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Career and Technical Education
THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
To: 
Work-Based Learning Coordinators and CTE Directors
From: 
Amy Cox, Director of Career Readiness and Workforce Partnerships
Subject: 
Permanent flexibility in the use of Career Awareness Experiences to meet work-based learning hour requirements
Date: 
August 29, 2022

As part of our work in reviewing the infrastructure of high-quality work-based learning (WBL) in New York, our office with consultation from the field has begun to look at the role that career awareness activities, as defined in our WBL framework, has in a student’s overall WBL experience. Given that the needs of the workplace have evolved and recognizing that career awareness activities as defined in our framework provide benefit to students in allowing them to explore their career goals, abilities, and interests, ̨ÍåÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ has determined that up to twenty (20) hours of a WBL experience and/or total WBL hours can be delivered through career awareness activities*.Ìý

Career awareness experiences include:Ìý

  • Career fairs (with documentation of engagement with business/industry)Ìý
  • Career interest assessmentsÌý
  • Guest speakers (with documentation of participation)
  • Industry-related credentials
  • Industry toursÌý

* This flexibility cannot be extended to supervised clinical experiences in health sciences programs which have their own hour requirements based on DOH guidelines.Ìý

Parameters and DocumentationÌý

  • Career fairs:ÌýThere must be documentation of interaction with various business/industry partners. This can be done through a sign-off sheet, interactive activity, or other methods to verify that interactions took place. Documentation of the experiences should also be kept in the student’s file.Ìý
  • Career interest assessments:ÌýThere must be some sort of student reflection on the assessments as to how the findings of the assessment lines up with their postsecondary plans. Documentation of the experiences should also be kept in the student’s file.ÌýÌý
  • Guest speakers: There must be documentation of interaction with the business/industry partner. There must be some sort of student-generated reflection on the guest speaker’s presentation and how it can be applied to their postsecondary plans. Documentation of the experiences should also be kept in the student’s file.Ìý
  • Industry-related credentials: The industry credential being worked on should be related to the student’s postsecondary plans. Documentation of the credential and time spent working on it should also be kept in the student’s file.Ìý
  • Industry tours: There must be documentation of interaction with the business/industry partner. There must be some sort of student-generated reflection on the industry tour and how it can be applied to their postsecondary plans. Documentation of the experiences should also be kept in the student’s file.Ìý

Role of the WBL CoordinatorÌý

It is strongly suggested that a work-based learning coordinator holding either of the two WBL extensions oversee and supervise all career awareness activities so that these activities can be integrated into the student’s overall WBL experience and postsecondary plans.ÌýÌýÌý

We hope that this will afford schools and BOCES greater flexibility in providing meaningful experiences for students while ensuring that students completing WBL hours also take part in exploration and development experiences as well. If you have any further questions, please contact the Office of Career and Technical Education at emsccte@nysed.gov.ÌýÌý

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PDF Version of Memo

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