From Disruption to Design: Rebuilding Work-Based Learning for the Future
August 13, 2025
Author
This is the thirteenth part of a twenty-one blog series, 5 Years Later: Lessons, Innovation, and the Future of Public Education, exploring how PreK-12 education has evolved and what lessons we carry forward. This series will highlight the resilience, creativity, and strategic adaptations that have redefined public education since the pandemic. View the full schedule and roster of contributors
Before becoming Assistant Superintendent at Burlington County Institute of Technology (BCIT) in New Jersey, I served as a high school principal at a comprehensive school with several CTE programs. I understood the power of real-world learning. But stepping into BCIT, a district built entirely around Career and Technical Education (CTE), brought that responsibility to a new level.
With two campuses, over 2,100 students, and more than 30 CTE programs, we had the structure to prepare students for life beyond the classroom. Like many districts post-pandemic, however, we faced one major challenge: access.
Reimagining Work-Based Learning After the Pandemic
The pandemic disrupted more than academics. It exposed how fragile traditional Work-Based Learning (WBL) models were, especially those relying on transportation and external site availability.
As a leader, I knew we couldn鈥檛 wait for conditions to return to 鈥渘ormal.鈥� We had to act. That meant shifting our focus from placement to access鈥攁nd designing experiences that ensured every student could participate.
We began building WBL experiences that students could engage in, whether or not they could leave campus. And we didn鈥檛 stop with one program. Our entire district began reimagining what was possible.
AI and Simulation: A District-Wide Innovation Strategy
As AI tools emerged, we saw their potential to support education and enhance simulated workplace experiences across programs. We used AI to draft realistic scenarios, then collaborated with industry partners to refine them and ensure authenticity.
In our Autobody Collision and Repair program, for example, students conducted mock intake interviews, prepared repaiar estimates, and practiced customer communication鈥攎irroring real shop expectations.
Simulation wasn鈥檛 a temporary workaround. It became a sustainable strategy that allowed all students to build practical, industry-aligned skills.
Listening First: What Students and Teachers Told Me
When I arrived at BCIT, I prioritized listening. I stayed visible in classrooms and met with student representatives from all 30 programs. Using a Keep, Stop, Start activity, I asked what was working鈥攁nd what wasn鈥檛.
Two Allied Health students stayed after one session to speak privately. While proud of earning credentials, they shared that their program lacked the real-world exposure others had. Their honesty shaped our next steps.
Strengthening Partnerships and Bringing the Community In
In response, we expanded partnerships to strengthen Allied Health WBL. Juniors now engage with residents at the Masonic Home. Seniors complete clinical rotations at Virtua Mount Holly Hospital.
To make these opportunities accessible, we tackled one of the biggest barriers the pandemic exposed: transportation.
Working with our transportation department, we created a system where students traveled as a cohort to WBL sites during the school day. These experiences were no longer optional鈥攖hey became built into the program so that all eligible students participated.
Coordinating with our partner facilities was key. We scheduled visits to avoid overwhelming the sites while ensuring students received high-quality, hands-on experiences. This approach became a model for equitable and scalable WBL access.
We also reinvigorated our program advisory committees, reached out to local businesses, and invited community partners to tour our facilities and engage with our students.
Key WBL experiences now include:
- Future Educators: Cohort-based placements in elementary and middle schools
- Veterinary Technology: On-site services and a new partnership with Rowan University鈥檚 Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine
- Construction Cluster (Carpentry, Electrical, HVAC, Welding): Real homebuilding projects through Habitat for Humanity
- Culinary Arts: On-campus catering and service events
- Cosmetology: School-based salons serving staff and local residents
These experiences are embedded into the school day and designed for long-term impact.
A Student Story: Turning Aspiration into Clarity
Work-Based Learning isn鈥檛 just about checking a box. It鈥檚 about giving every student a seat at the table and a real opportunity to explore their future.
One of the Allied Health students who spoke up later completed her clinical rotation at Virtua. She had long dreamed of becoming a neurosurgeon but wasn鈥檛 sure if that path was truly for her.
Then, during her WBL experience, she was invited to observe a liver surgery.
鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to be a neurosurgeon,鈥� she told us. 鈥淏ut seeing surgery firsthand鈥攂eing in the room, watching the team work鈥攊t made everything feel real. Like I was supposed to be there.鈥�
She credited the experience for making her career goals tangible鈥攏ot just a dream, but a destination.
Five Lessons for Leaders Expanding WBL
Here鈥檚 what I鈥檝e learned along the way:
Be present. You learn more from classrooms than conference rooms.
Listen deeply. Students and teachers often know what needs to change.
Embrace simulation and AI. These tools create scalable, authentic learning.
Invest in relationships. Reach out, follow up, and invite partners in.
Build systems that last. Don鈥檛 let programs fade with leadership transitions.
A Promise, Not Just a Program
At BCIT, we鈥檝e learned that WBL isn鈥檛 just about checking a box. It鈥檚 about giving every student a seat at the table and a real opportunity to explore their future.
Reimagining WBL wasn鈥檛 just about solving logistics. It was about shifting mindsets, embracing innovation, and building lasting community connections.
