Can we agree that students rarely see the connection between what happens inside the classroom and what’s waiting for them outside of it? They ask questions like, “When am I ever going to use this?”—and they’re not being lazy. They’re being honest.
Work-based learning (WBL) helps us answer these questions. It gives students access to meaning by helping them build real-world skills in real-world settings. And when implemented well, it also opens the door to something even more transformational: competency-based education (CBE).
This post explores what work-based learning is, why it matters, how we’re using it at On Track Academy in Spokane, Washington, and how tools like SpacesEDU are making it easier for schools to do this well.
What is Work-Based Learning?
Work-based learning connects classroom instruction to careers by giving students structured opportunities to gain skills and experiences in professional settings. These experiences are often scaffolded across a student’s high school journey, increasing in complexity and autonomy over time.
WBL includes a spectrum of activities: career fairs, job shadows, internships, pre-apprenticeships, and even paid employment aligned to a student’s learning goals. Each of these gives students a chance to explore interests, test their skills, and make connections with mentors and professionals in their community.
It’s not just about getting a job. It’s about building identity, motivation, and purpose—it’s about doing real things that matter to students. At On Track Academy, we’re committed to helping each student Create What’s Next in their lives. This can’t just be planning for later, they have to try on future versions of themselves now to see if they fit. This is what WBL is all about.
Last year, we joined the Big Picture network of schools to learn from their more than 30-years of experience in building incredible student interest-driven leaving to learn experiences in the community. We created the PLUS program to support a myriad of WBL experiences for students at all levels of readiness. Next year, we'll be building deeper integration between what the student is learning in their WBL experiences with what they’re learning in the classroom. We’re co-designing student learning plans with our students and their families to better meet their needs. WBL experiences are essential to this process.
Who Benefits from Work-Based Learning?
When we do it well, everyone. The positive impact ripples across the entire community:
- Students benefit from relevant, personalized learning that connects directly to their goals.
- Families see their children more engaged and hopeful about their future.
- Schools experience stronger relationships with local businesses and community partners.
- Employers gain insight into the next generation of workers—and often their future employees.
For students who’ve struggled in traditional settings, WBL is often the spark they’ve been waiting for. It’s experiential. It’s social. It’s visible. And it counts.
WBL as an Entry Point to Competency-Based Education
Competency-based education focuses on what students can do—not just what they’ve been exposed to. WBL naturally lends itself to this shift by placing students in settings where performance matters. Let’s look at what can happen in a learning environment when you embrace WBL and CBE.
We will use the metaphor of a funnel to help describe what’s possible. This is a credit funnel. Stuff goes in the top and what comes out of the spout are credits that represent a student’s progress toward graduation. Let’s name this funnel our, “What counts toward graduation?” funnel. In a traditional school environment the “stuff” that goes into the top are the classes a student enrolls in and passes. That’s it. It’s so fundamental it seems silly to write. You get credits on your transcript by passing your classes.
But, what if we could open up more possibilities leading to more choice, deeper engagement, and increased student ownership of their learning? Well, we need to change our funnel a bit.
Imagine a second funnel with a wider opening at the top. Into this funnel go both the typical classes a student would take and also a variety of WBL experiences a student has both inside and outside of the school building. Could these experiences not also result in credits that count toward graduation—and much more importantly, count toward life? With WBL and CBE they can!
Our On Track Academy PLUS program is built on three axioms:
PLUS Axiom 1: “We do not learn from experience, we learn by reflecting on experience.” - John Dewey, How We Think (1910)
PLUS Axiom 2: WBL Experiences + Student Reflection= Learning.
PLUS Axiom 3: Evidence of Learning= Credits (CBE)
When a student builds a community garden, supports a veterinary team, or shadows a local architect, the question is no longer, “Did they sit through class?” It becomes, “Can they collaborate? Problem-solve? Communicate professionally?” If students are reflecting on these experiences they are learning. If their reflections impact their choices and behaviors then they’re likely meeting competencies that have value on their transcripts and in life.
By anchoring learning in real-world performance, WBL helps schools transition away from time-based systems and toward authentic demonstrations of mastery. It’s the on-ramp to a system that values growth, reflection, and real impact.
Want to learn more about CBE policy in your state? Check out this interactive map.
Challenges and Benefits of Work-Based Learning
Challenges
Implementing these changes can be difficult. High-quality WBL programs face real obstacles:
- Logistics: Coordinating transportation, scheduling, and supervision takes time and planning.
- Equity: Ensuring all students—not just the well-connected or well-resourced—have access is essential.
- Assessment: Translating workplace experiences into meaningful evidence of learning can be messy—especially if you’ve got a narrow funnel.
- Sustainability: Without systems and tools in place, the burden often falls on a few overextended staff.
Benefits
Despite the challenges, the benefits are clear—and growing:
- A Brookings report highlighted that students who participate in WBL are more likely to graduate high school and enroll in postsecondary programs.
- Career-connected learning increases student engagement and helps develop essential durable skills that employers consistently rank as top priorities.
- In Washington, the state’s High School and Beyond Plan requires alignment between students’ goals and their experiences—WBL makes this alignment real.
Work-Based Learning in Washington: The On Track Approach
At On Track Academy— a small, alternative high school in Spokane, Washington—WBL is woven into the fabric of our program. Our students work with advisors to co-design personalized learning plans that include internships, job shadows, and interest-based projects outside the building, supported by our PLUS team.
Some help out at an auto body shop. Others assist teachers in elementary schools or intern with local nonprofits. These experiences are not just additive; they are the learning.
We use the language of competencies, not just courses. We track progress through artifacts, reflections, and advisor feedback. And we ask students to show—not just tell—what they’ve learned.
How Software Like SpacesEDU Helps
Without the right tools, tracking WBL can feel like trying to measure a river with a ruler. That’s where digital portfolio platforms like SpacesEDU come in.
With SpacesEDU, our students document their learning through photos, videos, journal entries, and mentor feedback. Advisors and families can see growth unfold in real time. Instead of waiting for a grade report, we see evidence of collaboration, initiative, and applied skills as they happen.
The platform also makes reflection visible. Students don’t just complete an internship; they make meaning from it. They explain what they did, how they grew, and what’s next. That’s where the real transformation happens.
What Other Schools Can Try
You don’t need a massive budget or a dedicated WBL coordinator to get started. Here are a few entry points:
- Start with a career fair where guests are invited to reflect about their professional path
- Try out one-day job shadows or virtual career interviews
- Partner with local businesses for one-day mentorships
- Use digital portfolios to capture reflections and skill evidence
- Make WBL part of advisory, not just electives
Small steps compound. When students see relevance, motivation rises. When families see purpose, they lean in. When schools see growth, they invest.
Let’s Build the Bridge
Work-based learning isn’t a silver bullet—but it’s one of the most promising pathways to a more personalized, engaging, and competency-driven future. It connects students to the world they’re about to enter and gives them tools to shape it.
If you want to explore how SpacesEDU can help your district bring WBL to life, connect with them below.
Let’s build the bridge between school and what comes next—together.
