Work-based learning (WBL), an instructional strategy often utilized in vocational education, keeps gaining interest as it establishes an effective school-to-work connection. Guided by the theories of socially situated learning and experiential learning, we investigated WBL offered in postsecondary vocational education in a southern state in the United States, and how WBL is available in connection to career fields. We examined student enrollment in WBL across three academic years: 2018–2019, 2019–2020, and 2020–2021. WBL appears to be a consistent instructional tool for students to learn for a job and a career. WBL courses that were associated with career clusters that are critical for the economy of the state had higher enrollment (Nursing, Emergency Management Services, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Management). The availability of WBL aligns with the policies implemented by this state to further workforce development. This study provides the first overview of WBL that is offered across the state.

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A Review of Work-Based Learning in Postsecondary Vocational Education Programs in the United States

  • Oscar A. Aliaga,
  • Haley E. Reinheimer,
  • Lee Chipps-Walton

摘要

Work-based learning (WBL), an instructional strategy often utilized in vocational education, keeps gaining interest as it establishes an effective school-to-work connection. Guided by the theories of socially situated learning and experiential learning, we investigated WBL offered in postsecondary vocational education in a southern state in the United States, and how WBL is available in connection to career fields. We examined student enrollment in WBL across three academic years: 2018–2019, 2019–2020, and 2020–2021. WBL appears to be a consistent instructional tool for students to learn for a job and a career. WBL courses that were associated with career clusters that are critical for the economy of the state had higher enrollment (Nursing, Emergency Management Services, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Management). The availability of WBL aligns with the policies implemented by this state to further workforce development. This study provides the first overview of WBL that is offered across the state.