Work-Based Learning Coordinator Pathway to Licensure Overview
he VT-HEC Work-Based Learning Coordinator (WBLC) pathway to licensure program provides an 18 credit series of courses. The courses are designed to meet the licensure requirements for candidates who will pursue the endorsement through the AOE Transcript or Peer Review process. Courses can be taken as part of the series or as stand-alone courses. All courses offer graduate credits through our partner, Castleton University (CU).
The coursework addresses topics that may also appeal to community-based learning coordinators, guidance counselors, special educators, flexible pathway coordinators, coop coordinators, classroom teachers, career development counselors, job coaches, vocational rehabilitation counselors, administrators and others.
Admissions and Licensing Requirements
For more information about the VT-HEC Work-based Learning pathway to endorsement program, obtaining a Work-based Learning Coordinator (WBLC) endorsement or our WBL courses please contact Kim McKellar, [email protected]
The following is WBLC endorsement licensing option information:
The Work-Based Learning Coordinator endorsement is one of the very few Vermont endorsements that an educator can apply for through transcript or peer review without having to meet Core Teaching Standards. Educators can apply for an initial educator license through either transcript review or peer review.
- Individuals can pursue the WBLC endorsement in the following ways:
- As an added endorsement if they already have a VT teaching license.
- As an initial educator license (without having to address Core Competencies nor take the Praxis because it is one of the few endorsements that is not considered classroom teaching endorsement.)
- Those seeking the WBLC Endorsement can apply for either Transcript Review or Peer Review.
- For those who go through our program, Transcript Review is expedited. (Transcript review courses can be either graduate or undergraduate level and must be within the last 10 years. VT-HEC’s courses are all graduate level.)
- Choosing either Transcript Review or Peer Review may depend on how much coursework the student already has taken that meets the WBLC competencies, and how much-related work experience they have. To determine the best path, please contact Kim McKellar ([email protected]) or the AOE Licensing Division ([email protected])
- For those seeking to obtain recertification, here are some requirements to be aware of:
- To stay current 45 hrs or 3 credits is required every 3 years for a level 1 license, with at least 1 credit or 15 hrs addressing the specific endorsement area.
- For level 2 licenses, 6 credits or 90 hrs of professional development is required every 5 years. Documentation is required (transcript, certificate) and a demonstration of how the learning addressed the WBLC competencies needs to be uploaded into the Alis online system.
- The final decision is made by the local and regional standards board.
Courses and Course Descriptions
The full series of 6 WBL courses provides 18 graduate-level credits. The courses are designed to meet all of the required competencies for Work-Based Learning licensed educator endorsements in Vermont. Not all students need to take all of these courses. See Endorsement Guidance above. Courses can be taken out of sequence and students take courses individually as needed. Most of our courses run once every other year, therefore the series of 6 will complete in the span of two years.
To see which competencies are addressed in each of our courses, view our WBL Program Curriculum Competency Map.
Providing Effective Work-Based Learning Opportunities for Students, Schools and Businesses
3 credits = 45 contact hours
Course Description: In order to develop legal, safe, and effective work-based learning programs and experiences, school personnel must understand labor and safety laws and practices, sales and marketing, career development strategies, and effective systems for organizing, monitoring and evaluating student learning opportunities with businesses and community partners.
As its primary reference, this course uses the Vermont Agency of Education “Vermont Work-Based Learning Manual: Guidelines and Tools to Support Work-Based Learning Experiences for All Learners” (2017). This course provides participants with the knowledge base needed to develop a coherent work-based learning program for a school or organization.
The course curriculum is designed to provide participants with the core knowledge base for operating under the Work-Based Learning educator’s license endorsement in the state of Vermont or other position that allows for the implementation of some or all areas of study.
Developing and Redesigning Your Work-based Learning Programs
3 credits = 45 contact hours
Course Description: Developing and Redesigning your Work-Based Learning Program course is ideal for those new to work-based learning or those who want to refine their existing program and will give participants the opportunity to design the format and systems of a WBL program that works for their particular role and school.
We will cover creating a new program or redesigning an existing program that aligns with your school’s goals and available resources, outreach to new community partners and systems to help build and maintain those relationships, and other tools and strategies that will help you to effectively manage all aspects of your program. We will explore various WBL models and best practices around the state. Students will have plenty of individual time and support to design and refine the systems and tools that work for them and can be applied within their school and community.
Legal and Safety Issues of Work-Based Learning Programs
3 Credits = 45 contact Hours
Course Description: This course provides a thorough examination of the legal and safety issues that affect work-based and community-based learning programs and experiences. Participants will develop a comprehensive understanding of federal and Vermont labor and safety requirements and be able to provide effective systems that ensure safe and legal student experiences.
This course takes a deeper dive into legal and safety issues introduced in the survey course Work-Based Learning: Providing Effective Opportunities for Students, Schools and Businesses*. It will provide a comprehensive exploration of topics including labor law, education law, civil rights law, and insurance and will consider how to effectively educate students about their own rights, safety, behaviors, and responsibilities in the workplace. The format will be a combination of in-person and online sessions.
* The WBL: Providing Effective Opportunities course is not a prerequisite for the Legal and Safety course.
Career Exploration: Engaging Teens in Their Own Career Development
3 credits = 45 contact hours
Course Description: This course provides the theory and tools needed to engage students in their own career development while helping them find meaning and relevance in their high school experience. Participants will explore the necessary steps to walk students through career planning, as well as design practical applications and new career planning ideas to help students discover a path that aligns with their interests and motivations.
In this course, participants will understand the primary theories of career development and how they inform the available tools and resources; explore aspects of student self-assessment, including interests, abilities, values, and personality; examine tools for self-awareness and career exploration to utilize with students; gain strategies to support sparking student interests; discover current resources to research career paths; understand decision-making strategies applicable to career choice; and learn how to help students establish realistic goals, create a career plan, and find experiential opportunities.
Participants will complete this course with an individualized curriculum or program to implement with their students.
Supporting Diverse Learners and Ensuring Equitable Access in Work-Based Learning
3 credits = 45 contact hours
Course Description: Work-Based Learning presents a diverse range of opportunities and challenges that are navigated in an individualized way for each student placement. In this course, participants will explore the process of how students grow and develop and how to design appropriate work-based learning experiences, using a strength-based approach. Participants will learn to meet the needs of all students, discover ways to better prepare students who may face challenges in the workforce based on their gender or race, and identify some potential biases when working with students with disabilities.
In this course, we will carefully consider strategies to increase the participation of students with disabilities in Work-Based Learning experiences. We will also discuss ways to access appropriate programming supports and coach employers and mentors in their understanding of supported employment. In addition, we will survey data and resources in support of students facing inequity related to race, immigration status, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status and other factors within the workplace. Participants will leave this course with a greater understanding of the needs of diverse students and an action plan to continue to advance equity and a climate of inclusion in Work-Based Learning practices.
Mutually Beneficial Community Partnerships for Work-Based Learning
3 credits = 45 contact hours
Course Description:
The Flexible Pathway of work-based learning provides many youth with an introduction to the world of professional work. In addition, these authentic learning experiences prove to be an invaluable part of a student’s learning experience, helping youth develop the assets they need to survive and thrive as adults. Local businesses, organizations, and community members are key partners for high school work-based learning programs. Recruiting and retaining partners is the bread and butter of work-based learning.
In this course, we will explore the perspectives of our partners and the opportunities that exist in the communities we work in. We will focus on how to create, grow, and sustain community partners, how to align our work with workforce and community development stakeholders and their needs, and the best strategies to connect work-based learning experiences to student proficiencies and transferable skills.