7 Principles for Effective Work-Based Learning

Americans seeking employment often face a conundrum: relevant work experience is a prerequisite for many jobs, but it is difficult to gain the required experience without being in the workplace. Work-based learning--activities that occur in workplaces through which youth and adults gain the knowledge, skills, and experience needed for entry or advancement in a particular career field--offers a solution to this problem. But although the benefits of work-based learning are clear, they have accrued primarily to the most highly educated and socially connected segments of the U.S. population. In recent years, educators and leaders in the workforce development field have returned again and again to the problem of providing work-based learning opportunities to the marginalized populations for whom this experience can mean the most. The full report "Making Work-Based Learning Work" guides the design and implementation of effective models of work-based learning that expand access for the many people who don't currently benefit from these opportunities. This document, "The 7 Principals for Effective Work-Based Learning" expands on each of the seven principles, laying out the benefits of each. [For the full report: "Making Work-Based Learning Work," see ED567846.]