Work-Based Learning

Positioned as the eighth-largest economy in the world, Texas faces increasing demands for a skilled workforce as its population and job market continue to expand.1 Opportunities for career and technical education (CTE) students to be prepared for high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand occupations will require school systems to build work-based learning (WBL) programs that serve as capstone experiences for students.  
 

WBL provides CTE students opportunities to gain valuable insights through real-world experiences as they progress through a program of study, earn industry-based certifications (IBCs), and participate in hands-on experiences in industry settings. WBL activities foster a deep understanding of career opportunities, the acquisition and application of essential technical skills, and the learning of employability skills necessary for postsecondary success. 

 

Creating outstanding WBL experiences for students necessitates a solid understanding of how to collaborate with educators and industry partners to design learning opportunities that equip students for a skilled workforce.  
 

Programs of study are course sequences that prepare students with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in their chosen career. These sequences embed relevant, real-world experiences and culminate in a postsecondary credential that will prepare students for a high-wage, high-skill, in-demand career. The courses in a statewide or regional program of study are determined by TEA and aligned to the Texas State Plan for Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V). Courses are categorized into four levels that feature specific Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 

  • Level 1 - A course that introduces foundational knowledge, skills, and concepts aligned to a career cluster or program of study. 
  • Level 2 - A course focused on the acquisition of occupationally specific knowledge and skills aligned to a program of study. 
  • Level 3 - A course that builds upon occupationally specific skills introduced in a Level 2 course. 
  • Level 4 - A culminating course that extends and applies occupationally specific skills through advanced instruction and authentic learning experiences. 

 

  • Paid and Unpaid Training Plan Doc

    Training Plans with TEKs for each WBL course (Zip file)

    Work-Based Learning Student Insurance

    Student Attendance Accounting Handbook (SAAH) for information on Career Preparation and Practicum Courses

  • HB 636, passed by the 87th Texas Legislature, includes a provision that allows a high school student who successfully completes CTE courses in the plumbing trade to apply for and take the tradesman plumber-limited license holder examination. To learn more, please review this Tradesman Plumber - Limited License one-pager.

    CTE and Students Served by Special Education

    There are no designated Career and Technical Education for Students with Disabilities (CTED) courses in the CO22 table, and references have been removed from the Student Attendance Accounting Handbook (SAAH). Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses are available to all students.

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that a student who receives special education services must learn in the least restrictive environment (LRE).

    • This means that, to the maximum extent appropriate, a student with a disability must be educated with students who do not have disabilities. It also means that a student with a disability may not be placed in a special class that removes the student from the regular educational environment unless the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in a regular class with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
    • Access to the general curriculum, LRE, and a continuum of alternative placements must be considered when addressing students’ needs and making placement decisions. These decisions are made on an individual basis by the student’s ARD committee, which must include a representative from Career and Technical Education, preferably the teacher, when considering the initial or continued placement of a student in a career and technical education program.
      • The ARD committee determines the student’s placement, which may, in limited situations, include a CTE course in a self-contained setting that serves only students with disabilities, but only when deemed necessary as described above.
      • Therefore, an LEA can provide a CTE course in a special-education-only setting if the ARD committee has made an individualized determination that this setting is the least restrictive environment for the student.
      • Also, because of the individualized decisions that must be made for each student with a disability, there must not be a pattern of “guiding” students with disabilities into any one program, and there must be an opportunity for interaction with peers in general education programs.
      • NOTE: Career Preparation Teacher Certification
        §231.271. Career Development, Grades 9-12. Section 231.271(a) reflects current certificates for teaching career development for grades 9-12 and provides holders of special education certificates an opportunity to teach career development courses, provided they have completed appropriate training in state and federal requirements regarding work-based learning and safety. The rule ensures that students who receive special education services have opportunities to enroll in these courses taught by teachers who are highly trained to provide appropriate supports. The rule also provides clarity for district personnel to place educators with the appropriate credentials into classroom assignments.

     

    Career Preparation provides opportunities for students to participate in a learning experience that combines classroom instruction with paid business and industry employment experiences and supports strong partnerships among school, business, and community stakeholders.

    The practicum is designed to give students supervised practical application of previously studied knowledge and skills. Practicum experiences occur in a paid or unpaid arrangement and in a variety of instructional settings.

    Additional Resources