https://www.aikenstandard.com/opinion/guest-column-benefits-of-work-based-learning/article_c90777b0-65fd-11e8-9418-536d33a488f6.html

As we rapidly approach the conclusion of another successful school year in Aiken County, and as our graduates prepare to further their education or enter the workforce or the military, this occasion also marks the final installment in my “Future-Ready” series.

During this series, we have discussed accelerating learning opportunities that will spark competition and innovation, cultivating solution-driven graduates who are able to meet the economic and social needs of the community, and leveraging a bountiful harvest of work-related partnerships here in resource-rich Aiken County. I have also introduced many of you to Aiken Works – our community workforce development collaborative that is redefining how communities can work together more effectively to answer the modern workforce challenges brought on by paradigm shifts in technology and significant losses in staff and expertise due to a wave of generational retirements. Today, I would like to focus on the benefits of work-based learning and the advantages our students receive through the availability of high-quality apprenticeships, internships and career-focused learning opportunities. We know there are many pathways to success after high school, and not all of those pathways will include a post-secondary institution. Students who choose to enter the workforce or the military have every opportunity to enjoy a rewarding career. In fact, students entering the workforce right now have more opportunities than ever before in an ever-widening variety of fields.