Work Experience Education (WEE) is a course of study which may be established by the governing board of any school district or other specified local educational agency (LEA) in accordance with the provisions of the California Education Code Section 51760 and the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 5, Section 10071. Each LEA that elects to conduct a WEE program must submit a plan for WEE to the California Department of Education for approval. Eligible LEAs include school districts, county offices of education, consolidated cooperatives, charter schools, private schools, and migrant education regions.
The operational plan of the WEE program combines an on-the-job component with related classroom instruction designed to maximize the value of on-the-job experiences. Students' success in WEE programs depends on the quality of classroom instruction, effective collaboration between employers and the WEE coordinators, and the degree of involvement by the students and their parents or legal guardians.
WEE includes both paid and non-paid experiences. The LEA may offer one or more of the following types of WEE programs authorized by CCR, Title 5, Section 10071:Vocational Work Experience Education
The intent is to reinforce and extend vocational learning opportunities for students through a combination of related classroom instruction and supervised paid employment.
General Work Experience Education
The purpose is to provide students with opportunities for applying the basic skills of reading, writing, and computation through a combination of supervised employment in any occupational field and related classroom instruction.
Exploratory Work Experience
The objective is to provide career guidance to students and ascertain their interests and aptitudes for specific careers through opportunities to observe and sample a variety of conditions of work. Exploratory Work Experience includes a combination of job observations and related classroom instruction in WEE. The student may be required to perform non-paid work activities while exploring the occupation on a limited, periodic, and sampling basis. The length of exploratory assignment may vary, depending on the aptitude of the student, the occupation being explored, the facilities of the work station, and the job classification. Students may not participate in Exploratory Work Experience programs if pay is received for similar work at the same work station or a similar job during hours when not assigned to the Exploratory Work Experience program. (The student cannot replace a paid employee.) The LEA must provide workers' compensation insurance for the student. Secondary school students enrolled in Exploratory Work Experience may be under 16 years of age.
Purpose
The WEE program is part of a total educational process that: (1) helps students to choose a career path wisely; (2) prepares them for full-time employment suitable for their abilities and interests; and (3) affords students the opportunity to learn to work with others in ways that are successful and rewarding. The WEE program uses the integrated efforts of teachers, counselors, students, parents, and employers to achieve the following purposes:
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Link the academic core curriculum with the world of work and promote students' school-to-career transitions.
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Help students develop skills, habits, and attitudes conducive to job success and personal growth.
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Assist students in selecting careers and preparing realistically and wisely for the world of work.
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Use the community's business-industrial complex as a career training laboratory to help the students develop a positive work ethic and acquire or refine work related skills and job performance in actual work settings.
Resources
- Frequently Asked Questions-Work Permit
Information to assist local educational agencies on the issuance of work permits. - Child Labor Laws (Outside Source)
- California Law (Outside Source)
- California Association of Work Experience Educators (CAWEE) (Outside Source)
- Youth Rules — U.S. Department of Labor (Outside Source)
Work Permit Forms
- Statement of Intent to Employ Minor and Request for Work Permit (English) (CDE B1-1) (DOC; 99KB; 2pp.)
- Available Translations of the Statement of Intent to Employ Minor and Request for Work Permit
- Permit to Employ and Work (CDE B1-4) (DOC; 69KB; 1p.)
- Request for Volunteer-Unpaid Trainee Authorization for Minor (CDE B1-6) (DOC; 53KB; 1p.)
- Statement of Intent for Self-Certification for Permit to Employ and Work (CDE B1-8) (DOC; 63KB 2pp.)
Publications
- Work Permit Handbook for California Minors
For a copy of the Work Permit Handbook for California Minors, please contact Kimberly B. Born by e-mail at kborn@cde.ca.gov.
- Work Experience Education Guide
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the work experience education and the work permit process. For a copy of this guide, please contact Kimberly B. Born by e-mail at kborn@cde.ca.gov.
Contact Information
Dennis J. Guido, Ph.D.
Administrator I
Kimberly B. Born, Education Programs Consultant
California Department of Education
Secondary, Career, and Adult Learning Division
Career and Workforce Innovations Unit
1430 N Street, Suite 4503
Sacramento, Ca 95814
