Westerly High expands internship placements as RIDE sets 80‑hour requirement for CTE completers

Donna Welch, a teacher and internship coordinator at Westerly High School, told the Westerly School Committee on Jan. 15 that the district is expanding its internship placements to give students hands‑on experience and to meet newly released Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) workplace‑learning guidelines.

"It's not a part time job like the kids have at McDonald's," Welch said, describing the program's emphasis on career‑relevant placements and supervised learning. Dr. Caruso, who introduced the presentation to the committee, said the district aims to "improve opportunities and outcomes for our kids all the time."

Nut graf: The changes matter because RIDE now requires students enrolled in a RIDE‑approved CTE program who seek CTE completer status (class of 2028 and after) to complete 80 hours of work‑based learning. Westerly staff told the committee that the high school's two‑block internship course, employer partnerships and plans for a local career center are intended to help students reach that threshold and to connect graduates directly to local jobs in trades, maritime, aviation and other fields.

Program structure and scale Welch described the internship as a two‑block sequence (career seminar plus career exploration) that together carry two academic credits. The career seminar covers resume writing, interviews and workplace skills; the career exploration block is the supervised on‑the‑job experience. Welch said she is currently a 0.4 internship coordinator and a 0.6 special educator. This year she has 25 students enrolled in the two‑block class and seven students doing independent internships (most of those for a single block). Many internships are unpaid; the school treats course credit as the primary compensation, though paid placements do occur.

Employers and placement examples Welch listed a long roster of local employers that have hosted placements over the past 15–18 years, including Valente Toyota/Subaru and several small local businesses. She highlighted that multiple students have received full‑time job offers after internship placements. Business owners on the call confirmed demand: a locally owned Marine Electronics firm told the committee, "I can't find anybody," when asked about hiring and intern prospects, and urged the district to continue developing pipeline programs.

New RIDE rules and program implications Welch said the RIDE guidelines for the class of 2028 require 80 hours of work‑based learning to be counted as a CTE completer. District staff said some portion of those hours can be embedded into course sequences but that many students will need placements in the community to reach the full requirement. The district is piloting open science materials and working with University of Rhode Island partners for professional development; Welch also noted state guidance that apprenticeships typically require an adult high‑school graduate and therefore are often a next‑step rather than an option for under‑18 high‑school students.

Challenges and next steps Committee members and other local employers flagged transportation and distance as recurring barriers — placements in neighboring towns sometimes require travel that students cannot afford. Welch said district transportation access (which was established for the program in 2011) is important to ensuring equitable participation. The high school is adding CTE capacity (for example, a fourth year in the construction pathway) that will create demand for more internship slots; Welch said the aviation and maritime manufacturing (P‑TECH) programs will also rely on community placements and externships for seniors.

Staff and committee members asked whether the district could host a dedicated career center to coordinate placements and student resources; Welch said she would welcome a career center similar to one the district once had. Dr. Caruso and other administrators encouraged any local business owners interested in hosting interns to contact the high school so placements can be developed.

Ending: The committee did not take formal action on the presentation. Welch said the district will continue building employer relationships and aligning local placements to RIDE guidance; she asked community members and businesses to contact the high school to offer internships or discuss placement logistics.