Workbased Learning

Work-based Learning (WBL) in RPS is all about connecting classroom lessons to real-world opportunities - where students don’t just imagine their futures, they step into them.

High-Quality Work-based Learning (HQWBL) is comprised of school-coordinated workplace experiences that are:

• related to students’ career goals and/or interests
• connected to a course, and
• performed in partnership with local businesses and organizations.

HQWBL experiences enable students to apply classroom instruction in a real-world business or service-oriented work environment. Through internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job experiences, young people gain the skills, confidence, and networks to thrive beyond graduation. It’s education with purpose and heart: preparing every student to shine in college, career, and life.

The approved WBL experiences for school accountability and graduation requirements are:

Registered Apprenticeship 
Registered apprenticeships in Virginia blend classroom instruction with on-the-job training under licensed CTE teachers and journey worker experts, and require approval from Virginia Works. Internships, while less formal, still provide rigorous real-world learning aligned to students’ career goals - often with reflection activities and options for students with significant cognitive disabilities through programs like Project SEARCH and WWRC.

Internships
Internships provide students with meaningful, career-aligned work over an extended period, allowing them to practice job skills and apply classroom learning in real workplaces. They may be paid or unpaid, always include structured reflection, and can also involve specialized experiences such as supervised agricultural programs.

Clinical Experiences
Clinical experiences mirror apprenticeships but are specific to health and medical sciences, combining classroom knowledge with hands-on practice. Students are placed in diverse healthcare settings to observe patients and gain a clearer understanding of the full scope of medical professions.

School-Based Enterprise and Entrepreneurship

School-based enterprises and entrepreneurship let students design, launch, and manage real businesses while building leadership, supervision, and management skills under the guidance of industry mentors. The key difference is that school-based enterprises are owned and financially supported by the school, while entrepreneurship opportunities place financial risk and ownership with the student, allowing assets to follow them beyond graduation.

More about High Quality Work-based Learning in Virginia can be found on the VDOE website.

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Career Connected Experiences in RPS give students meaningful ways to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom through hands-on practice.

While these opportunities don’t count toward the 3E accountability measure or fulfill graduation requirements, they still offer rich, practical chances for students to build and apply technical skills. Below is a menu of experiences that fall under this umbrella:

• Job Shadowing
• Service Learning
• Mentorship
• Field Trips
• Guest Speakers
• Demonstrations
• Mock Job Interviews
• Resume Workshops
• Training/Up-skilling Sessions