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Wyoming officials say work‑based learning now offered statewide as state builds training and credential pathways
Summary
State education and workforce leaders told a council panel that all 48 school districts now offer work‑based learning credit, and outlined a mix of private grants and state coordination to scale assessments, digital credentials and business engagement across K–12 and higher education.
State education and workforce officials told the council on day two of its Q2 meeting that Wyoming has substantially rebuilt and expanded its work‑based learning programs and is moving to standardize training, assessment and credentialing across the state.
“Work‑based learning is now known as work‑based learning or work experience,” said Lauren Shunfeld, who described recent efforts to move away from the older “work‑co‑op/work‑release” model and to create clearer competencies for awarding school credit. She told the council the state and its partners created a set of 12 competencies for career and technical education teachers so they can reliably supervise and award credit for student workplace experiences.
Shunfeld said all 48 school districts in Wyoming now offer some form of work‑based learning credit and that the Department of Education and its partners are beginning to capture standardized data on student participation. The panel emphasized that career guidance requirements related to the Hathaway Scholarship — an eighth‑grade requirement of roughly five hours of career investigation — form a gateway to later career exploration and work placements in high school.
The council heard details about new funding and capacity efforts: a Wyoming business alliance‑led grant program that Shunfeld said brings roughly $300,000 per year over three years to support K–12 work‑based learning pilots and to help eight districts expand capacity in the coming fall semester. Officials said the grant dollars will be used to build in‑state expertise, compile district best practices, and support employer engagement through a planned guidebook for businesses.
On assessments, presenters described a state‑funded toolkit called BOOTS (Business Occupational Outlook Toolkit) that offers an interest inventory and a customized dashboard linking students to postsecondary programs and scholarships. “Boots” is being offered free to districts and community colleges, presenters said, but districts currently use a variety of other assessment tools as well.
Panelists outlined plans to put employer assessments and verified skills into a digital credential wallet that would allow students to carry verified transcripts and micro‑credentials to employers or colleges. Ty Stockton later demonstrated the same digital wallet in the council’s technology update, showing early prototypes that integrate K–12 transcripts and pilot higher‑education data.
Council members pressed presenters on teacher training and compensation. Officials said the state pays teachers for externships as professional development (presenters cited $35 per hour in the session), and Workforce Services maintains internship funding to help with insurance and placement costs for business partners.
Why it matters: Council members framed the expansion as a lever to keep students in the state workforce — by turning career awareness into industry connections and middle‑class jobs without necessarily requiring a four‑year degree. Officials said the coming accountability dashboard, which will include work‑based learning measures, should give districts an incentive to scale those opportunities.
What’s next: Presenters said they will publish the district survey results and continue rolling out pilot digital wallet integrations with community colleges and the University of Wyoming. The council invited employers and districts to participate in the June pre‑conference and other regional convenings.
