STUDENTS

If you are a GHS student interested in a work-based learning experience, click here.

Student/School Text Permission Form Once completed, turn this form into the counseling office.

Sample WBL Student Interest Letter to Employers Feel free to use this sample letter to contact employers. Be sure to revise it to reflect your contact information and interest.

EMPLOYERS

Are you an employer interested in learning more? Please visit our WBL Partnership site.

If you are an employer who is interested in partnering with us, click here.

Have questions and want to get in touch with us directly? Email us at WBL@glnd.k12.va.us

Interested in Getting Paid?

Registered Apprenticeships - get paid while you learn and work!

Click here to learn more about the Registered Apprenticeship Program offered by the Department of Labor and Industry. GCPS staff can help you get started! See contact information below.

Maximizing the Potential of All Students with WBL!

GCPS is on a mission to maximize the potential of every learner. Work-based learning (WBL) is one way to accomplish this mission.

Our vision is to build a culture where all students know about and are excited to participate in at least one WBL experience before they enter the workforce, enlist in the military, or go off to college.

Currently, our students participate in internships and apprenticeships within traditional CTE pathways. This year, we aim to increase awareness of our Job Shadowing program and student participation across ALL career fields broadening the spectrum of WBL experiences offered to our students.

We hope that by tapping into the interests and talents of each of our students, our vision will become a reality.

Virginia's 5 C's & Goochland's Profile Of A Graduate

Work-based learning supports Virginia's 5 C's & Goochland's Profile of a Graduate as it incorporates soft skills and specific competencies into a learning experience for students.

Virginia's 5 C's

Goochland's Profile of a Graduate

WBL Opportunities For Students

Experiences You Might Like to Pursue:

Job Shadowing - Students are placed in workplaces to interact and observe employees in person, virtually, one on one, or within a group. Examples include observation of staff meetings or employees working and interviewing an employee.

Service Learning - Students identify a need in the community, then develop and complete a project to fulfill that need. Examples include tutoring another student, holding art classes for youth, presenting on a needed topic at a community meeting.

Mentorship - Students are paired with professionals who provide hands-on experience, challenging opportunities, and a broad view of the industry in person, virtually, one on one, or within a group. Examples include working alongside a mentor in a hospice facility, biology lab, or on the farm.

Cooperative Education - Cooperative education combines a rigorous and relevant curriculum with an occupational specialty to connect CTE classroom instruction with paid workplace experience directly related to the student's interests, abilities, and goals. Examples include construction, marketing, and business.

Entrepreneurship - Students plan, implement, operate, and assume financial risk in a business that produces goods or delivers services. The entrepreneurship student owns the business assets and keeps financial records to determine return on investments. Examples include student-run plant sales or tutoring help.

Externship - Students are paired with professionals for at least 40 hours to provide an opportunity for students to ask questions, observe, and get a true feel for the workplace. Examples are similar to Job Shadowing, but with the required timeframe.

School-Based Enterprise - Students manage an entrepreneurial operation within the school setting. This experience is usually aligned within the duration of a CTE course. Examples include culinary cafe or catering services, agricultural greenhouse plant sales, or childcare programs.

Internship - Students are placed in real workplace environments (paid or unpaid) to develop and practice career-related knowledge and skills. The time commitment is no less than 280 hours. Examples include work experiences in a welding shop, a dentist's office, an accounting firm, or on a farm.

Clinical Experience - Students participate in a non-paid work experience aligned with the duration of a CTE course that provides students the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to clinical practice. The time commitment varies per experience. Examples include work experiences in nursing, sports medicine, vision care, or physical therapy.

Apprenticeship - Students participate in a paid worksite training experience with a skilled mentor in a specific occupation. Experience combines on-the-job training with related technical instruction providing specific knowledge that relates to the profession. Prerequisite of related technical instruction of 144 hours is required. Examples will vary dependent upon the student's interest and career goals.