The Tennessee Department of Education defines Work Based Learning (WBL) as an opportunity allowing “students to develop employability skills in a workplace environment to prepare for success in postsecondary education and future careers.”
Using employment experiences, such as internships, apprenticeships and paid work experience, the Union County High School (UCHS) Career and Technical Education (CTE) students (11th and 12th grade CTE students, who are 16 years or older) may earn high school credit for these experiences.
WBL is a continuum of education related to students’ career goals and interests, performed in partnership with local businesses, industries, and other organizations within our community. WBL enables students to apply classroom instruction in a real-world business or a service-oriented work environment and eases the transition from school to work. In a nutshell, students have learned to work in the classroom and are now going to work in an effort to learn how to refine and enhance their acquired skills.
UCHS has been blessed with tremendous support and local mentorship for our students beyond our classrooms. In this feature, we are recognizing the support of a local business partner that serves our students, while they are able to develop a talent pipeline for future employment potential.
This month we are recognizing Commercial Bank for their long-standing continued support of WBL and the students served. Brenda Sweet, a representative of Commercial Bank in the Maynardville branch and Eddie Jones, executive vice president and loan officer in Middlesboro, Ky., branch “have dedicated time and resources to our students for over five years," says LeAnne Friebel, one of the WBL coordinators at UCHS. Community involvement is a necessity in the enhanced education of today’s youth and is paramount to these partnerships.
Whether students are transitioning to the workforce after high school or are pursuing an advanced education through trade school or college, financial literacy is a significantly important skill required for success.
Sweet and Jones have presented to students in the WBL class on the importance of banking, savings, how to establish credit and maintaining a good credit score. They also help students to gather knowledge of the financial services available to them beginning with simply opening a checking or savings account, to applying for loans, and credit cards and what to look for in interest rates. This competency is necessary for every student, regardless of their career or college pathway chosen.
Friebel concluded, “their investment in Union County students is a great asset and we are so thankful for their partnership and continued support.”
The WBL students at UCHS learn in-depth skills when navigating career opportunities and developing life skills. Allowing students to interact with industry professionals in order to extend and deepen fundamental understandings gained in the classroom and support the development of college and career readiness knowledge enhances the individual’s level of confidence in a workplace environment leading to future successes, increases students’ technical skills and professionalism, improves the workforce talent pool and technical competences and ultimately benefits the workforce culture of our community and region.
Thank you to the community partners, such as Commercial Bank, who are committed to our community, our students, and the prosperity of Union County.
Employers or Businesses interested in learning more about the UCHS WBL program are encouraged to submit an inquiry using the following link: https://bit.ly/3X9xnTN