Work Based and Experiential

Learning (WB & EL) Program

1. WB & EL Program Overview

The Generation Next pilot program establishes a program to provide industry-based learning experiences for educators and students.  This idea has been around for many years identified with different program names.  The School to Career Program is the most notable, however when funding for the School to Career Initiative ceased, many school districts in the state discontinued funding.  Continuation of the School to Career Initiative in districts depended on their successes and the willingness of the district to provide funding.

The concept with work-based education is to offer students an opportunity to connect their learning in the classroom to the needs and demands of higher education and the workplace.  Work-based learning provides on site work experience, and training and mentoring that expose the student to all aspects of a given industry.  The School-to Career Coordinator had the lead in this effort and provided a liaison between the school and the community.  The function of the School-to Career Coordinator was to coordinate the community-based opportunities.  The Generation Next pilot program will utilize an Internship Coordinator to coordinate activities, however all activities will follow the State of CT Dept of Labor, http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us, guidelines for Students in the workplace.

Work-based learning takes on many forms, including: Career Exploration, Field Trip/Company Tour, Job Shadowing, Internship and part time employment.

2. Generation Next Overview and STMHS Initiative

The expectation of GenNext grant is twofold: to provide pilot program funds to develop innovative work-based learning components for Connecticut teachers, counselors and students enrolled in Career and Technical Education (CTE) that will become the work-based learning model for all CTE programs; and to foster state, regional  and local partnerships within the education and business & industry sectors so that the GenNext Pilot will be sustained after the one-year grant period ends. The GenNext grant is an investment in the establishment of a model system of structured work-based learning activities designed to increase the relevance of secondary and post-secondary academics while sharpening students? career development and post-secondary decision-making focus. This piloted system will become the work-based learning model for the state. Funded schools will be expected to assist in providing technical assistance and professional development to other schools upon successful completion of the pilot year, as well as sustaining the GenNext program within their education and business & industry community pilot program. Selected grantees are required to sustain the model program with local resources after the one-year funding ends.

Goals

In an effort to develop and maintain a well-educated, highly skilled and productive Connecticut workforce prepared to meet the state labor demands and that of the global economy, the GenNext grant opportunity shall achieve the following objectives:

Engage classroom teachers in the development of curriculum within the content areas of science, technology, engineering and math (the STEM cluster) in the context of industry expectations for careers in the high performance workplace;

Enhance school counselors knowledge of future careers, expectations and education requirements in order to better guide students in secondary and post-secondary education and career planning;

Ground students’ classroom experiences in science, technology, engineering and math through structured work-based learning;

Increase resources and their efficient use so that all schools will have the capacity to ensure that all students achieve at high levels;

Expand school-business partnerships to meet the needs of business and industry;

Develop a work readiness curriculum that hones the employability skills required by the high performance workplace and integrates those skills into the classroom as well as the worksite;

Integrate knowledge of workplace safety and child labor laws into classroom in preparation for worksite learning activities;

Improve academic performance through innovative work-based strategies that integrate core academic competencies within the context of workplace skills; and

Develop a pilot work-based learning model for teachers, counselors and students along with strategies for its replication.

3. STMHS WB & EL Program Highlights

2006-07 pictures

4. Information and Resources for Educators

Facilitating Work Based Experience

- Career Exploration

- Field Trips/ Company tour

- Job Shadowing

- Internship

- Part time Employment

- Externships

- Embed roles and responsibilities

General Websites for information

State of Connecticut site

Activity Matrix Document

Contact Matrix Document

6. STMHS partners on WB & EL

- Connecticut Career Choices

"CCC is a workforce development initiative focused on the implementation of curriculum aligned with both industry and state standards that can be adapted to any high school within Connecticut."

- Easterm CT Workforce Investment Board

"The Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment, or EWIB, oversees a network of workforce related programs and agencies funded by a variety of state and federal sources. Included in this network are four regional CTWorks East One-Stop Centers. EWIB also works to identify the changing labor needs of local employers and job seekers in order to ensure that its programs continue to meet their needs."

- Experts in Schools

"The Experts in Schools (EIS) program intends to reduce the shortage of Connecticut students who pursue advanced education in the sciences and engineering." 

- Governor's Prevention Partnership

"Created in 1989, The Governor's Prevention Partnership is a not-for-profit partnership between state government and business leaders with a mission to keep Connecticut's youth safe, successful and drug-free."