Dive into student experiences and instructional models to help you implement learning activities related to careers and career connections in the classroom to prepare all students for future success in the modern workforce.
As we have previously discussed, professional learning experiences designed to help teachers understand and implement learning activities related to careers and career connections are critical. These experiences support teachers' learning about today’s workforce and ways to prepare students to engage with the workforce and explore future career pathways.
The following are some student experiences and instructional models that can support these ideas:
Authentic Assessments & Performance Tasks:
These approaches ensure that students apply skills and knowledge in ways that mirror real-world settings. The purpose of performance tasks is to require students to use knowledge in a meaningful way, and in this case, just as workers do in their work. These tasks can also easily be aligned with academic standards, providing real-world applications to the class curriculum.
Through these open-ended, authentic challenges, students will engage in critical thinking and problem solving. Incorporating collaborative problem-solving and professional communication reinforces the processes and skills found in a great many careers. In the world beyond school, careers involve knowledge of many different subject areas and skills and need to be applied at different times in a professional environment.
Typically students receive feedback from their teacher on their assignments and products. A way to make this feedback more authentic and meaningful would be to receive industry-style feedback and reflect on their learning. Think about this, after learning about journalism practices, an English teacher has students write investigative articles and get feedback from a local journalist.
Project & Problem-Based Learning:
Both Problem-Based Learning (PrBL) and Project-Based Learning (PBL) allow teachers to bridge career-connected professional learning with classroom instruction by engaging students in real-world challenges that mirror professional experiences. These instructional models ensure that students develop critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving skills—all of which are essential for career readiness. These strategies are also natural connections with authentic assessments and performance tasks.
Using project-based learning for career-connected instruction involves students exploring a complex question or challenge and creating a tangible product, solution, or presentation over a period of time. The process is structured to include research, prototyping, iteration, and public presentation—all important career skills. Projects such as this can engage students in extended, meaningful work; students experience the depth of real-world projects and careers. The structure can mimic industry workflows—encouraging iteration, peer feedback, and public presentations. Collaboration with industry experts during the process and presentation through guest speakers, mentors, or partners, making learning more relevant.
Using problem-based learning for career-connected instruction presents students with an open-ended, real-world problem that lacks a clear solution. The students research, analyze, and develop solutions while working through the problem in a structured but student-driven way. In this model, teachers serve as facilitators, guiding students as they apply industry-relevant thinking processes and/or design thinking. This work mirrors industry problem-solving with students working on real challenges that professionals may face. The problems and solutions developed integrate multiple subjects (e.g., STEM and social studies) and use a variety of future-ready skills including critical thinking, communication, and adaptability.
Industry Partner Challenges & Design Thinking:
Using industry-designed or co-developed challenges and the design thinking process, teachers can translate their career-connected professional learning into student experiences that mirror real-world problem-solving, innovation, and collaboration. These approaches ensure that students engage with authentic industry problems while developing critical future skills like creativity, adaptability, and user-centered thinking.
Teachers can work with their business and industry-based partners to provide real-world challenges for students to solve. These challenges are often multidisciplinary, integrating STEM, business, communication, and social sciences. Through the challenge, students will engage in research, ideation, prototyping, and presenting solutions similar to professionals. This model helps to increase career awareness for students. Students engage with professionals and learn about career paths while working through the problem or challenge. Additionally, when the challenge is completed, students often present solutions to these real-world experts.
Throughout the challenge, the students will engage in the Design Thinking process. The Design Thinking process follows a structured framework that mimics how professionals approach innovation and problem-solving. It typically involves defining, ideation, prototyping, testing, reflecting, and refining.
Conclusion
These models and strategies all provide opportunities for teachers to transfer their career-connected professional learning experiences into actionable student experiences in the classroom focusing on work-based learning (WBL) integration. WBL refers to learning experiences that connect classroom instruction with workplace applications. It can range from direct industry involvement to classroom-based simulations that reflect professional work environments. As you can see below, these models all promote career-connected learning that can be implemented by the teacher based upon the learning environment and available resources.
There are generally four levels of WBL Integration that teachers can use with their students:
- Career Awareness – Introducing students to various careers through speakers, virtual field trips, and industry panels.
- Career Exploration – Engaging students in job shadows, workplace tours, or industry mentor programs.
- Career Preparation – Implementing simulated workplace experiences, internships, and industry-aligned performance tasks.
- Career Immersion – Facilitating real-world projects, apprenticeships, and work-based capstone experiences.
This article is part of a series on building a future-focused blueprint. Click below to read parts 1 and 2:
About the Author:
Dr. David L. Reese serves as Chief Academic Officer for Defined Learning. During the past twenty years, Dr. Reese has served K-12 students as a science teacher, Curriculum Specialist, and Central Office Administrator. He has taught Masters and Doctoral courses in all areas of curriculum and professional development leadership. His work focuses on providing students with engaging, relevant learning opportunities designed to encourage students to apply content from a local, national, and international perspective.
