28% required from each pathway
Work-Based Learning through CTE
Career and Technical Education (CTE) offers a range of Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunities that connect classroom instruction to real-world experiences. These programs help students build career skills, explore industries, and gain firsthand insight into professional workplaces.
Benefits of Work-Based Learning:
- Hands-On Experience: Students gain practical skills and apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings, something textbooks alone can’t provide.
- Career Readiness: Exposure to different industries helps students explore career options while developing key skills like communication, teamwork, time management, and problem-solving.
- Professional Networking: WBL allows students to connect with industry professionals who can offer mentorship, guidance, and potential future opportunities.
- Increased Engagement: Experiencing the relevance of schoolwork in a real job setting boosts motivation, leading to greater engagement and retention.
- Enhanced Employability: Students graduate with a blend of academic knowledge and real-world experience that makes them stronger candidates for jobs or postsecondary education.
Work-Based Learning Examples:
- Credit-for-Work: This CTE .5 elective credit is a type of WBL experience that allows students to earn academic credit for working in a paid job aligned with their career pathway. For example, working at Pep Boys while taking coursework in the Vehicle Maintenance and Repair CTE pathway.
- CTE Internship: This CTE .5 elective credit is a structured, work-based learning experience that allows students to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting. Internships are typically unpaid (30–60 hours per semester) and supervised by industry professionals, giving insight into the workplace and helping students develop technical and employability skills.
- Pre-Apprenticeship & Apprenticeship: Registered Apprenticeship Programs combine paid on-the-job training with related classroom instruction. They are designed to prepare students for high-skill, high-wage careers in healthcare, construction, manufacturing, IT, and more.
- Register for a CTE Course: CTE helps students gain real-world skills, explore career options, and prepare for life after high school. Students benefit from hands-on learning, industry certifications, exposure to in-demand careers, internships, job shadowing, and a strong foundation for college and career success.
- For more information: Guide to WBL in Colorado
