Fort Worth Independent School District
Benefits
BENEFITS OF WORK-BASED LEARNING
Quality work-based learning programs benefit our students, educators, employers, schools, and the community. Vital Link ensures that modern-day skills that are required in the workplace are made apparent to students – our future workforce. Skills like the following:
- Good Communication Skills. Good communication skills are the single most important factor in workplace success after understanding one's job.
- A Good Attitude. A good attitude about one's job and motivation to take initiative on important issues and ideas is key to being successful in any job.
- Creative Thinking and Problem-solving Skills. People who can recognize and define problems, come up with new approaches and solutions, and put them into action help a company stay competitive.
- The Ability to Learn. With technology changing so rapidly, more than ever employers are searching for employees who can acquire, process, and apply new information.
- Strong Reading, Writing, and Math Skills. Companies are increasingly demanding that their new employees have these basic skills.
Benefits to Employers
Vital Link Employers benefit from work-based learning in the following ways:
- A pool of skilled and motivated potential future employees
- Increased number of licensed and certified employees
- Improved employee retention
- Reduced training and recruitment costs
- Developmental opportunities for the current workforce
- Development of new projects with student assistance
- Return to C-level projects temporarily shelved with student assistance
- Guidance and advisement on curriculum development
- Opportunity to provide community service
Benefits to Students
Students benefit from work-based learning in the following ways:
- Application of classroom learning (both academic and technical) in real-world settings
- Establishment of a clear connection between school and work
- Assessment of their interests, aptitudes, and abilities while learning about the career possibilities available to them
- Improvement of their postgraduation employment opportunities
- Development and practice of positive work-related habits and attitudes, including the ability to think critically, solve problems, work in teams, and resolve issues
- Assessment and understanding of the expectations of the workplace
- Establishment of professional contacts for future employment
- Expansion and refinement of their technical skills
- Participation in authentic, job-related tasks
- Observation of the demeanor and procedures of workplace professionals
- Increased motivation/appreciation for staying in school
- Awareness of postsecondary education opportunities
Benefits to Schools
Schools benefit from work-based learning in the following ways:
- Adding real-world relevance to curriculum and classroom learning
- Expanding the curriculum and learning environments for students and educators
- Exposing students and educators to state-of-the-art equipment, technology, and techniques
- Meeting the needs of diverse student populations
- Individualizing instruction for students
- Promoting and fostering faculty interaction with the business community
- Enhancing faculty/staff development efforts
- Making education more relevant and valuable to students
- Increasing student retention rates in schools/increased graduation rates
Benefits to our Community
The community benefits from work-based learning through:
- Creating an environment of collaboration and cooperation among schools, employers, and the community that contributes to economic prosperity
- Building a world-class workforce; creating a diverse, prepared talent pipeline
- Encouraging respect, tolerance, and understanding among different groups
- Contributing to building a more productive local economy
- Fostering confidence in the school system as practical and beneficial results are observed