Work-Based Learning Opportunities Elementary and Middle School Grades
Objectives:
Participants will:
- explore practical strategies to support students’ early career development aligned with the 17 VDOE Career Clusters
- learn how to connect work-based learning (WBL) to school and community-based opportunities in elementary and middle grades
- preview tools for tracking students’ interests and participation
Your role matters!
Why start career planning early?
- Early career planning improves:
- Employment outcomes
- Independent living skills
- Post-secondary education success
- Starting early builds a strong foundation for lifelong success
Introducing the VCU Online Course
https://centerontransition.org/courses/earlytransitionplanning/
Begin with the End in Mind
- Planning starts the moment students enter preschool or kindergarten
- Set high expectations
- Use evidence-based practices
- Foster career development
- Teach workplace readiness
- Involve & engage families
Set High Expectations
- High expectations lead to positive transition outcomes or results.
- Youth with high expectations may have more educational options and better-paying jobs that match their abilities and interests.
- Youth with disabilities who have more expected of them are more likely to live fully integrated lives and have a greater opportunity to strive toward their own hopes and dreams.
Setting High Expectations in Practice
- Always presume competence
- Provide access to rigorous curriculum
- Support inclusive practices with age-appropriate peers
Use Evidence-Based Predictors
Evidence-Based Predictors of Post-School Success
NTACT-C identifies key predictors linked to better outcomes in:
- Employment
- Postsecondary education
- Independent living
Activity: Predictor Match-Up
- Complete the following activity at your table.
- Using NTACT-C Pre-K to 12 Predictors for Post School Success, place an X beside each predictor for your assigned category to determine when it should be introduced
- Match the activities to the predictors
- Share one activity match and how it could be supported in your school.
Foster Career Development
Academic & Career Plan Development
- Elementary School
- Career Awareness & Exploration
- Understand the concept of career, setting goals, & the value of life-long learning
- ACP Portfolio
- Middle School
- Career Exploration & Planning
- Identify & demonstrate the relationship of personal interests, goals, & course planning related to careers
- Academic & Career Plan
Charting the Course for Middle School Career Development Career Development
A narrowing process: Elementary/Middle/High School and beyond.
OCCUPATION
PATHWAY
CLUSTER
CAREER INTEREST
Career Clusters
Career Clusters
- Offers a framework to explore options
- Organizes academic and technical knowledge/skills into a sequence
- Identifies pathways
- Provides alignment of academic/technical skills with workplace readiness skills
- Allows opportunities to involve parents, business, and school
Teach Workplace Readiness
We know the needs…
Research conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation and Stanford Research Center has concluded that 85% of job success comes from having well-developed soft and people skills, and only 15% of job success comes from technical skills and knowledge (hard skills).
What are Workplace Readiness Skills (WRS)?
WRS are…
- necessary to maintain employment
- most desirable skills identified by employers
- essential for workplace success
What is one WRS you use every day?
Possibilities . . .
https://youtu.be/E9m7ltOzryQ?si=KhSUH-wu8nQ2Vj90
What early transition predictors were used in Lane’s story?
What additional steps could educators take to support Lane & his family’s vision for his future?
Accessibility
- Provide AAC
- Differentiate the tasks for engagement
- Use assistive technology
- Incorporate students’ interests and sensory needs
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC
Workplace Readiness Rubric
A tool to capture student strengths and instructional needs to plan instruction, provide practice, and monitor student growth in 22 workplace readiness skills for use in school and community experiences. (CTI Workplace Readiness Skills Rubric)
Involve & Engage Families
Self-Awareness: Take Action
School
- Identify preferences, interests for employment
- Gather strengths/skills from others
- Provide opportunities for student to self-monitor
- Teach/assess social and work behaviors
Home
- Discuss importance of work
- Assign chores, encourage independence
- Talk about strengths and support in home/community
- Identify personality preferences
- Teach and model appropriate work behaviors
Exploration: Take Action
School
- Informational interviews
- Career fairs
- Job shadowing
- Mentorships
- Internships
Home
- Discuss careers in family
- Job shadow family/friend
- Seek out volunteer/part-time opportunities
- Research career training requirements
- Identify positive work habits
Make Choices/Prepare: Take Action
School
- Match SPIN to career(s) of interest
- Create pros/con list
- Identify where education, training can be obtained
- Create steps needed to reach career of interest
Home
- Discuss financial plan for training in career(s) of interest
- Research education, training options
- Discuss how disability can impact success
- Discuss next steps and goals
Preparation/Training: Take Action
School
- Participate in a WBL internship in career of interest
- Identify workplace readiness strengths/needs
- Prep student to lead IEP
- Align course of study as a prerequisite for education/training
Home
- Seek out part-time work related to career interest
- Increase responsibilities at home
- Identify and visit education/training programs
- Research process for obtaining accommodations
Design Work-Based Learning K-8
Designing Work Based Learning K-8
In your group, brainstorm the following questions and record your responses on the chart paper provided.
- What does WBL look like in your grade band?
- What are some examples of inclusive opportunities?
- What workplace readiness skills will students develop?
- How will you share student growth with next grade level?
Elementary
Middle School
Evaluation Tools & Resources
Evaluation Tools
- Observation Checklists: Track engagement, participation, and understanding during activities
- Student Work Samples: Drawings, writing prompts (e.g., “When I grow up…”), sorting tasks
- Exit Tickets: Simple questions or pictures to show what students learned
- Portfolios: Collect artifacts over time to show growth in awareness
- Self-Reflection Tools: Visual scales or smiley face charts for students to express interest or enjoyment
- IEP Goal Alignment: Tie activities to functional or pre-vocational goals when appropriate
Components of the ACP Portfolio
VDOE Elementary School Academic & Career Plan Portfolio (ACCP)
ACPP Toolkit
Self-Awareness
- One Pager
- All About Me documents
Career Preference Assessment
- Apply strengths & interests
- WBL experiences
- Student reflections
Evidence of Career Exploration
- Virtual Career Exploration
- Career Clusters Awareness & Exploration
- Free Library for teachers to create 40 books to share
- Multiple accessibility features
- Read on tablets, laptops, and desktops
- Insert videos, audio, images with ease
Resources
- Career Exploration Curriculum- elementary school
- Career Investigations Curriculum- middle school
- Pathful & Pathful Jr. –online career education platforms
- Middle School Career Development Framework-CTI Guide
- VA Career View –career resources PreK-12
- VA Education Wizard- career & college planning website
- Elementary Career Cluster Awareness- blog with activities
- Career Development Activity Ideas- for home and school k-12
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THANK YOU
Project PEACE is funded by the Projects of National Significance: Community
Collaborations for Employment Program HHS-2021-ACL-AOD-DNCE-0098
* This document was converted to plain text from the original document via Claude AI