IT pre-apprenticeship programs should embed hands-on activities into the curriculum, including WBL or on-the-job learning, that are relevant to the target occupation.
IT pre-apprenticeship programs should be creative in identifying hands-on and WBL opportunities, because they are not as widespread in IT as in many other sectors.
WBL is particularly valuable in IT but hard to achieve, so pre-apprenticeships may have to rely on other hands-on activities to contextualize learning. Examples of effective WBL activities for the IT sector include internships, job shadows, mentoring, and service and volunteer projects. Service learning offers a way to provide real-world experience even without employers that are prepared to offer paid work-based learning. High-quality pre-apprenticeship programs should engage with employers to develop these activities to ensure that the skills training provided is in alignment with employer needs. To do this effectively, partnerships with employers and WBL providers should clearly identify the role that the partners will play, outline how skill gains will be documented and tracked, and include options for internships or other training placements.