Breaking the Bottleneck: Expanding Work-Based Learning in Colorado

What Colorado's Experience Reveals About How to Make Work-Based Learning Part of Every High School Student’s Education

Colorado has set the most ambitious work-based learning target in the country: by 2029, every high school graduate is meant to earn an industry credential, complete 12 college credits, or finish a high-quality work-based learning experience. Burning Glass Institute analysis, conducted in partnership with the Colorado Business Roundtable, found that demand for these experiences already far exceeds supply and that the current system, built for college students and large employers, cannot reach high schoolers at scale. Breaking the Bottleneck quantifies what work-based learning delivers for students and employers, diagnoses where Colorado's system runs out of road, and identifies four paths to closing the gap.

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