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In the past 20 years America has gone from more than half of young people aged 16-19 having
a job to just over a third. The young person who does not have a job misses out on learning
experiences that will be valuable over a lifetime, because workplace culture is not the same
as school culture. Soft skills of communication, teamwork, accountability, punctuality and
adaptability are lifetime skills, and getting and keeping that first job prepares a young person
for a lifetime of productivity, success and fulfillment.
“We’re putting more incentive on how many individuals have jobs when they come out of
community college rather than how many have diplomas. Even at the high school level,
we’re putting more emphasis on vocational and technical training.”
— Virginia Governor Ralph Northam

Recommendation 5
Provide policy solutions for workers’ compensation and liability insurance for work-based
learning placements.
One of the barriers to work-based learning for secondary students — especially in manufacturing
settings — is employers’ concerns about workers’ compensation and liability in the event of an
injury to a student. Five states in the SREB region have passed legislation to address this concern,
including Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Tennessee and Texas.
For example, Tennessee adopted legislation — Senate Bill 1649 — that allows local education
agencies to provide workers’ compensation coverage for students participating in work-based
learning. SB 1649 also protects employers from liability for workplace injuries unless they are
found guilty of gross negligence. Tennessee’s SB 1231 extended workplace liability rules to
community and technical college students in work-based learning settings. In Georgia, House
Bill 402 gives employers a discount on workers’ compensation premiums when they hire
students as young as 16. In Texas, House Bill 639 has allowed local education agencies to
purchase workers’ compensation coverage for students in work-based learning programs.

Both Kentucky and Ohio have worked with a private-sector staffing agency to solve workers’
compensation issues for secondary students participating in work-based learning. State CTE
departments have encouraged districts and employers interested in work-based learning
partnerships to use the staffing agency as the employer of record to handle payroll, workers’
compensation insurance and adherence to all appropriate federal and state labor laws and
reporting requirements. As the employer of record, the staffing agency conducts its own safety
checks to ensure that work-based learning placements are safe and appropriate for students.

Barriers to Work-Based Learning
The commission identified nine challenges or barriers to work-based learning:

1. Stigma. Career and technical education still carries a stigma and is considered inferior
by many students, parents, teachers, counselors, school and district leaders, and
policymakers. Where is the stigma coming from? Are educators, parents and policy-
makers not considering technical college options? Do GPA weighting practices discourage
students from taking CTE classes? Do other policies encourage this stigma?

SREB Commission on Strategic Partnerships for Work-Ready Students | October 2020 15