Throughout their lives, students are often told what to do and—for the most part—how to do it. From household chores to classroom rubrics, knowing what’s expected of them and how to be successful is pretty straightforward. But what should happen after graduation isn't always clear.
In school, only 39% of students have taken classes on career exploration or have participated in a program to help them determine future career paths. 69% feel they would have benefitted from more career exploration. Not only does this disconnect drive a lack of understanding of which careers are available to students, but it also muddies the waters as they try to hone their individual skills and interests.
Without structured career exploration in school, most students—about 56%, according to the Education Commission of the States (ECS)—graduate not only unsure of which career path they want to pursue but also how their skills and interests might align with those potential careers. In fact, only 23% of high school graduates demonstrate the ability to align their skills and interests to their career, per “The Condition of Career Readiness Report.”
Real-world learning experiences can equip today’s students with a comprehensive understanding of available career opportunities and how their skills align with these opportunities so they can make confident and informed decisions about their futures. And, this exposure can begin in middle school.
What is Work-Based Learning?
Work-based learning (WBL) provides opportunities for students to learn about careers, explore interests, build connections with industry professionals, and develop and practice the durable skills needed to enter the workforce successfully.
Research finds that work-based learning helps students gain a critical understanding of work environments through a range of experiences that originate in school. From short-term opportunities like workplace tours and guest lectures to long-term opportunities like internships, career-connected learning engages students in the workforce, in school and in the community in pursuit of a common goal:
“Our job is to prepare students for the future, and that means getting them exposed to work and work settings,” says Sarah Werckle, a WBL Liaison at Rockford Public Schools (RPS) in Illinois, where students are immersed in WBL programming from freshman year.
Other work-based learning experiences may look like:
- Job Shadowing
- Career Mentorship
- Career-related Competitions
- Client-connected projects
- Informational Interviews
- Internships
- Practicum
- Service Learning
Source: fhi360
Work-Based Learning Experiences are Evolving
Exposure to real-world work experiences isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s crucial for today’s students. Eastern Hancock Schools in Indiana shares how WBL is a transformative element that can lead to remarkable success.
Expanding the view of quality work-based learning is necessary for better access, as finding real-world experiences outside of the classroom can be challenging for teachers, schools and districts. This may be due to the complexity of arranging travel for students or meeting a high demand for these opportunities within a community.
But educators are working hard to meet the demand. “WBL is all about experiences for students that simulate real-life work experiences or are as close as we can possibly get to work experiences,” says INCubatoredu teacher at RPS, Emily Wilhelms. “It’s not about just opening a textbook or solving equations. It’s about engaging students in work that directly translates to the real world, which makes learning far more relatable and meaningful."
Three Outcomes of Work-Based Learning and how Entrepreneurship plays a part
1. Authenticity & Purpose
In INCubatoredu high school entrepreneurship, students solve problems they care about, which leads to engagement and gets at the “Why” behind the learning. Through their entrepreneurial journeys, students learn the skills and mindset of entrepreneurs so they can take action and make progress on their ideas.
“Students are seeing purpose in what they do because it translates directly to real life,” says Wilhelms. “That’s where INCubatoredu stands out as work-based learning. INCubatoredu gives students a sense of empowerment they didn’t have before,” says Wilhelms. “Whether they want to start a business or not, their hands have been involved in every aspect and they learned every piece.”
2. Career Exposure & Community Involvement
In work-related experiences, students explore skills related to a certain area of expertise, like design, finance, marketing, etc. This gives students a chance to experience various roles and narrow in on their interests and career ambitions.
“Young people may be unsure about which specific job appeals to them,” thought leader, Julie Lammers, wrote. “But frankly, it’s not important. What’s important is finding the skill clusters connected to their interests, so that they can sharpen their abilities and knowledge in a way that sets them up for work they find meaningful, and eliminate things that aren’t a good fit.”
“The experiences in INCubatoredu gives students a taste of something (career options) they didn’t know existed—or may completely change their opinion of what they like and don’t like,” says Wilhelms.
INCubatoredu fosters community engagement and career exposure by bringing volunteer mentors and coaches into the classroom. This approach connects students with industry experts and entrepreneurs, providing real-world insights without leaving school. Mentors guide teams through the entrepreneurial journey—from ideation to execution—helping students develop, test, and refine their ideas using tools and methods employed by professionals, making career-building experiences both accessible and impactful.
3. Skill Development
In INCubatoredu, students drive their own learning equipped with the tools and methodologies of an entrepreneur.
Students in INCubatoredu experience authentic working conditions and learn business fundamentals. They engage in regular digital and verbal communication with professionals. They work in teams and learn to navigate difficult conversations and convey complex ideas.
“At first, in customer interviews, I didn’t know what I was doing. Now I do!” says Essence Jemison, INCubatoredu student at Jefferson High School, RPS. “As I worked with my group, collaboration became easier and I was more comfortable as time went on.”
Tactically, students build websites, create multimedia presentations, develop social media campaigns and more—both the hard and soft skills for life outside the classroom.
These experiences and skill-building align with the targets outlined in this WBL Manual:
- Collaboration & Teamwork
- Communication
- Creativity & Innovation
- Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
- Information Management
- Initiative & Self-Direction
- Professionalism & Ethics
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Technology
- Workplace Context & Culture
“INCubatoredu helps students see their potential,” Wilhelms says. “Even if they don’t pursue entrepreneurship, the skills they gain—problem-solving, collaboration, adaptability—set them up for success in any career. They have tools now that they wouldn’t have learned any other way.”
Empowering Future-Ready Students
Work-based learning engages students in their learning by bridging the gap between classroom and workforce, and new options for bringing WBL to students are emerging.
Programs like INCubatoredu can support WBL outcomes in high school. Authentic, hands-on entrepreneurial experiences help students connect what they learn in the classroom to real life while building their confidence and skills, and discovering their purpose—ensuring they are well-prepared to meet the demands of the modern workforce, and approach their careers with resilience and curiosity.
“INCubatoredu shows students it’s OK not to have all the answers, as long as they can figure out how to find them,” Wilhelms says. “That’s a skill they’ll take with them long after graduation.”
