Helping today’s students develop employable skills sets them up for success and fulfillment after graduation. However, 61% of employers say they face challenges filling skilled positions.1 And 9.3 million job vacancies in April 20212 further indicates a concerning skills gap.
Work-based learning (WBL) offers a highly effective way to help students build valuable career skills and introduce them to life beyond high school. With hands-on training and on-the-job experience, it’s also an excellent way for students to confidently choose a college major or trade program that supports their life goals.
This Naviance by PowerSchool toolkit dives into why WBL is so important, what it offers schools, students, and businesses, and how to build a WBL program at your school. Find out how students say WBL helped them during and after high school, what educators say about the program’s benefits, and why many businesses are eager to participate.
In this toolkit, you’ll learn:
- What WBL is and why it’s critical to students’ futures
- Ways that students, teachers, and employers benefit
- How to begin or improve your WBL program
1 National Skills Coalition, 2017
2 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics