Work Experience Education
Work Experience Education (WEE) is an academic program that strengthens student learning by engaging students of all majors in supervised on the job internships, paid or un-paid. WEE is customized to fit the student's needs. There are no class meetings required for students, other than an initial orientation meeting with the WEE Coordinator and meeting with work supervisors and faculty members to discuss learning objectives and job performance.
- Earn College Credit while learning on-the-job!
- Gain valuable experience in the career field related to your educational goal.
- Make contacts within your chosen industry.
- Increase the potential to advance within the career field.
- Try out a new career path.
How to Enroll in WEE
Read, print and follow the checklist on the "Student Responsibilities" page in the syllabus below.
Contact the Career Center to make an appointment for a WEE orientation.
Registration occurs with WEE Coordinator approval once all student paperwork and an orientation has been completed.
Types of Work Experience
- General work experience (CE 41) is for students working at a job unrelated to their educational goal/major.
- Occupational work experience (CE 42) is for students whose job is related to their educational goal/major.
- Discipline-specific work experience is for students pursuing applicable degrees and certificates.
Before enrolling in a WEE course, students must secure a job/internship for semester/term, then contact Career Center/WEE Coordinator & schedule orientation
Meet with assigned faculty mentor (FM) to discuss coursework, work-based learning opportunity and develop 2-4 learning objectives (LOs) to be shared with Career Center/WEE Coordinator
Complete application and contract documents sent via electronic documents for signatures from all parties.
Career Center Staff/WEE Coordinator will request enrollment and student will be placed into course.
During Semester, students will complete total required hours and expect at least one visit from Faculty Mentor to verify satisfactory progress towards LO’s. Student must make good faith effort to meet all identified LOs.
Contact Work Supervisor, Faculty Mentor or WEE Coordinator for support as needed.
End of Semester
Student will complete timesheet and self-evaluation, including one-page evaluation for each LO
Students meet with WS, discuss progress toward LOs and evaluate student performance
Students meet with FM, discuss and evaluate progress toward LOs
Contact Career Center to verify completion
In order for a student to officially enroll in WEE, faculty members need to read the WEE syllabus, sign the student's copy of the contract and create learning objectives with the student.
At the beginning of the semester, the supervising faculty member supports the student's success by developing and monitoring learning objectives with the student, which are later presented to work supervisor for approval. Learning objectives specifically describe what it is that the student intends to accomplish that semester at the job site based upon the needs of the work site.
During the semester, the faculty member meets at least once with the work supervisor at the job site to discuss student learning objectives and job performance.
At the end of the semester, the faculty member completes a 1-page evaluation of the WEE program/WEE Coordinator and meets with the student to review evaluations and confirm hours met before entering a grade.
At the beginning of the semester, the work supervisor supports the student's success by approving and monitoring learning objectives created by the student and the faculty member. Learning objectives specifically describe what the student intends to accomplish that semester at the job site based upon the needs of the work site.
During the semester, the work supervisor meets with the student's supervising CR faculty member at least once on the job site to discuss learning objectives and student work performance. The work supervisor monitors student work hours throughout the semester.
At the end of the semester, the work supervisor completes a 1-page evaluation of the student and WEE program/WEE Coordinator. The work supervisor meets with the student to review learning objectives and evaluations and sign the student WEE timecard.
* If a student is performing a non-paid job, College of the Redwoods covers Worker's Compensation. If a student is paid, they must be covered under the work sites Worker's Compensation.
In order for a student to officially enroll in WEE, work supervisors need to read the WEE syllabus, sign the student's copy of contract and coordinate the paid or non-paid internship with the student. All of the forms required are included in the syllabi linked in this section