The study investigated the impact of work-based learning on developing skills and competencies required for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Educators must adapt to what students need to succeed in this era. In this study, seven participants who oversee or have overseen a portion of various work-based learning initiatives engaged in a semi-structured interview process. The interview questions inquired about teacher preparation, practical strategies, programs or models of work-based learning, challenges and limitations, sustainability, and the impacts of different work-based models on employability skill development. The results provide hope that work-based learning can play a crucial role in today’s more technologically advanced workplace. Participants emphasized the critical importance of students developing soft skills to meet the growing needs of the workforce and the rapid pace of advancement. Most participants also mentioned the importance of developing technical skills, which are job-specific knowledge and abilities, such as computing, and technology skills. Challenges and limitations encompass teacher resistance to change and a lack of resources, and employer engagement. Effective strategies for work-based learning models include developing stronger partnerships with industries, developing a continuum of programs (internships, co-ops, apprenticeships) with clear pathways aligned with student interests and career goals, updating the curriculum to reflect modern workforce skills, and providing ongoing professional development for teachers in soft skills and new technologies. Factors for sustainability include improving program management through better data analysis and teacher buy-in. Sustainability also involves continuously recruiting students, including minorities and students with disabilities. Policymakers and educational leaders must recognize work-based learning’s critical role in developing workforce-ready skills. Implementing these programs in K–12 education is imperative.
","abstract_html":"<p>The study investigated the impact of work-based learning on developing skills and competencies required for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Educators must adapt to what students need to succeed in this era. In this study, seven participants who oversee or have overseen a portion of various work-based learning initiatives engaged in a semi-structured interview process. The interview questions inquired about teacher preparation, practical strategies, programs or models of work-based learning, challenges and limitations, sustainability, and the impacts of different work-based models on employability skill development. The results provide hope that work-based learning can play a crucial role in today’s more technologically advanced workplace. Participants emphasized the critical importance of students developing soft skills to meet the growing needs of the workforce and the rapid pace of advancement. Most participants also mentioned the importance of developing technical skills, which are job-specific knowledge and abilities, such as computing, and technology skills. Challenges and limitations encompass teacher resistance to change and a lack of resources, and employer engagement. Effective strategies for work-based learning models include developing stronger partnerships with industries, developing a continuum of programs (internships, co-ops, apprenticeships) with clear pathways aligned with student interests and career goals, updating the curriculum to reflect modern workforce skills, and providing ongoing professional development for teachers in soft skills and new technologies. Factors for sustainability include improving program management through better data analysis and teacher buy-in. Sustainability also involves continuously recruiting students, including minorities and students with disabilities. Policymakers and educational leaders must recognize work-based learning’s critical role in developing workforce-ready skills. Implementing these programs in K–12 education is imperative.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Johnson, Dorith"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ed.D. Doctor of Education","degree_level":"Dissertation - Public Access","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Angela Elkordy","Dr. Geri Chesner","Dr. Shaunti Knauth"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2024-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:38Z","subjects":["Work-Based Learning","Fourth Industrial Revolution","Education","Vocational Education"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/882","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Angela Elkordy","Dr. Geri Chesner","Dr. Shaunti Knauth"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Johnson, Dorith"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-03-30T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - Public Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ed.D. Doctor of Education"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Work-Based Learning","Fourth Industrial Revolution","Education","Vocational Education"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/882"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The study investigated the impact of work-based learning on developing skills and competencies required for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Educators must adapt to what students need to succeed in this era. In this study, seven participants who oversee or have overseen a portion of various work-based learning initiatives engaged in a semi-structured interview process. The interview questions inquired about teacher preparation, practical strategies, programs or models of work-based learning, challenges and limitations, sustainability, and the impacts of different work-based models on employability skill development. The results provide hope that work-based learning can play a crucial role in today’s more technologically advanced workplace. Participants emphasized the critical importance of students developing soft skills to meet the growing needs of the workforce and the rapid pace of advancement. Most participants also mentioned the importance of developing technical skills, which are job-specific knowledge and abilities, such as computing, and technology skills. Challenges and limitations encompass teacher resistance to change and a lack of resources, and employer engagement. Effective strategies for work-based learning models include developing stronger partnerships with industries, developing a continuum of programs (internships, co-ops, apprenticeships) with clear pathways aligned with student interests and career goals, updating the curriculum to reflect modern workforce skills, and providing ongoing professional development for teachers in soft skills and new technologies. Factors for sustainability include improving program management through better data analysis and teacher buy-in. Sustainability also involves continuously recruiting students, including minorities and students with disabilities. Policymakers and educational leaders must recognize work-based learning’s critical role in developing workforce-ready skills. Implementing these programs in K–12 education is imperative.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Role of Work-Based Learning in Developing Future Skills and Competencies for the Workforce in the Fourth Industrial Revolution"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Angela Elkordy","Dr. Geri Chesner","Dr. Shaunti Knauth"],"dc:creator":["Johnson, Dorith"],"dc:date.available":["2025-03-30T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The study investigated the impact of work-based learning on developing skills and competencies required for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Educators must adapt to what students need to succeed in this era. In this study, seven participants who oversee or have overseen a portion of various work-based learning initiatives engaged in a semi-structured interview process. The interview questions inquired about teacher preparation, practical strategies, programs or models of work-based learning, challenges and limitations, sustainability, and the impacts of different work-based models on employability skill development. The results provide hope that work-based learning can play a crucial role in today’s more technologically advanced workplace. Participants emphasized the critical importance of students developing soft skills to meet the growing needs of the workforce and the rapid pace of advancement. Most participants also mentioned the importance of developing technical skills, which are job-specific knowledge and abilities, such as computing, and technology skills. Challenges and limitations encompass teacher resistance to change and a lack of resources, and employer engagement. Effective strategies for work-based learning models include developing stronger partnerships with industries, developing a continuum of programs (internships, co-ops, apprenticeships) with clear pathways aligned with student interests and career goals, updating the curriculum to reflect modern workforce skills, and providing ongoing professional development for teachers in soft skills and new technologies. Factors for sustainability include improving program management through better data analysis and teacher buy-in. Sustainability also involves continuously recruiting students, including minorities and students with disabilities. Policymakers and educational leaders must recognize work-based learning’s critical role in developing workforce-ready skills. Implementing these programs in K–12 education is imperative.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/882"],"dc:subject":["Work-Based Learning","Fourth Industrial Revolution","Education","Vocational Education"],"dc:title":["The Role of Work-Based Learning in Developing Future Skills and Competencies for the Workforce in the Fourth Industrial Revolution"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation - Public Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ed.D. Doctor of Education"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:38Z"}