The Framework
Using This Framework
This framework is intended for educators, employers, workforce professionals, correctional officers, policymakers, and anyone else who wants to design and operate high-quality work-based learning programs.
The first section (below) explores the four stages of work-based learning. It starts with career awareness and can progress to career exploration, career preparation, and career experience. Work-based learning is often a non-linear path. You can enter or exit a work-based learning experience at any stage in your career, making it a powerful tool for both early exposure and lifelong advancement.
The framework also provides six quality indicators to inform program design and ensure effectiveness (use navigation bar at the top of this page): universal access, intentional alignment, financial support, personalized mentorship, pathway integration, and collaborative partnerships.
The exemplars (use navigation bar) highlight work-based learning programs that illustrate best practices and demonstrate many of the quality indicators. They offer actionable insights for expanding and strengthening work-based learning opportunities.
Career Awareness | Career Exploration | Career Preparation | Career Experience
The Work-Based Learning Journey
Career Awareness
Career Awareness helps people learn about the vast array of career opportunities and think about their interests and strengths. It uses activities such as guest speakers and workplace tours to connect classroom learning to real-world work activities. These experiences enable people to reflect on how their skills and preferences match with various careers, so they can make informed decisions about which career opportunities they’d like to explore in greater detail.
GOALS
Explore Careers
Learn about a wide range of industries, job roles, and career paths, and the foundational skills employers seek.
Determine Skills and Interests
Discover personal interests, strengths, and employability skills to help choose which career options to explore.
Start to Plan
Identify career paths of interest, entry points, and progression opportunities. Delve deeper into these areas and labor market demand for related skills through research and personal exposure.
Activities include
Career Days | Career Fairs | Career Research | Career Counseling | Career Assessments | Industry Speakers
Career Exploration
Career Exploration provides structured learning activities through short-term job experiences and interactions with professionals (in-person or virtually). Learners get a glimpse into job trends, real-world work environments, and the skills needed to succeed within a field, setting the stage for them to make informed decisions about their career interests and goals.
GOALS
Examine Fit
Explore work environments to gain insight into workplace differences and the daily responsibilities of various roles. Better understand which career options align with personal interests and goals.
Explore Key Skills
Learn about the key employability and technical skills needed to succeed in various careers.
Make Connections
Make valuable connections with industry professionals that can open doors to future opportunities to engage more deeply in the workplace.
Activities include
Job Shadows | Company Tours | Simulations | Externships
Career Preparation
Career Preparation connects temporary employment positions and structured workplace training with related learning activities. Learners gain essential employability and technical skills, professional contacts, and work experience needed to enter their chosen careers. These opportunities may lead to longer-term training, additional education, or directly to employment.
GOALS
Apply Skills
Apply, gain, and enhance employability and technical skills through hands-on work experiences in temporary roles.
Determine Fit
Gain first-hand experience to gauge interest in a specific industry, considering factors such as job requirements, required skills, and workplace culture.
Grow Networks
Build new professional contacts through work experiences that can lead to future career opportunities.
Activities include
Internships | Fellowships | Pre-Apprenticeships | Cooperative Education | Work-Based Courses | Service Learning
Career Experience
Career Experience connects sustained paid employment in workplace settings with contextual and career-aligned learning. These opportunities enable learners to strengthen existing skills while developing new skills, which can open doors for advancement.
GOALS
Master Job Skills
Develop and demonstrate proficiency in the employability and technical skills required for success in a chosen career.
Plan for Growth
Identify and acquire additional knowledge, skills, and abilities to advance within a career and succeed in long-term career goals.
Activities Include
Registered Apprenticeships | Transitional Jobs | On-the-Job Training Programs | Incumbent Worker Training Programs