Indicator: Participation in work-based learning

Why it matters

Work-based learning opportunities are a key component of effective career pathways, offering individuals practical experiences to develop the skills they need to be successful in the workplace. Internship and cooperative education programs have been identified as a high-impact practice for bolstering college students’ success. In addition, work-based learning programs that provide occupational skills training aligned to industry demands can lead to improved employment and earnings outcomes for individuals from low-income households. For example, a 2012 study of the Registered Apprenticeship program, which offers structured on-the-job training combined with technical instruction tailored to meet industry needs, found significant positive impacts on lifetime earnings. For participants who completed the program, average career earnings were estimated to be $240,037 higher than for similar nonparticipants.

There are disparities in who benefits from work-based learning programs. Black and Latino workers are proportionally represented in Registered Apprenticeship programs, but Black workers typically make significantly less than other groups upon completing the program (approximately $14 per hour compared to $26 for White workers and $31 for Latino and Asian workers). Among college students, Black, Latino, and first-generation students, and those from low-income households, are less likely to participate in internships; if participating, they also are less likely to be paid relative to their peers. The 2021 National Survey of College Internships found that 16 percent of first-generation college students participated in an internship, compared to 23 percent of other college students. Among those who participated, 54 percent of first-generation college students received compensation, compared to 62 percent of their peers.