Overview

Work experience education (WEE), also called work-based learning, encompasses a range of activities for college students: internships, cooperative education, practicums (courses, often for teachers and clinicians, where students apply in the field what they learned in the classroom), and work-study. It is designed to enhance learning and help facilitate a strong transition from school to work. WEE is hypothesized to enhance career goals, improve academic performance, and increase employment and earnings after graduation by teaching technical skills and often soft skills (the general habits and competencies that make for an effective employee, such as arriving at work on time and cooperating with coworkers).

Although WEE has become an increasing focus of many college systems, data suggest that students at four-year institutions have much more access to WEE than those at two-year institutions, and those latter students may especially benefit from easier pathways into work. Community colleges serve a disproportionate number of students from low-income backgrounds, who typically face barriers to college completion and employment. For these students, community colleges represent an important first step to higher education and upward mobility.

MDRC is conducting a scan of the literature and of federal and state policies and practices to learn more about WEE, review evidence on what works in WEE and for whom, and identify current strategies and promising practices being implemented by community colleges across the nation, with a specific focus on California. Guided by interviews with subject-matter experts and contributions from the Foundation for California Community Colleges and MDRC experts, the scan will establish promising practices and areas for further research. Findings will inform California’s efforts to provide effective WEE for its community college students and enhance their transition into well-paying, family-sustaining careers.