Madeline Bode

WBL Fishbowl Paper

We, as agricultural educators, have heard it time and time again; employers want
to see high school or college graduates with a better grasp of skills that will prepare
them for the workforce. One of the many ways we can help get students career ready is
through Work Based Learning (WBL). The words themselves describe Work Based
Learning pretty well. According to the Minnesota manual for WBL, Connecting
Students to Work Based Learning (2014), WBL describes any formalized learning
consisting of instruction that occurs concurrently at a school and worksite. It is also
noted that the program must be a collaborative effort between community business and
the school (Minnesota 2014).
The benefits of Work Based Learning can be seen in students in multiple areas.
The first is how it benefits the student; students are able to apply the knowledge they
learn in school in hands on way that can guide them into a career options. Students can
approve their academic achievement by seeing the relevance of their education to their
future careers (Minnesota 2014). Along with this they can find role models in the work
place, gain experience related to their career paths, and increase their self-confidence
along the way (Minnesota 2014). Durring WBL students can explore career options
according to the Minnesota manual (Minnesota 2014). Through this exploration kids
can figure out not only what career they are interested in, but also discover the careers
they dont want to pursue. This is a very important part of navigating to the correct
career path for each individual.
Not only does Work Based learning help students explore career paths, it also
helps bring parents into the know about their childs career thoughts. Parents are

required for legal process of participation in WBL, which is positive since it will lead a
more collaborative effort among the school, student, and the parent when looking into
post-secondary education and career options (Minnesota 2014). Due to this connection
and the collaboration with community businesses, schools can then benefit from the
improved relationship among them and the community (Minnesota 2014). Along with
this schools will also see improved academics due to greater interest from the students
involved in Work Based Learning (Minnesota 2014).
Last but not least the employers themselves benefits from participation in Work
Based Learning. After completing WBL and graduating, employers will then have a
greater amount of younger applicants that are better prepared to enter the workforce
(Minnesota 2014). By having students entering their facilities and seeing their
businesses, they will save time on less recruitment, and money through better trained
new employees (Minnesota 2014). Along with the economic interest, there is also inter
and intra personal gains to be made by current employees. Through employees time
spent advising and managing the student worker they can improve their management
skills and strengthen their moral towards their job (Minnesota 2014).
With all of these great advantages of Work Based Learning, its a wonder why not
every school is requiring their students to participate in WBL in order to graduate.
Before stepping in that direction it is important for one to take a look at the costs of
Work Based Learning. On a positive note, WBL does not require much money to
function in the classroom. There are few materials that must be provided to students in
the school, since the point is for the student to be in the workplace. According to the
Minnesota manual schools could actually save money through not having to constantly
keep up with ever changing technology as much as they would in a CTE program that

does not participate in WBL (Minnesota 2014). This is reasoned by the concept that
businesses will have the latest technology and will be able to train students on it while
on the jobsite. As good as this all sounds, the kicker is that it does take a coordinator, a
school, parents, and the business time to effectively organize a quality WBL experience;
and time is money. With this being said there is a cost to Work Based Learning, its just
related to the pay you give for those who plan it. There is also opportunity cost to WBL.
In the time students spend in the workforce during the school day, they could be
spending time in other more traditional classes, like English and math, that also prepare
them for post-secondary education. Teachers/Coordinators also have an opportunity
cost with their time; in the time they spend planning WBL they could be teaching
another class or preparing for their classes. To add to this, a coordinator must have the
proper licensing to orchestrate WBL. If a school does not have a teacher with this
license, there is the cost of obtaining the license.
All of this information plays a role towards what degree schools participate in
Work Based Learning. The benefits are all clear, and the financial cost is relatively low,
so it would seem logical to have work based learning required for all students for
graduation. To add to th Academic and Career planning will be mandatory for schools
to implement in 2018 as a school wide effort. Work based learning would seem logical
to also become mandatory for students as well. I believe the biggest restriction, though,
is the time needed to make meaningful WBL experience. I think do not think it is in a
student or teachers benefit to push a program on to them that they do not have an
interest in, and therefore will not be meaningful. While there are many benefits for the
students, the student will only gain those benefits if they have a sincere interest in the
program.

For a WBL program to be required, it would either take a full time WBL
coordinator or a multiple staff coordinators. Not all CTE teachers have the necessary
license to conduct Work Basked Leaning, so there would be the cost of licensing. If
there were to be a full time coordinator, there would be the cost of the current CTE
teachers AND the cost of the salary of the new WBL coordinator. Either way, the time it
takes to create a quality WBL experience for every student, in order for them to graduate
would be a great cost to the district.
References
Minnesota Department of Education. (rev. 2014). Connecting Youth to Work-Based
Learning "Blueprint for a Quality Program". Retrieved from
https://uwrf.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/le/content/3230287/fullscreen/1960147
0/View