/Apprenticeship Degree
Career On-Ramp
Practical, short-term experiences with actively involved employers designed to help students explore career pathways, apply their learning, and gain knowledge and skills relevant to their education and careers.
Co-Op
Re/Upskilling
Internships
Click on the red button next to each type of work-based learning experience to learn more! * SU's current opportunities are in BOLD
Redesigning Student Employment
Micro-Internships
Experiential/Project-Based Learning
Co-Op
“Co-op”, or cooperative education, typically refers to a program where students alternate between academic semesters with semesters spent working paid, full-time positions in their industry.
Re/Upskilling
Upskilling refers to training employees to gain new knowledge or in-depth industry expertise, typically within their current roles.
Programs or platforms geared towards upward mobility for full-time working adults to take industry-aligned, short-term credentials that include intentional work-based learning components to advance their skills and careers. These may or may not be credit bearing and are offered by employers, community colleges, education providers, etc.
EXAMPLES: professional credentials, certificates, licenses, certifications, online learning, Grow with Google Certificates
Micro-Internships
Micro-internships are project-based positions that involve a much smaller time commitment than the traditional internship.
Short-term, paid, professional assignments that are like those given to new hires or interns. These real-world, employer projects enable learners to demonstrate skills, explore career paths, and build their networks as they seek the right major and/or full-time career path. Unlike traditional internships, micro-Internships are shorter in length
and can take place year-round, are not bound by an academic calendar, typically range from 10 to 40 hours of work, and assignments are due between one to six weeks after kickoff (e.g., Parker Dewey). Micro-internship programs are often designed to help prepare students for greater success in securing future external-facing internships.
EXAMPLES: Internships - virtual internships and mini-internships
Redesigning Student Employment
Student Employment offers students the opportunity to have part-time employment on or off-campus that can possibly be related to their chosen field of study.
Paid, short-term employment opportunities for postsecondary students that intentionally connect education to employment, build professional skills, and provide career development and mentoring. Universities and colleges are expanding and increasing the utilization of Federal Work Study (FWS) jobs and redesigning student employment to more holistically support skills development, career development, and student success. Student employment may be located on or off campus and often does not include academic credit. Student employment is funded through programs such as FWS/CWS, state funds, employers, university and college programs, etc.
EXAMPLES: off-campus work study, on-campus employment, career readiness training and onboarding
Experiential/Project-Based Learning
Project Based Learning helps students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge
Coursework wherein students learn by actively engaging in hands-on, real-world, or challenge-based projects connected to employers, either in the classroom or within companies to develop both technical and professional skills and knowledge. PBL provides students the opportunity to explore potential career paths, connect with employers, and increase the chance to secure a future internship.
EXAMPLES: Forage, clinicals, field experience, job placement
Apprenticeship
An apprenticeship is a paid job where the employee learns and gains valuable experiences. Apprenticeships combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction to prepare workers for highly skilled careers in conjunction with the close supervision from a skilled mentor. Apprenticeships are generally categorized as registered (regulated by the U.S. Department of Labor), pre-apprenticeship, unregistered, youth and 4-year apprenticeship degrees.
Apprenticeship Degree
Apprenticeship degrees typically one-year certificate programs and may be in partnership with a company.An innovative work-based learning model that combines the embedded on-the-job training of a registered apprenticeship with the academic rigor of a university degree program. Often focused in high-need industry areas, Apprenticeship Degrees allow entry-level and paraprofessional workers already embedded with an employer to
continue to earn wages and receive credit for working, while also taking flexible, practical college courses taught by industry experts to ultimately receive a bachelor’s-level degree.
Internships
An internship is a learning opportunity in which a student is actively developing and refining skills, engaging in new experiences, and contributing to an organization for a discrete period of time.
Short-term work experiences that help postsecondary students gain entry-level exposure and applied experience in a particular industry, field, or organization. Internships are inclusive of a range of types of experiences across industries (e.g. practicums, externships, and clinicals), some of which may be required for certain fields. Internships can be paid or unpaid and may include academic credit. Ideally, internships are paid and include credit towards a student’s academic program or credentials to address, access, equity, and quality of opportunity.
EXAMPLES: Internships - virtual internships, micro-internships and mini-internship
Career On-Ramp
On-ramps are career pathway programs designed to serve individuals with significant barriers to educational and economic success.
Work-based learning experience designed to support entry into–or reskilling and upskilling within–high-demand fields, especially for individuals who face the greatest barriers. Career on-ramps are often provided by nonprofits and intermediaries and may also include an industry credential, career coaching, wraparound supports, and job placement services.
EXAMPLES: job shadowing, mentoring, resume review with employers, digital badging, SMART goal planning, networking events, career pathway presentations and career engagement plan, mock interviews with employers, volunteer opportunities within industry, industry and career panels
WBL Definitions
Hayley Anderson
Created on August 1, 2024
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Transcript
What is Work-Based Learning?
Apprenticeship/Apprenticeship Degree
Career On-Ramp
Practical, short-term experiences with actively involved employers designed to help students explore career pathways, apply their learning, and gain knowledge and skills relevant to their education and careers.
Co-Op
Re/Upskilling
Internships
Click on the red button next to each type of work-based learning experience to learn more! * SU's current opportunities are in BOLD
Redesigning Student Employment
Micro-Internships
Experiential/Project-Based Learning
Co-Op
“Co-op”, or cooperative education, typically refers to a program where students alternate between academic semesters with semesters spent working paid, full-time positions in their industry.
Re/Upskilling
Upskilling refers to training employees to gain new knowledge or in-depth industry expertise, typically within their current roles.
Programs or platforms geared towards upward mobility for full-time working adults to take industry-aligned, short-term credentials that include intentional work-based learning components to advance their skills and careers. These may or may not be credit bearing and are offered by employers, community colleges, education providers, etc.
EXAMPLES: professional credentials, certificates, licenses, certifications, online learning, Grow with Google Certificates
Micro-Internships
Micro-internships are project-based positions that involve a much smaller time commitment than the traditional internship.
Short-term, paid, professional assignments that are like those given to new hires or interns. These real-world, employer projects enable learners to demonstrate skills, explore career paths, and build their networks as they seek the right major and/or full-time career path. Unlike traditional internships, micro-Internships are shorter in length and can take place year-round, are not bound by an academic calendar, typically range from 10 to 40 hours of work, and assignments are due between one to six weeks after kickoff (e.g., Parker Dewey). Micro-internship programs are often designed to help prepare students for greater success in securing future external-facing internships.
EXAMPLES: Internships - virtual internships and mini-internships
Redesigning Student Employment
Student Employment offers students the opportunity to have part-time employment on or off-campus that can possibly be related to their chosen field of study.
Paid, short-term employment opportunities for postsecondary students that intentionally connect education to employment, build professional skills, and provide career development and mentoring. Universities and colleges are expanding and increasing the utilization of Federal Work Study (FWS) jobs and redesigning student employment to more holistically support skills development, career development, and student success. Student employment may be located on or off campus and often does not include academic credit. Student employment is funded through programs such as FWS/CWS, state funds, employers, university and college programs, etc.
EXAMPLES: off-campus work study, on-campus employment, career readiness training and onboarding
Experiential/Project-Based Learning
Project Based Learning helps students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge
Coursework wherein students learn by actively engaging in hands-on, real-world, or challenge-based projects connected to employers, either in the classroom or within companies to develop both technical and professional skills and knowledge. PBL provides students the opportunity to explore potential career paths, connect with employers, and increase the chance to secure a future internship.
EXAMPLES: Forage, clinicals, field experience, job placement
Apprenticeship
An apprenticeship is a paid job where the employee learns and gains valuable experiences. Apprenticeships combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction to prepare workers for highly skilled careers in conjunction with the close supervision from a skilled mentor. Apprenticeships are generally categorized as registered (regulated by the U.S. Department of Labor), pre-apprenticeship, unregistered, youth and 4-year apprenticeship degrees.
Apprenticeship Degree
Apprenticeship degrees typically one-year certificate programs and may be in partnership with a company.An innovative work-based learning model that combines the embedded on-the-job training of a registered apprenticeship with the academic rigor of a university degree program. Often focused in high-need industry areas, Apprenticeship Degrees allow entry-level and paraprofessional workers already embedded with an employer to continue to earn wages and receive credit for working, while also taking flexible, practical college courses taught by industry experts to ultimately receive a bachelor’s-level degree.
Internships
An internship is a learning opportunity in which a student is actively developing and refining skills, engaging in new experiences, and contributing to an organization for a discrete period of time.
Short-term work experiences that help postsecondary students gain entry-level exposure and applied experience in a particular industry, field, or organization. Internships are inclusive of a range of types of experiences across industries (e.g. practicums, externships, and clinicals), some of which may be required for certain fields. Internships can be paid or unpaid and may include academic credit. Ideally, internships are paid and include credit towards a student’s academic program or credentials to address, access, equity, and quality of opportunity.
EXAMPLES: Internships - virtual internships, micro-internships and mini-internship
Career On-Ramp
On-ramps are career pathway programs designed to serve individuals with significant barriers to educational and economic success.
Work-based learning experience designed to support entry into–or reskilling and upskilling within–high-demand fields, especially for individuals who face the greatest barriers. Career on-ramps are often provided by nonprofits and intermediaries and may also include an industry credential, career coaching, wraparound supports, and job placement services.
EXAMPLES: job shadowing, mentoring, resume review with employers, digital badging, SMART goal planning, networking events, career pathway presentations and career engagement plan, mock interviews with employers, volunteer opportunities within industry, industry and career panels