Mercer County Schools

Workplace Expereince Credit Information

Student Internship Information

Career Connection programs restructure the educational experience so that students learn rigorous academics through career applications.  Teachers work together with employers to develop broad-based curricula that help students distill and deepen lessons of their work experience.  WV legislation was passed in an effort to give the young people in West Virginia an opportunity to acquire the academic and technical skills necessary for the jobs of tomorrow.  For more information, call (304) 431-1277. 

Experiential Learning is a structured quality work-based, service-based, or community-based activity. These experiences require students to integrate knowledge and skills from academics, career/technical education, and/or the arts and demonstrate the personal knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to be successful in the 21st century. Specific objectives must be mastered by the student as a result of the activity, and the activity, with the exception of Workplace Experience must take place with a Mercer County Board of Education-approved business partner. Students must choose one experience, but may qualify to participate in more than one Experiential Learning opportunity. Reflection is a critical component of each choice. All experiential learning is structured to meet requirements of the Department of Fair Labor and Standards Act.

• Job Shadow: A work-a-day experience, typically four to five hours, during which a student spends time one-on-one with an employee observing daily activities and asking questions about the job and work place.

• Industry Project: A cooperative work-site project completed under the supervision of a professional educator along with a business partner.

• Job Skills Project: A cooperative venture between the high schools of Mercer County, the Career Connections Office and selected volunteer businesses which allows select students to spend 50 hours at the work site developing job skills and becoming productive members of a work-site team.

• Internship: A work-a-day experience of 100 hours during which a student completes a planned series of activities, set of learning objectives, or project(s) designed to give a broad understanding of a business or occupational area. This experience culminates in a demonstration of learning through a product.

• Community Service Learning: A minimum of 100 hours spent in volunteer work with non-profit agencies which will provide youth the opportunity to gain employability and work skills outside the classroom; ex. candy stripers, Sunday school teacher. This experience culminates in a demonstration of learning through a product.

• Clinical's - Coop Education: On-the-job training relating to an area of technical study based on objectives jointly developed by the educator and the employer.

• Apprenticeship: An opportunity provided through agreements with the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, whereby students begin technical training during their junior year in high school, begin working the summer before their senior year and continue academic and technical study and work during their senior year. Students continue the apprenticeship program after high school graduation. Upon completion of apprenticeship training, they receive the journeyman-level credential.

• JROTC III and above provides students with a wide variety of work-based, life and academic skills and experiences. This experience requires instructor approval and verification.

• Workplace Computer Simulations are provided for students for whom a work-site experience would not be beneficial or suitable; ex. Classroom Inc. (Must be completed after school hours.)