Pekin Community High School (PCHS) offers a wide variety of classes, programs, and extracurricular activities. One of the many opportunities they take pride in is their Work-Based Learning (WBL) program. 

WBL is a program in which students leave for a few hours out of the school day. Students go and work in the community at a job that aligns with their plans after graduation. Garret Frampton, senior at PCHS, does his learning in Morton at Otto Baum Company as he seeks a career in carpentry. 

Frampton mentions that he “like[s] the connections that he has made through his program and the opportunities that have opened up [to him].”

Joel Steger, Career and Community Liaison for PCHS, reiterates that “WBL can be what you make of it. It can be an apprenticeship, internship, or just working experience.”

Steger goes on to explain what students think about before choosing their WBL commitment: “Two key things to remember: it must be what you want or think you want to do when you have your career. [In addition], you have to have [taken] classes at the high school related to the job. Steger describes WBL as a learning experience for all. He states that “finding out what you do not want is just as important as finding out what you do want to do.”

There are many benefits to students starting in their field earlier than if they were to wait until after they graduate. Steger touches on this when he stated that “we also have students who begin working at a business and gain enough experience while still in high school to [advance in pay more quickly] than if they waited to start until after they graduate. It can be a huge career boost!”

There is a wide range of possibilities for students. As mentioned, Frampton is interested in carpentry, while another Senior, Elizabeth Austin, does her WBL at Jefferson Primary School. Austin assists in leading a second-grade classroom in read-alouds and aids in science. 

Steger  leads the program and assists in finding student placements for the Work-Based Learning program. He is very dedicated to finding the right fit for all students. 

There are many advantages to PCHS’ Worked-Based Learning program. A major one being that “in this way, you get a good look before you leap directly into a field or into post-secondary education to find out you do not want to pursue it,” as Steger mentions. 

Overall, students who are involved in WBL learn and focus on their future every day while showing their dragon pride and their dedication. It’s a great program that we are proud of here at PCHS.

Photo credit to Riley Jones and Elizabeth Austin