CTE and Work-Based Learning

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ERIC Digest no. 252

by Bettina Lankard Brown
2003

"Work-based learning represents the integration of workplace experiences and career and technical education (CTE) curriculum. It involves students in the construction of knowledge by engaging them in authentic tasks of the workplace that "create a context for creative decision making in uncertain situations" (Harnish and Wilke-Schnaufer 1998, p. 22). It engages students in reflective practices that help them develop both personally and professionally (Kinman and Kinman 1997).

Work-based learning (WBL) includes a range of activities that extend beyond traditional cooperative education, such as job shadowing, service learning, internships, and apprenticeships—all of which provide CTE students with valuable experience in the world of work. This Digest reviews the approaches used to provide work-based learning, issues involved in structuring meaningful worksite learning experiences, and benefits that CTE students realize through participation in those experiences. "