The National Work-Based Learning (WBL) Alignment Project
Engaging education professionals, employers, and learners to build a national consensus that defines, aligns, and measures high-quality work-based learning led by Advance CTE & Britebound.
Every student
deserves access to an education that delivers transferable academic, real-world, and durable skills, hands-on experiences, and valuable connections to achieve success in the career of their choice.
Employers
need clear, trusted structures to build career preparation experiences that produce skilled, workplace-ready talent.
Work-based learning (WBL) is the powerful solution. But it means something different in every state.
We are working toward building shared national definitions, metrics, and tools to ensure every experience delivers true quality and value for students and employers alike. Advance CTE’s expertise across Career Technical Education systems, federal policy, and work-based learning (WBL), alongside Britebound’s history of strategic partnerships, research, and advocacy provides a deep knowledge, relationships, and experience to lead the way.
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What is Work-Based Learning?
Through Work-Based Learning (WBL), students connect their classroom learning to real-world experiences. WBL is a spectrum of experiences that start in school and happen alongside real employers.
The first and only definition for work-based learning in federal statute was developed in 2018 in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. It is currently defined as:
“sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution that foster in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and instruction.”
Criteria for defining ‘sustained’ will be explored during this initiative as it is not defined in the legislation.
Who can participate in WBL?
Learners in all grade levels can participate in WBL. WBL ranges from introductory to intensive experiences and deepens over time across elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels.
Educators and employers work together to design and deliver WBL with support from administrators, local/regional/state government, and intermediaries such as WBL coordinators, chambers of commerce, and community organizations.
What are examples of work-based learning?
WBL should start early and deepen over time. Right now that looks like:
- meeting working professionals and learning what different careers and businesses are really like.
- showing new skills through state and national competitive events.
- starting a business or solving real-world workplace challenges as part of school projects.
- participating in hands-on activities designed by employers in the classroom or at a workplace.
If you’ve heard of mentorship, simulated workplace, internship, or apprenticeship, that is all work-based learning!
Demand for work-based learning is growing.
Seventy-nine percent of high school students say they would participate in work-based learning opportunities.
In a study of recent high school graduates, 50% reported wanting their school to offer more WBL opportunities.
In 2025, states passed over 60 policies connected to WBL and industry partnerships.
The Need: Defined and Aligned WBL
To keep funding and expanding work-based learning for all, we have to prove it works. This requires clear data showing its concrete value to students and employers.
Clear WBL data requires alignment and consistency across education and workforce systems. Policymakers as well as education and industry professionals delivering WBL agree this alignment is missing.
This inconsistency creates a landscape where:
A National Solution:
The National Work-Based Learning Alignment Project
This effort strives to define, align, and organize key elements of work-based learning to measure true participation and impact.
Led by Advance CTE and Britebound, this national initiative standardizes language, structure and data across WBL through the development of a National WBL Taxonomy.
The resulting national taxonomy will be released in fall 2027 to support state and local leaders across sectors in creating and evaluating quality work-based learning experiences that are of increasingly higher rigor and value to learners in every state and territory.
The Journey
From Spring 2026 through the end of 2028, partners included in this initiative will:
Map the current landscape
Conduct a 50-state analysis of existing WBL definitions, metrics, and outcomes to identify areas of alignment and gaps.
Create a prototype
Develop common WBL experiences, definitions, quality indicators, and data points for evaluation.
Launch a national taxonomy
Validate and release a national work-based learning taxonomy. Adoption of the taxonomy is strongly encouraged for all states and WBL providers.
Bring it to life
Develop resources and support for state implementation and national adoption.
Join Us
We cannot build this taxonomy alone.
To ensure every voice is heard, this project is co-designed and informed by:
a national advisory committee of experts – view the committee roster.
input groups and a national survey to collect comprehensive feedback from local, state, and national secondary and postsecondary partners across education and industry.
Sign up for updates and input opportunities to make sure all voices are heard!