A Case for Career Readiness: Early Outcomes from Work-Based Learning Course
11:10 AM – 12:00 PM • 50 Minute Runtime • Room 226
When structural barriers beyond a student’s control prevent them from participating in an internship, what alternatives can a higher education institution provide to mitigate equity concerns and level the playing field? This session will highlight the development, implementation, and ongoing assessment of work-based learning through a new experiential learning course that fulfills general education requirements. Using mixed method study design, the presenters will share positive results from an early study that demonstrates how students in UWP 294: Work-Based Learning develop essential career readiness skills that position them for career success. Participants will learn how students’ current work experiences can be utilized as a viable alternative to internships through a course model centered around the NACE career readiness competencies and experiential learning best practices. They will learn how to analyze best practices to address issues of equity and access in high impact practices; identify strengths and weaknesses in how their institution addresses equity barriers in high impact practices, particularly internships; generate action steps that increase work-based learning opportunities for students, particularly those from disadvantaged or marginalized backgrounds; and develop strategies for integrating work experience with educational experience in discipline-specific or general education curricula.
Kaila Bingen
Experiential Education Specialist • University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Dr. Madhumita (Mita) Banerjee
Associate Professor of Sociology • University of Wisconsin-Parkside