Making Work-Based Learning Work Better for Community College Students

Community colleges are often touted as a critical component of community and economic development. The colleges are attuned to local needs, those of both students and employers, and are able to adapt to meet both. They also serve as a key access point for students historically underrepresented and underserved in higher education. As of fall 2020, students of color made up more than half of the student population at public two-year colleges, and the majority of all Latine and Indigenous college students in the United States attend these institutions. Over 20 percent of community college students have dependent children. Rather than arriving fresh from high school, the average community college student is 27. These institutions offer lower tuition than other institutions of higher education, and over half of community college students receive some form of financial aid. With nearly 1,000 public community colleges across the country, these institutions are likely to be geographically accessible to students who wish to stay near their home communities or for whom moving away for higher education is not an option.

The majority—approximately 70 percent—of community college students work, with nearly 30 percent working full-time while enrolled. A 2023 study from Strada Education Foundation found that students were more likely to enroll in community college motivated by career advancement than personal or community reasons. Over 70 percent of community college students surveyed named “gaining skills to succeed in the workplace” as an important or extremely important motivating factor in their enrollment, the most commonly selected reason. Because these students tend to be older and many are caregivers, career ambitions and earnings potential tend to drive their enrollment decisions. However, a growing body of research shows that simply enrolling in programs aligned with labor market needs is not enough. Colleges should ensure that students can apply what they are learning through experiences such as internships, apprenticeships, and work-study jobs that can contribute positively to both short- and long-term outcomes. These opportunities, which are collectively called work-based learning, are well-studied and tend to yield benefits. Students who complete paid internships, for example, are more likely to graduate into jobs with higher wages.

But community college students struggle to secure the benefits of work-based learning. They are more likely to be juggling full-time work and family responsibilities that leave little flexibility for unpaid experiences. But course schedules are not the only problem; while paid internships are sometimes available, research finds that community college students who complete internships are less likely to be compensated for this work than their peers at four-year institutions. Funding for work-based learning can also be challenging, as state and federal resources are not always available to community colleges for these programs, and employer-funded programs can be limiting. Although most community college students already work, which would seem like an opportunity for work-based learning alignment, research shows that only 30 percent of them work in jobs related to their field of study.

To better understand who today’s working community college students are, how they are connected to opportunities and supports both on and off campus, and what their work-based learning opportunities look like, we reviewed policy and research findings to create this primer on work-based learning at community colleges and to formulate recommendations for future research, policy, and practice.

Inconsistent definitions of what work-based learning means have limited the research around work-based learning at community colleges. Furthermore, it is difficult for institutions to know which students are working, which makes it hard to identify who could use more alignment between work and their program of study.

Federal policy offers useful definitions for some specific work-based learning modalities. For example, states must abide by the definition of work-based learning in the Perkins Act: “sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution that foster in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and instruction.”[1]

Regulations require colleges participating in the Federal Work-Study program to make funds available to as many eligible students as possible and to offer work-study positions that “complement and reinforce each recipient’s educational program or career goals,” as much as institutions are able to do so. Federal regulations also define and shape apprenticeship across the country, defining an apprentice to be “a worker…employed to learn an apprenticeable occupation.” Apprenticeable occupations include those that require “related instruction to supplement on-the-job learning.” This learning may or may not be delivered through higher education, but it is connected to community colleges frequently enough that apprenticeships constitute an important and growing form of work-based learning.

As for definitions from researchers, we offer two examples from well-established research and analysis groups. First, the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions at the University of Wisconsin–Madison proposes four types of work-based learning: internships, co-operatives, apprenticeships, and practica, and says that no agreed-upon definition of internship exists. Jobs for the Future’s (JFF’s) framework defines work-based learning as “a student or worker completing meaningful job tasks in a workplace that develop readiness for work, knowledge, and skills that support entry or advancement in a particular career field.” JFF proposes multiple phases of work-based learning, ranging from exposure to a career through job shadowing to building skills through internships and apprenticeships. However, neither of these frameworks would include work-study, unless the job is related to a student’s career goal. Some forms of work-based learning have clear definitions in policy, but internships do not have an established definition. While institutions must closely track work-based learning programs connected to federal and state funding (e.g., apprenticeships), it can be difficult to identify all students participating in internships and to understand how work-based learning is impacting them.

Where quality data do exist, analysis shows that work-based learning opportunities at community colleges are limited and often inaccessible. An analysis of data from the 2016 Adult Education and Training Survey (ATES) found that less than 15 percent of students participated in work-based learning as part of their postsecondary education program at any institution. A 2022 Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse survey of approximately 2,000 students found that those enrolled in community college were approximately half as likely to have completed either an in-person or virtual internship as their peers at four-year institutions, with a smaller but still marked participation gap for hybrid internships. However, another study found that over two-thirds of surveyed community college students would like to participate in work-based learning. So, while community college students are interested in these experiences, they are not readily available or accessible.

Research examining the intersection of work and study for community college students may shed light on why this participation gap is so stark. An analysis of data from the 2016 National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey (NPSAS) conducted by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) demonstrated that working community college students tend to hold jobs that are not aligned with their program of study and face persistent financial need. More than 60 percent of working community college students say that they are working to meet their expenses or have unmet financial need. This finding suggests that the motivation to work while in school is primarily financial and not necessarily related to students’ career exploration or skill acquisition. Ninety-five percent of working community college students hold off-campus jobs, according to a survey of almost 25,000 students across 74 community colleges conducted by the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) in 2019. Work and school are equally important for 64 percent of survey respondents.

And yet, returning to findings from the CCCSE study, half of students surveyed found difficulty aligning their school and work schedules, and over a third of entering students reported that working made it difficult for them to take the courses they needed. Integrating course schedules with a job is just the start of the academic challenges that many working students face. Research from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce shows that students who work more than 15 hours a week are less likely to maintain at least a B average than peers working fewer hours. Additionally, low-income students who work more than 15 hours per week are less likely to be retained past their first academic year or to graduate.

The results of a study on internships at a Midwest technical college showed that the most commonly mentioned barrier to internship participation was conflict with outside employment (71 percent of nonparticipants who wanted an internship mentioned it). Also, several programs at this technical college required an internship to graduate. In fact, 70 percent of interns surveyed said their internship was required by their program. Taken together, the high rate of conflict between non-work-based learning employment and internships and the relative frequency of required internships suggests that academic program design and student needs at this college are misaligned; additional research should explore this pattern at other community and technical colleges. Given the high share of community college students working to meet financial obligations, work-based learning should provide high enough wages, work hours, and schedule flexibility to be accessible to the many students who want to participate.

Further research is needed to understand rates of participation for students in demographic groups historically underrepresented and underserved in higher education. A national 2023 survey of over 5,000 students from Strada found that, over the past 12 months, 36 percent of surveyed juniors and seniors at four-year colleges and universities had completed an internship, compared to only 13 percent of students at two-year institutions. This internship participation gap between four-year and two-year students is even wider for Asian (30 percentage points), Black (32 percentage points), and multiracial students (26 percentage points), as well as for women (26 percentage points). The reasons for engaging in internships varied by demographic group as well, with Black students in both sectors markedly more interested in using internships to explore career options than to gain work experience in a given field than peers in other racial and ethnic groups. Students’ reasons for participating in work-based learning may, therefore, have implications for the most effective ways to communicate about these opportunities and recruit participants. The survey results were not broken out by age group or current employment status, two factors crucial to the accessibility of work-based learning for community college students.

A 2022 case study from WestEd looked at work-based learning among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students at Florida community colleges and found that accessible work-based learning opportunities are rare. Only 3 percent of STEM majors reported having any work-based learning experiences during their program of study. Women of all races, as well as Black and Latino men, were underrepresented not only in STEM programs but in all work-based learning within their programs of study. However, the study also found that STEM students who participated in work-based learning were more likely to complete a degree or certificate than their peers. WestEd researchers recommended that once a standard definition of work-based learning is identified, data collection on work-based learning programs needs to be improved and that further analysis is needed to understand the barriers to participation overall, especially among traditionally underrepresented student groups.

Research on the impact of work-based learning tends to leave out community college students too. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Center on College-Workforce Transitions found that well-designed programs seemed to have a positive impact on participants, yet there is not enough evidence to merit states or institutions of higher education mandating internships. This study sample mainly included university students, so additional work with a larger sample of community college students is needed to assess the potential benefits of internships for these students.

Similarly, a recent analysis from LinkedIn finds that internships have a positive impact on wages and job quality for young workers (from Generation Z) securing their first full-time job. However, this analysis does not distinguish between the types of colleges that student interns attended. The mean age of community college students puts them between Millennials and Generation Z, and most are currently working rather than seeking their first job. Therefore, these findings, which align with others suggesting that internships benefit students, may not adequately take community college students into account.

Analysis of 2016 ATES data indicates that nearly two-thirds of respondents who had completed a work-based learning experience felt it helped them secure employment, and two-thirds indicated that their experience helped them improve work-related skills. It should be noted that ATES includes responses from adults whose work-based learning experiences took place through a variety of providers, not only in community colleges. Returning to the Inside Higher Ed survey results, community college students who did participate in work-based learning were more likely to rate it as helpful than peers at universities were. Strada’s 2023 report using survey data indicates that over 70 percent of community college students who completed an internship were satisfied with their experience, within two percentage points of the level of satisfaction indicated by peers at four-year colleges and universities.

A study conducted in 2019 used survey data from seven colleges in three states to examine the extent to which community colleges effectively prepare students for their desired careers and whether there is a correlation between students’ educational experiences and career aspirations. The findings revealed that alignment between college program and eventual career path often happens only when the student plans for it, rather than because of the college’s efforts. Since most community college students work off campus out of financial necessity, increasing on-campus work-study jobs could be one piece of the puzzle. But colleges must also focus on improving off-campus learning partnerships with employers who understand and accommodate students’ busy schedules and need for flexibility, according to the study. The same study also found that the majority of students (more than 60 percent) find information about future careers from their college instructors rather than from employers or campus-based career counselors.

Federal and state governments have invested in various work-based learning initiatives over the years. Some researchers have cataloged and analyzed federal and state funding for work-based learning, though more research is needed on the outcomes of public funding for these programs, especially as they relate to community colleges.

Looking at federal investments first, we said in 2021 that federal funding sources, notably the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) and the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, could be vital in supporting and expanding work-based learning opportunities. HEERF funds, made available through stimulus bills, were used by some colleges to initiate and maintain student job opportunities, helping them overcome pandemic-related educational and economic challenges. FWS also plays a vital role in providing students with part-time jobs. We advocated in our 2021 brief for more opportunities for students to engage in paid work experiences that complement their studies. We recommended that federal funds be used to create and sustain these opportunities, making it easier for students to balance work and study.

A decade prior, Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grantees were encouraged to use grant funds to develop or enhance work-based learning activities. Evaluators of this large federal investment in community colleges considered six types of work-based learning in their special topics evaluation covering work-based learning: internships, clinical placements, job shadowing, on-the-job training, cooperative education, and Registered Apprenticeship. Of course, not all of these work-based learning opportunities offered students pay, and the structures varied considerably among colleges that implemented them. Evaluators found that colleges prioritizing work-based learning were more likely to implement related strategies as well: Work-based learning-focused colleges were more likely than peers not focusing on work-based learning to implement career navigation and extra-institutional mentorship in students’ fields of interest. The descriptive analysis did not attempt to assess the quality or accessibility of these work-based learning opportunities, however.

As with the federal government, states may provide resources for work-based learning in several ways. The 2023 state policy scan from the Education Commission of the States highlights the prevalence of funding for work-based learning across states, though this may or may not reach postsecondary education and community colleges. Funding mechanisms may include employer incentives, such as a Missouri tax credit for employers who hire apprentices or interns age 25 or under. Or states may offer funding to cover tuition for selected workforce training programs, including work-based learning components. For example, the Michigan Reconnect program covers tuition for eligible residents in short-term training programs at community colleges, including coursework for eligible pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships available at community colleges. Several states also offer resources directly to educational institutions to support work-based learning. The Maryland CTE Innovation Grant allowed community colleges and school districts to apply for resources supporting work-based learning partnerships between local employers, postsecondary institutions, and K–12 schools, for example.

Braiding funding sources, especially time-limited grants, from multiple sources can be challenging for community colleges. More analysis is needed to understand optimal funding streams, the amount of resources needed for work-based learning at these institutions, and how to sustain these programs with robust, long-term funding.

Ask for better data for better decision-making.

There is a broad consensus among researchers, students, and practitioners that institutions need to provide students with increased flexibility. But to have increased flexibility, institutions first have to understand who students engaging in work-based learning are and what their needs are. The lack of standard definitions and data around work-based learning programs makes it difficult to identify gaps and scale up successes. Initiatives like those proposed in a 2020 Urban Institute report, including cross-agency working groups and common data elements, could provide a strong foundation for better policy and practice and opportunities for additional research.

Prioritize compensation and academic integration.

For work-based learning to truly benefit students, opportunities should be paid and integrated with classroom instruction, not treated as stand-alone or extracurricular programs. The Federal Work-Study program could be expanded and modernized to this end. Leading programs are showing the way by combining pay, credit, and career relevance.

Make work-based learning a campus-wide, community-wide priority.

Effective work-based learning requires commitment and coordination across departments (like academic affairs, career services, and workforce development) and with external partners. Innovative college-industry partnerships allow programs to rapidly adapt to changing local workforce dynamics. Expanding these collaborations to include labor voices can bring a focus on worker rights and protections to quality work-based learning opportunities.

When done right, work-based learning is a powerful equity strategy, creating pathways to advancement and fostering the professional skills and mindsets students need to navigate an increasingly dynamic world. By prioritizing program quality, putting student voices first, partnering with labor and workforce stakeholders, and redefining their role in workforce preparation, community colleges can transform work-based learning into a fundamental part of the community college experience.

We first want to thank the Annie E. Casey Foundation for their generous support of this work, especially our program officers, Quanic Fullard and Allison Gerber. We are grateful to Iris Palmer and Mary Alice McCarthy for their thoughtful review of drafts of this brief. Sabrina Detlef’s copy editing made this work stronger, and we appreciate her contribution. Finally, we thank the many hands in communications at New America who prepared this brief for publication including Katherine Portnoy and Natalya Brill.

[1] See page 12 of the linked text of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act to locate the quoted definition of work-based learning.