Paid and unpaid work experience is one of the 14 program elements for the WIOA youth program.  Work experience is a planned, structured learning experience that takes place in a workplace and provides youth with opportunities for career exploration and skill development.  A work experience may take place in the private for-profit section, the non-profit sector, or the public sector.

WIOA identifies four types of work experience for youth: summer employment and other employment opportunities available throughout the school year, pre-apprenticeship programs, internships and job shadowing, and on-the-job training.

Check out the resources below for information and ideas on providing successful work experiences for youth.

Introduction to Work Experience under WIOA

• WIOA “Enough is Known for Action” Webinar on Work Experience

Work-Based Learning

• Report on State Strategies to Scale Quality Work-Based Learning National Governors Association

• Promising Practices in Work-Based Learning for Youth (National Skills Coalition)

Summer Employment

• Youth Summer Jobs Community of Practice

• USDA Summer Meal Programs

• U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Summer Youth Program and Financial Education

• Summer Opportunity AmeriCorps

• Report on Summer Jobs Reducing Violence Among Disadvantaged youth (Science Magazine)

• Enriching Summer Work: An Evaluation of the Summer Career Exploration Program (Public/Private Ventures)

• Report on Building Skills Through Summer Jobs: Lessons from the Field (JP Morgan Chase)

• Beyond a Summer Work Experience: The Recovery Act 2009 Post-Summer Youth Employment Initiative (Mathematica Policy Research)

• Chicago's One Summer Plus Youth Employment Program: Study Showing Reduction in Violent Crime Arrests

Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship

• WIOA Enough is Known for Action Webinar on Apprenticeship Opportunities for Out-of-School Youth

• Defining a Quality Pre-Apprenticeship Program and Related Tools and Resources (TEN 13-12)

• Framework on Registered Apprenticeship for High School Students (TEN 31-16)

• Building and Marketing Modern, Youth-Oriented Apprenticeship Programs

• Desk Aid: Using Workforce Funds to Support Apprenticeship

• ApprenticeshipUSA Toolkit for the Public Workforce System: Advancing Apprenticeship as Workforce Strategy

Internships

• US Department of Labor Factsheet on Internship Programs and the Fair Labor Standards Act

• Inclusive Internship Programs: A How-to Guidebook for Employers

Youth Employment and Soft Skills

• Report on Youth Employment and Financial Capability (National League of Cities)

• Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success Curriculum

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