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Get a jumpstart on your future career

The best way to learn about potential careers and open the door to viable job opportunities is to take advantage of career and service learning opportunities. Improve your leadership and employability skills, develop a network of business professionals and have fun while obtaining industry experience and making a positive impact on your community.

Why participate in Work & Community Based Learning Opportunities?

  • Opportunity to learn more about careers of interest
  • It provides the opportunity to develop technical, academic and employability skills
  • Makes classroom learning more relevant
  • Learn more about yourself
  • Develop and practice academic, technical and employability skills in a chosen career field
  • Earn credit and a paycheck
  • Obtain industry credentials
  • Give back to the community
  • Engage with groups of diverse individuals
  • Build a professional network
  • Expand your resume, career portfolio and/or college scholarship applications
  • You’ll have fun!
Work Based Learning Options
Work Based Learning Options

Wilmot Union High School students have many opportunities to learn about the world of work. In fact, the majority of high school students work sometime during  their high school years. Students who participate in school-supervised work-based  learning have additional opportunities to learn employability skills, and with many programs, occupational-skills related to their high school courses. School-supervised work-based learning reinforces the connection between work and school, provides a chance for meaningful contact with adults/mentors, improves a student’s chances for successful employment as young adults, and helps solidify career interests.

There are two Work-Based Learning program types that the State of Wisconsin and Wilmot Union High School offer, these are:   certified and non-certified.  The certified programs are designed to meet the following six criteria: 

1. Involves sustained interactions, either paid or unpaid, with industry or community professionals.

2. Takes place in real workplace settings (as practicable) or simulated environments at an educational institution. 

 3. Fosters in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given career.

4. Aligns with a course (generally speaking should be a minimum one semester). It is highly encouraged to provide credit for the work-based learning experience as well as credit for the school based course.

5. A work-based learning experience must include a training agreement between the student, employer/business, and school that defines the roles and responsibilities of the student, the employer, and the school.

6. Business and education partners work together to evaluate and supervise the experiences, which must be documented with training or learning plans and evaluation forms.

For more information, contact the Wilmot Union High School Career Technology Education Advisor, Tracy Strother at:
(262) 862-2351 ext. 317.  strothert@wilmoths.k12.wi.us

 

 

Non-Certified Career Education Programs

Job Shadow 

Grades: 9-12 - Initiated by the student

Paid: No

Credit: no credit/no grading - experience only

Job shadowing is one type of work-based learning activity meant to support student career exploration activities. Job shadowing is short-term and exploratory in nature.  A specific date and time is selected for the on-site visit. The business determines the length of the shadowing experience, and this can be scheduled during a school-day, with school administration permission.

Permission Form and Reflection required.

School-Based Enterprise 

Grades: 10-12 

Paid: Some positions may receive a stipend

Grading: no grading - experience only, unless the student is also enrolled in a related course directly supporting The Paw or Theater Tech activities.

This experience is a joint venture with a staff advisor and CTE students, where students run an enterprise within the school with the goal of providing goods or services that support the school functions and student population.

Certified Career Education Programs

Due to the maturity and independence expected of students in certified programs, students should be: in academic good standing, have demonstrated regular attendance and have no Article I Code of Conduct Violations.  Recommendations may be required. Students may have a modified schedule to arrive to campus late or leave early to go to work for up to one-period each day. Administration will review requests to meet each student’s particular needs and has final approval of release periods. 

Requirements:

Work Experience Training Agreement       - Employer Evaluation

Alignment with a related course during the school year

- Transportation Waiver Required

Local Out-of-School Internship (can be repeated for credit)

Grades: 11-12 

Paid: Yes

Credit: ½ credit per semester (180-240 hours per semester or summer)

Grading: Pass/Fail

A local cooperative educational internship experience is a school-approved training program in which the student is with an employer for a limited period of time. Planned activities and learning objectives are structured to give the student an understanding of a particular business or occupation.   The local internship will also incorporate the education skill standards from the DPI Employability Skills State Co-op.  An internship can be repeated at the same work-site or a different location for additional credit.

State-certified Employability Skills Co-Op (90 hours) 

A state-certified, school-supervised, work-based learning program operated by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), the State-certified Employability Skills Co-Op is an elective program. 

State-certified Youth Apprenticeship (1 or 2 years) 

Youth Apprenticeship (YA) is a specific state-certified, school-supervised work-based  learning program, operated by Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development  (DWD). YA integrates school-based and work-based learning to instruct students in employability and occupational skills defined by Wisconsin industries. All YA  programs include Employability Skills Certification. Some YA Programs may include a  DWD-certified Pre-Apprenticeship Program Certification. Students receive a  minimum 450 hours in one calendar year for a Level I YA and a minimum 900 hours  in two calendar years for a Level II YA.

Cross-listed courses that offer Industry Certification

FCS303 – Assistant Childcare Teacher/Foundations of Early Childhood (307-148-3W7A)

Credits: 0.50   College Credit: Transcripted/Dual Credit 

Grades: 11-12

Prerequisites: FCS204 or FCE205

 This course supports and is aligned with the Wisconsin State Assistant Child Care Co-op. Students will need to earn a “C” or better to advance to ACCT certification.

This course introduces you to the early childhood profession. Course competencies include: explore the concepts of diversity, cultural responsiveness and anti-bias as it relates to early childhood education programs in WI, summarize types of early childhood education settings, identify the components of a quality early childhood education program, summarize responsibilities of early childhood education 41 Back to Table of Contents professionals, explore early childhood curriculum models and examine the critical role of play as it relates to developmentally appropriate practice. Students will learn the skills needed to earn an assistant child care certification from the state of Wisconsin. Throughout the semester, students are required to spend 10 hours in a child care center where they will plan and conduct educational experiences for preschool children. *Students who take this class AND FCS205 will earn the Child Care Basics certification.

Skill Standards Linked Here

Certified Nursing Assistant (C.N.A.)

Grades: 11-12

Credit: 0.75 for Gateway Technical College dual credit course.

An additional 1.0 credit can be earned if students enroll in the Health Sciences Youth Apprenticeship following successful completion of the certification exam. 

This class is hosted at Wilmot Union High School

Additional registration forms and expenses as determined by GTC are required.

This course is an introduction to nursing concepts. Content includes the nursing process as it relates to clients’ needs such as safety, asepsis and comfort. Theory is reinforced with concurrent simulated practice in lab and clinical health care settings. Students will be taught during the week by Gateway Technical College at Wilmot Union High School with a clinical site in a local nursing home. Students are responsible for their own transportation.

Service and Leadership Opportunities
Be The Change

Be The Change is a group that focuses on keeping the message and vision of Challenge Day alive within our school and community.  This vision has the goal that, "...every child lives in a world where they feel safe, loved, and celebrated." We focus on the positive acts of change that Challenge Day lays out as its 3 main principles: 1. Love and accept ourselves while continuing to grow, 2. See others through the eyes of acceptance, love, and compassion, 3. Be the Change by living life in service."  The goal of this group is to bring these principles to life to make them a part of the everyday culture of Wilmot High School.

More on Be the Change

DECA

Wilmot DECA is a career and technical student organization that teaches students about leadership, teamwork, self-confidence, networking, and other skills needed to be successful in their future careers. DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. We are helping students to become more academically prepared, community-oriented, professionally responsible, and experienced leaders. Wilmot DECA encourages all members to participate in community service, social, leadership, and competitive events activities and educational opportunities. 

More on DECA

Educators Rising

Educators Rising is made up of students who are interested in a possible future in Education.  They may want to be teachers, school counselors, speech pathologists, principals, coaches, etc.  This club gives them the opportunity to come together to investigate some basic information and opportunities in Education.  Educators Rising partners with local grade schools to provide students with mentoring opportunities that give students the experience of implementing evidence-based strategies and formulating their own perspectives around a possible future career in education.  

More on Educators Rising

Green Thumbs Club

Green Thumbs Club is a student-led organization that seeks to learn more about hobby planting, gardening, conservation, and ecology.  The Green Thumbs work in Wilmot's greenhouse to propagate plants in the fall and start garden seedlings in the spring. 

More about Green Thumbs Club

HOSA

HOSA is a student-led organization for students who are interested in any area of the health or medical fields.  HOSA supplements and complements the PLTW Biomedical Sciences curriculum and health occupations curriculum. Members develop leadership qualities and skills, strengthen their academic and technical skills, and build self-confidence.

More about HOSA

Key Club

Key Club is an international student-led organization that provides its members with opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership.

More on Key Club

Link Crew

Link Crew is an orientation and transition program open to juniors and seniors that increases freshmen success. Selected juniors and seniors are trained to be Link Leaders who are positive role models, motivators, student mentors, and guides to all freshmen. 

More on Link Crew

National Honor Society (NHS)

The National Honor Society (NHS) recognizes students who have demonstrated excellence in the four pillars of the society: scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

More on NHS

Student Government

Student Government/Council is an organization conducted by student leaders to provide leadership and to serve the student body, the school, and the community.

More on Student Government