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Over the past decade, there has been a growing recognition of the value of work-based learning (WBL), creating more opportunities for students to explore careers, develop skills, learn directly from professionals, and connect classroom learning to future possibilities. Increased investment in WBL, along with stronger partnerships between schools, employers, and community organizations, has helped career-connected learning become a more prominent part of the high school experience.

As these opportunities grow, the next challenge is ensuring they reach a broader range of students. Too often, participation is limited to the students who already know about available opportunities, have schedules that allow them to participate, have identified a career field they want to pursue, or have access to the time and support required to take part. Many students who could benefit from career-connected experiences may never consider them or may encounter barriers that make participating difficult. 

Schools can expand access by creating multiple ways for students to participate, connecting with a broader range of business and community partners, bringing more career-connected experiences into the school day, and identifying and addressing the barriers that limit participation. Clear, early communication can also give students time to understand what is available, explore their interests, and plan for the experiences they want to pursue. 

Creating More Ways to Participate 

A strong WBL gives students multiple ways to engage. Offering experiences that vary in length, setting, level of commitment, and career field can make participation possible for students with different schedules, interests, and levels of career readiness. It can also give students opportunities to explore unfamiliar fields before they are ready to commit to a longer-term experience. 

• Offer one-time WBL opportunities, and invite students from all grade levels to participate. Students might hear from a professional, tour a workplace, or engage in a hands-on, career-aligned experience. These one-time experiences provide an accessible introduction to WBL, allowing students to explore a field or experience before making a longer-term commitment. They can also build awareness and spark interest in opportunities students may not have otherwise considered. 
• When possible, build short-term WBL experiences into the school day. Content-area educators might invite an expert to present to the class, bring in tools or equipment from a local college or workplace that align with learning, or otherwise partner with career professionals to help students connect their learning to the real world. Advisory periods can also be utilized for valuable career learning. Embedding WBL into the school schedule and removing the need for students to sign up can make participation more accessible to a broader range of students. It can also introduce career-connected learning to students who may not independently seek out a WBL experience or who hesitate to commit because they are still determining what they want to pursue. 
• Regularly collect information about students’ career goals, and ensure available opportunities match interests. Whether through a College and Career Readiness platform, student surveys, or other career exploration activities, regularly gather information about the careers and fields students want to learn more about. Use this information to guide WBL planning and identify gaps in available opportunities. Because establishing WBL partnerships can take time, consider beginning to track student interests as early as 9th grade. By monitoring interests and trends, schools can proactively build partnerships and develop opportunities that reflect what students want to explore. 
• Look to existing district partnerships for new WBL connections. Relationships with businesses, community organizations, or vendors the district already has can offer a natural starting point for developing WBL opportunities and make it easier to identify the right people to contact. Consider community organizations that support students and families, local businesses that sponsor events, colleges or technical schools that offer dual-enrollment opportunities, healthcare organizations that provide school-based care or community support, foundations or partners that provide financial support, or any district vendors or providers that may have relevant expertise or connections. Building on these relationships can help districts expand the range of career fields and experiences available to students. 

Communicating with Students 

Expanding the range of WBL opportunities is only part of increasing participation. Students also need to know what is available, understand how to participate, and have enough time and support to navigate the process. Schools and districts should consider what, when, and how they communicate while also creating regular opportunities to learn from students and families about the barriers that may keep them from taking part. That feedback can help schools identify where access breaks down and make targeted adjustments. 

• Identify barriers to participation. One of the most important ways to increase access is to learn from students and families about what may be preventing them from participating. Regularly talk with students and families across grade levels, especially students who are not participating in WBL. Surveys and informal conversations can help schools to identify barriers and determine which changes would make the greatest difference. Consider asking about barriers such as transportation and location, time commitments and course schedules, awareness of opportunities, uncertainty about career plans, associated costs, or family responsibilities. 

• Make information available early. Starting in 9th grade, talk about the work-based learning opportunities students may choose to participate in later in high school. Early communication gives students time to learn about different options, consider what they might want to explore, and thoughtfully plan their coursework, schedule, and other commitments. By making WBL opportunities visible throughout high school, students can make informed decisions each step of the way, rather than having to navigate options at the last minute, with limited flexibility. 

• Share clear contact information for WBL support. Because responsibility for WBL planning may be shared across counselors, educators, coordinators, and other staff, students may not know who to contact or when to ask for help. Make learning about WBL as easy as possible by sharing:
  
  • Available opportunities and where students can learn more about them
  • The staff member(s) or team responsible for different WBL opportunities and related questions
  • Planning, application, registration, and scheduling timelines
  • Eligibility requirements or prerequisites, when applicable
  • The steps students need to take to pursue an opportunity

Increasing Access to Meaningful Career Learning 

Expanding WBL requires more than increasing the number of available placements. Schools can use what they learn about student interests, participation, and barriers across multiple years to build a broader set of experiences, and create stronger connections between students and opportunities. Over time, that allows WBL programs to move beyond filling available placements toward creating meaningful career-connected experiences that reflect what students want to explore and what they need to participate. 

When schools create multiple ways to engage, address barriers early, and make opportunities easy to understand and navigate, more students can see work-based learning as an experience available to them and have a realistic path that allows them to take part.