Work-Based Learning: Where to Begin? | Origin: CS130
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Creating Work-Based Learning Programs - First Steps --> Work-Based Learning: Where to Begin?
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
I like understanding of the stakeholders and there importance to workbased learning program. I believe recognizing how they will benefit a program will help a new program get started.
The suggestions on who to include on the advisory committee and where to find the needs of area employers were great ideas! I plan to contact our school board, city council, and county supervisors to see if I can talk about the work-based learning program we will be starting. In addition, I plan to develop my elevator pitch for our work-based learning program.
I appreciate seeing a difference between an advisory committee for my department and knowing that an advisory council can be formed for several programs at my school. Should we join the local Chamber of Commerce and begin building those relationships now as part of the community building process?
I appreciate the link to the documents from Massachusetts, especially the Employability Skills Rubric. Rubrics are so hard to create from scratch, but it's much easier to respond to and develop your own from a solid example.
I liked how they start this section with the value of professional networking and intra-community networking to identify the stakeholders and champions for the WBL program at your district/school, and doing WWW research. For research, they also provided the website (I opened it in new tab) for the Perkins Collaborative Resource Network (currently FY2020-23 state plans and individual state profiles available from online data explorers). [Re: US DoEd Perkins V comprehensive local needs assessment required.]
With regards to this section, I feel lucky in that our district has already started this work. We have several identified champions, as well as a strong relationship with our area Economic Development council. I feel the connections we establish with business and industry partners through this council have been far more beneficial than trying to develop and maintain relationships with civic and business organizations such as Chambers of Commerce or Rotary clubs.
This part of the course includes all of the major individuals and components to make the WBL program a successful framework, standard, and experience for all of those involved. In addition, I appreciate the discussion about considering legislation and research which we can be rarely discussed at the programming level of higher education.
A few things that stood out to me were finding your WBL champion and doing your research. I can see where both pieces work to make a more successful program...along with considering your stakeholders of course!
A few ideas are that it is important to have several people to be your support system to get the work base learning a reality. We need our champions. Then we need to stay up to date with research on work-based learning.
As a work-based learning coordinator, I love the idea of creating a WBL Advisory Committee. I definitely have "champions" that I rely on for feedback and support, but had not thought of creating a more formal group. It was also an important reminder to always "research" and focus on the needs of our communities.
A WBL program's success is building relationships. Whether a champion, stakeholder, or both, internal and external partnerships must be established and developed in order to provide quality connections and experiences for students. I appreciated the insight on developing a WBL committee for the division's CTE advisory council.
I was able to learn how to design efficient on-the-job learning programs in this topic, along with the preliminary steps needed to get started. The following are some examples of specific topics you can learn about:
- The benefits of on-the-job training.
- Knowing the training needs of the company and its employees.
- How to specify the objectives and outcomes of the on-the-job learning program.
- How to forge productive relationships with subordinates and workers.
- How to choose the most effective on-the-job learning techniques and resources.
- How to evaluate learning program performance and ensure continuous improvement.
As a result, you will discover how to design and develop an on-the-job learning program from the ground up, starting with the first steps necessary to ensure that the program is properly tailored to the needs of the business. The company's bottom line can increase as a result of improved employee productivity and retention.
A WBL PROGRAM WILL HIGHLY BENEFIT FROM HAVING CHAMPIONS THAT WANT TO SEE THE PROGRAM SUCCEED.
A WBL program will success by building relations and even more if among those relations you have a successful set of Champions.
