Work-Based Learning

Work-Based Learning Toolkit

• Work-Based Learning Manual (PDF) (v.1.1 2022)
• Work-Based Learning Templates
  • Work-Based Learning Quality Framework & Needs Assessment (PDF)
  • Training Agreement and Plan (Word) (8/30/2022)
  • Skill Assessment (Word)
  • Student Reflection (Word)
  • Student Satisfaction Survey (Word)
  • Employer Satisfaction Survey (Word)
  • Timesheet (Excel)
  • Timesheet (Word)

Regulations

Work-Based Learning Standards

• Work-Based Learning Opportunities §446.0915, F.S.
• Work-Based Learning Standards Rule 6A-23.0042, F.A.C.
  • Technical Assistance Guide (PDF)

High School Work-Based Learning Elective Credit for Career and Technical Student Organization Participation

• Beginning in the 2023-24 school year, a student in grades 6 through 12 may be awarded one high school credit upon providing his or her school with verifiable documentation showing an accumulation of at least one hundred thirty-five (135) hours of participation in Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) activities that occur outside of regular class time.
• The school district must use the course Career and Technical Student Organization Extracurricular Activity (9799999) for reporting credit on student records and transcripts.
• The 135-hour threshold may be accumulated over the course of one or more academic years. With sufficient documentation, the awarding of credit for past participation is allowable.
• For students pursuing a standard diploma through the career and technical education pathway option under s. 1003.4282, F.S., the high school credit will satisfy one credit of work-based learning.
• Districts must develop procedures to evaluate and award high school credit for demonstrable participation in CTSO activities in accordance with this rule.
• See Rule: 6A-1.09442, F.A.C., Process and Minimum Standards for the Award of High School Credit for Career and Technical Student Organization Participation for more information.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance Reimbursement

• Visit the Division of Workers’ Compensation Work-Based Learning Premium Reimbursement page to learn more about how eligible employers, including districts and Florida College System institutions, can receive reimbursement for the cost of premiums associated with workers’ compensation insurance related to work-based learning for students that are 18 years of age or younger.

Postsecondary Experiential Learning Tax Credit

• Experiential Learning Tax Credit Program §220.198, F.S.
• Apply for the Experiential Learning Tax Credit through the Florida Department of Revenue

Resources

• General Program Operation
  • FLDOE’s Experiential Learning Framework for Perkins Size, Scope, and Quality (PDF)
  • ACTE's Work-Based Learning Resources
  • FLDOE’s On-the-Job Training page
• High School Graduation Requirements
  • List of work-based learning courses that fulfill the requirements of the high school Career and Technical Education Graduation Pathway Option
• Workers’ Compensation Insurance
  • The Division of Workers’ Compensation webpage, which includes a public search of employer proof of coverage and other workers’ compensation resources
• Child Labor Laws
  • The Department of Business & Professional Regulations (DBPR) webpage on Florida’s Child Labor Laws
• Safety
  • The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) offers a free, Florida-specific curriculum called Youth@Work – Talking Safety that helps teachers and school/community-based job placement staff educate young people about the basics of job safety and health.
  • Safety training and information through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), including the 10-Hour and 30-Hour Cards programs, which are industry-recognized and sought credentials for safety training.
  • The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) offers a guidance on formulating safety checklists as well as has developed sample checklits by Career and Technical Education program area, particular workplace hazards, and even by occupation. A complete list of NIOSH safety checklists can be found here.
  • Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Sexual Offenders and Predators Search or the United States Department of Justice’s Dru Shodin National Sex Offender Public Website
• On-Campus WBL
  • Southern Regional Education Board’s resources on project-based learning
• Career Preparation & Employability Skill Development
  • CareerPrepped – ACTE employability skill training and badging, portfolio and resume building tools, and job search tools
  • Florida Ready to Work – a career readiness training and credentialing platform established by §445.06, Fla. Stat.
  • Asia Society’s Center for Global Education’s Global CTE Toolkit – projects and resources to build global competence
  • Perkins Collaborative Resource Network Employability Skill Framework
  • Google’s Interview Warmup – a tool that allows individuals to practice their interview skills and receive artificial intelligence feedback to improve.
• Students with Disabilities
  • Florida’s Vocational Rehabilitation Transition Youth Services Website – resources for students needing accommodations for work-based learning and other services
  • Job Accommodation Network (JAN) - browse workplace accommodations that can be provided to individuals with specific disabilities
  • Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) – resources for employers in supporting individuals with disabilities
  • The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) “Staying Safe at Work” safety curriculum for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  • The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy’s Inclusive Internship Programs: A How-to Guide for Employers (PDF) — a guide designed for public and private employers of all sizes to learn about the benefits and logistics of facilitating internship programs that attract all young adults, including those with disabilities.

Presentations

• Career Fairs – A How To with Trish Yahn of CareerSource Capital Region, and Kari Brouwer and John Ngo of Xello - video recording (9/14/23)
• Student Employability Skill Development with Tiffany Vause of Florida Ready to Work and Yvonne Fry of Workforce Development Partners – video recording (2/16/23)
• Safety and Child Labor Laws for Work-Based Learning with Dr. Brooke Rice of NAF and Sophia Terrelonge of the Department of Business and Professional Regulations – video recording (1/26/23)
• Work-Based Learning Intermediaries and Data with Nilda Blanco of CareerSource Central Florida and Dr. Oscar Aliaga-Abanto of the University of South Florida – video recording (12/1/22).
• Career Exposure and Exploration with Dr. Rebecca Schumacher of the Florida School Counselor Association and Sophia Watson of Hernando County School District – video recording (10/27/22)
• Creating Work Based Learning Opportunities On and Off Campus with Dr. Jason Krupp of St. Petersburg College, and Matthew Fritzius and James Payne of Broward County Schools – video recording (9/15/22)"Overview of Florida’s Work-Based Learning Quality Framework” (PDF) by Lee Chipps-Walton on 7/20/22
• Bridging the Gap – Connected Business and Education Through Work-Based Learning with Carlos Artime and Courtney Stahlman of Collier County Public Schools and Michael Dalby and Alex Breault of the Naples Chamber – Presentation slides (PDF) and video recording (3/10/2021)
• Accommodations for Students with Disabilities in Work Based Learning with Brandi Boyer Rutherford and Johana Valdivieso of Florida Vocational Rehabilitation – Presentation slides (PDF) and video recording (2/10/2021)
• Work-Based Learning During Social Distancing with Dr. Lupe Diaz of Miami-Dade County Public Schools & Dr. Brian Robinson of Advance CTE - Presentation slides (PDF) & video recording - (10/7/2020)

Email Lee Chipps-Walton at Lee.Chipps-Walton@fldoe.org with questions or feedback on work-based learning.