Massachusetts Work-Based Learning Plan Skill Gain Study

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Massachusetts Work-Based Learning Plan Skill
Gain Study
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About the Study

• Conducted in May 2007
• Analysis of a sample of WBL Plans
• Sample of 900 WBL Plans contributed by five
  regions
• Sample included WBL Plans in a variety of stages,
  including 433 WBL Plans with first and second
  reviews

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About the Study - Background

• First systematic look at the use of the new WBL
  Plan, which was introduced in May 2006
• This study is similar to the FY2001 Skill Gain
  Study, which looked at the use of the original
  WBL Plan

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Questions

• Do participants gain skills during their
  work-based learning experiences?
• What skills do participants learn?
• How can employers and youth service providers
  maximize the benefits of work-based learning
  experiences?

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Analysis

• WBL Plans were merged from the Microsoft Word
  version and/or the FileMaker Pro database screens
  into a single database.

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Analysis

• The database Skill Gain Report screens select
  plans with a first and second review, and, for
  each skill, present the average rating at the
  first review, the average rating at the second
  review, the average change, and the number of
  plans included. The analysis can be done for all
  plans in the database or for any subset of plans.

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Job and Internship Skill GainFoundation Skills
May 2007 Skill Gain Study. From a sample of 433
WBL Plans
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Job and Internship Skill GainCareer and
Workplace Specific Skills
May 2007 Skill Gain Study. From a sample of 433
WBL Plans
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What Career and Workplace Specific skills are
selected most?
Collecting and Organizing Information
(N174) Time Management (N126) Equipment
Operation (N120) Computer Technology
(N100) Interacting with Customers or Clients
(N94) Reading (N80) Project Management
(N63) Writing (N59) Teaching and Instructing
(N48) Math and Numeric Analysis (N41)
May 2007 Skill Gain Study. From a sample of 433
WBL Plans
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What other Career and Workplace Specific skills
are identified?
Accounting skills Administrative
duties Allocating Materials Assessment of
skills Assist therapist Attention to Detail Basic
Administrating Basic Maintenance Basic Office
Skills Blueprint Reading Business-Related
Skills Care of the kennel/hospital Classroom
Management Clerical duties Clerical tasks
Clerical tasks Client Interaction Clinical
observation Collecting and Organizing
Information Communication Community
Policing Communication, Information, and acting
in a professional manner. Computer
Skills Computer Technology Courtroom-Specific
Skills Customer Service Data Entry Data
Management and Backup Decision Making Demonstratin
g Authority Design Skills Detective Bureau - Time
Management - Collecting Organizing Information
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What other Career and Workplace Specific skills
are identified?
Education-Specific Skills Emergency
calls Equipment Operation Equipment Repair Event
set up Flexibility Graphic design projects Group
presentations Interacting with customers and
clients Interacting with others Interacting with
Patients Interacting with Students Interacting
with Teachers, Students Mentors
Interaction within the preschool and classroom
settings Journalism-Specific Skills Keeping
attendance records Legal-Specific
Skills Maintenance Mathematical
analysis Mathematics Mathematics and Numeric
Analysis Motivation and Taking Initiative MS
Office Suite Nursing Career exploration Nursing-Sp
ecific Skills Occupational-Specific Skills
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What other Career and Workplace Specific skills
are identified?
Office management Office Skills Operating a Dirt
Compacter Operating Laser and Transit Patrol,
Community Policing Physical Therapy
skills Preparing materials Prioritizing
Probation Office-Specific Skills Problem
Solving Professional behavior Project
Management PT-Specific Skills Reading
Research and Analysis Safety and
Precautions Teaching and Instructing Teamwork Ther
apeutic interaction with patients and
families. Time Management Troubleshooting Understa
nding All Aspects Understanding all aspects of a
surgical ICU unit Understanding All Aspects of
the Industry Understanding Materials Understanding
Systems Understanding Technology Using
Technology Volunteer management Working with
animals Writing
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What Contributes to Skill Gain?

• Skill Gain was highest for
• Participants whose WBLPs had longer-than-average
  job descriptions and skills/tasks descriptions
• Participants whose WBLPs had longer-than-average
  written goals and comments
• Participants whose job titles included the word
  intern
• Participants who were in programs in which
  employers provided jobs/internships for two or
  more participants.

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Factors Contributing to Skill Gain

• These findings DONT suggest that you have to
  write a lot in the Work-Based Learning Plan, or
  use the word intern in the job title. But these
  findings DO suggest that
• Any time and effort put into using the
  Work-Based Learning Plan effectively results in
  higher skill gain.
• While all jobs represent valuable learning
  experiences, jobs/internships that are set up as
  formal learning experiences result in especially
  strong skill gains.

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Resources
The Work-Based Learning Plans provided for this
study were used in the development of a set of
print and online resources, available at
http//www.doe.mass.edu/connect or
http//skillslibrary.com/wbl.htm Also -- the
School to Career Database provides screens that
allow you to produce the same data based on
Work-Based Learning Plans developed in your
program. Look for the button for Skill Gain
Reports on the databases Reports Menu and on
the WBLP screen.
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For More Information
Keith WestrichMA Department of Education 350
Main StreetMalden, MA 02148 Tel
781-338-3902Fax [phone]kwestrich_at_doe.mass.
edu
http//www.doe.mass.edu/connect Or http//skillsli
brary.com/wbl.htm