ARTICLE 7. Work Experience Education [51760. - 51769.5.]

Cal. Education Code - EDC 7.

in effect

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51760. Section 51760.

The governing board of a district maintaining a high school may do all of the following: (a) Provide for the instruction of pupils in the skills, attitudes, and understanding necessary to succeed in employment by means of courses of work-based learning or work experience education as provided in this article. (b) Provide for guidance and supervision procedures designed to ensure maximum educational benefit to pupils from placement in suitable work-based learning or work experience education courses. (c) Provide for arranging, approving, coordinating, and awarding credit for work-based learning or work experience education courses, and for those purposes employ instructors, coordinators, and other necessary personnel. (d) Provide for the district to purchase liability insurance for pupils enrolled in programs of study involving work experience, which may include work-based learning, or vocational education at locations off school grounds approved by the governing board, or require pupils to purchase insurance and to pass on all or a portion of the costs, at the discretion of the governing board, to the district.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51760.1. Section 51760.1.

(a) Consistent with the most recent state plan on career technical education, work-based learning opportunities for pupils may be delivered by partnership academies conducted pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 54690) of Chapter 9 of Part 29, regional occupational programs, as defined in Section 52303, programs established pursuant to Section 88532, and local educational agencies, and may include, but are not limited to, work experience education, as defined in Section 51764, community classrooms, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 52372.1, cooperative career technical education programs, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 52372.1, and job shadowing experience, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 51769. (b) School districts and community colleges that receive funding to provide career technical education programs pursuant to Section 52055.770 may include a work-based learning component in these programs. (c) Notwithstanding any other law, school districts opting to offer work-based learning opportunities to pupils enrolled in the district shall ensure that, when applicable, pupils are afforded the same statutory and regulatory safeguards as pupils in work experience programs. (d) For purposes of this section, “work-based learning” means an educational approach or instructional methodology that uses the workplace or real work to provide pupils with the knowledge and skills that will help them connect school experiences to real-life work activities and future career opportunities. When feasible, work-based learning should be an integral part of a more comprehensive program that integrates academic courses and career technical education. (e) High-quality work-based learning may include, but is not limited to, any of the following: (1) Emphasis on learning in the workplace. (2) Exposure to a wide range of career areas and worksites in order to help youth make informed choices about education, training options, and career pursuits. (3) Thoughtful placement of pupils into opportunities that are evaluated for their safety, qualified supervision, and learning opportunities. (4) Appropriate sequencing of experiences based upon the pupil’s age and maturity, ranging from site visits and tours, job shadowing, unpaid and paid internships, and paid work experience. (5) Explicit aim to supplement, or systematically reinforce, classroom instruction in technical courses, academic courses, or both. (6) Systematic attention to the development of 21st century skills, such as communication, problem solving, teamwork, project planning, and critical thinking. (7) A trained mentor who structures the learning at the worksite. (8) Coordination between the classroom teacher and the workplace mentor or supervisor. (9) Built-in regular assessment and feedback. (10) Involvement of youth in choosing and structuring the experience. (11) Clear and measurable learning outcomes. (f) School districts are encouraged to work with local workforce investment board youth councils and workforce investment boards to maximize the use of available resources for youth employment opportunities by coordinating work-based learning opportunities and facilitating work-based learning regional planning.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51760.2. Section 51760.2.

Regional and local business organizations, in conjunction with school districts and community colleges, and any other representatives deemed appropriate, including, but not limited to, industry representatives, research centers, and parents, may develop principles and guidelines for the establishment of work-based learning programs. If these organizations develop principles and guidelines pursuant to this section, both of the following shall occur: (a) The organizations shall consider existing guidelines or regulations relative to the programs described in subdivision (a) of Section 51760.1, the state’s most recent career technical education plan, and the most current academic and career technical education standards adopted by the state board. (b) The guidelines shall include specific guidance to school districts and community colleges on ensuring that a pupil’s workplace learning opportunities are linked directly to academic learning objectives and provide the necessary skills for the pupil to use in future employment or postsecondary education opportunities.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51760.3. Section 51760.3.

The governing board of any school district offering work experience education pursuant to the authority of Section 51760 shall grant credit to pupils satisfactorily completing a work experience education program, in an amount not to exceed a total of 40 semester credits, of which no more than 10 credits may be conferred in any one semester, provided the pupil meets all of the following requirements: (a) At the time of enrollment, the pupil is at least 16 years of age. Pupils under the age of 16 years may receive credit for work experience education under the following conditions: (1) The pupil is enrolled in grade 11 or a higher grade. (2) The principal of the school in which the pupil is enrolled certifies that the pupil is in need of immediate work experience education in order to pursue employment opportunities. (3) The principal of the school in which the pupil is enrolled certifies that there is a probability that the pupil will no longer be enrolled as a full-time pupil without being provided the opportunity to enroll in a work experience education program. (4) The pupil is at least 14 years of age and the principal in the school in which the pupil is enrolled certifies that it is necessary for the pupil’s participation in a career technical education program. (5) The pupil’s individualized education program, adopted pursuant to the requirements of Part 30 (commencing with Section 56000), prescribes the type of training for which participation in a work experience program is deemed appropriate. (b) During the course of the pupil’s enrollment in the program, the pupil receives as a minimum the equivalent of one instructional period per week of classroom instruction or counseling by a certificated employee. The instruction or counseling shall be offered in sessions scheduled intermittently throughout the semester. (c) The work experience education program meets all of the requirements of law governing these programs.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51760.5. Section 51760.5.

Notwithstanding Section 51760, attendance in work experience classes or programs maintained by a regional occupational center or regional occupational program shall not receive apportionments from state funds based on average daily attendance unless such classes or programs are in conformance with standards adopted pursuant to Section 52372. A student enrolled in a vocational education class using the cooperative vocational education methodology conducted by a regional occupational center or program shall not be credited with more than 15 hours of attendance in any calendar week for purposes of the methodology.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51762. Section 51762.

The Department of Education shall adopt any rules and regulations necessary to implement the standards set by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in order to maintain the educational purpose and character of work experience education.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51762.5. Section 51762.5.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall adopt standards for district plans required by subdivision (b) of Section 46300. The adopted standards shall include, but shall not necessarily be limited to, all of the following: (a) Selection and approval of work stations. (b) Classroom instruction. (c) Supervision of pupils. (d) Formal training agreements. (e) Paid and unpaid on-the-job work experience programs. (f) Academic credit for participation in work experience education programs.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51763. Section 51763.

All laws or rules applicable to minors in employment relationships are applicable to students enrolled in work experience education courses.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51764. Section 51764.

Work experience education as authorized by this article includes the employment of pupils in part-time jobs selected or approved as having educational value for the students employed therein and coordinated by school employees.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51765. Section 51765.

(a) The governing board of a school district that establishes and supervises a work experience education program in which pupils with intellectual disabilities are employed in part-time jobs may use funds derived from any source, to the extent permissible by appropriate law or regulation, to pay the wages of pupils so employed. (b) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the authority granted by this section is necessary to ensure that the work experience education program will continue to provide maximum educational benefit to pupils, particularly pupils with intellectual disabilities, and that the program is deemed to serve a public purpose.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51766. Section 51766.

Work experience education involving apprenticeable occupations shall be consistent with the purposes of Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 3070) of Division 3 of the Labor Code and with standards established by the California Apprenticeship Council for programs in the building and construction trades and for firefighters or by the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards of the Department of Industrial Relations for other programs.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51767. Section 51767.

The governing board of any school district which maintains one or more high schools may provide for the establishment and supervision of work experience education programs in areas outside the district, either within this state or in a contiguous state.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51768. Section 51768.

The governing board of any school district providing work experience and work study education may provide for employment under the program of pupils in part-time jobs located in areas outside the district, either within this state or in a contiguous state, and the employment may be by any public or private employer. The districts may pay wages to persons receiving the training whether assigned within or without the district and may provide workers’ compensation insurance as may be necessary, but no payments may be made to or for private employers. However, wages to individuals with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 56026, may be paid to or for private employers as part of work experience programs funded through the annual Budget Act for these individuals.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51769. Section 51769.

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this code or the Labor Code to the contrary, the school district, county superintendent of schools, or any school administered by the State Department of Education, under whose supervision work experience education, cooperative vocational education, or community classrooms, as defined by regulations adopted by the Superintendent, or a job shadowing experience, as defined in subdivision (b), or student apprenticeship programs registered by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards of the Department of Industrial Relations for registered student apprentices, are provided, shall be considered the employer under Division 4 (commencing with Section 3200) of the Labor Code of persons receiving this training unless the persons during the training are being paid a cash wage or salary by a private employer, except in the case of registered student apprentices, when the school district, county superintendent of schools, or any school administered by the State Department of Education elects to provide workers’ compensation insurance, or unless the person or firm under whom the persons are receiving work experience or occupational training elects to provide workers’ compensation insurance. A registered student apprentice is a registered apprentice who is (1) at least 16 years of age, (2) a full-time high school pupil in the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade, and (3) in an apprenticeship program for registered student apprentices registered with the Division of Apprenticeship Standards. An apprentice, while attending related and supplemental instruction classes, shall be considered to be in the employ of the apprentice’s employer and not subject to this section, unless the apprentice is unemployed. Whenever this work experience education, cooperative vocational education, community classroom education, or job shadowing, or student apprenticeship program registered by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards for registered student apprentices, is under the supervision of a regional occupational center or program operated by two or more school districts pursuant to Section 52301, the district of residence of the persons receiving the training shall be deemed the employer for the purposes of this section. (b) For purposes of this section, “job shadowing experience” means a visit to a workplace for the purpose of career exploration for no less than three hours and no more than 25 hours in one semester, intersession, or summer school session. (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), a pupil may participate in a job shadowing experience for up to 40 hours in one semester, intersession, or summer school session if the principal of the school in which the pupil is enrolled certifies that it is necessary for the pupil’s participation in a career technical education program.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51769.5. Section 51769.5.

Sections 1292, 1293, and 1294 of the Labor Code shall not apply to work experience education programs established pursuant to this article if all of the following occur: (a) The work experience coordinator determines that the students have been sufficiently trained in the employment or work otherwise prohibited. (b) Parental approval is obtained. (c) The principal or the counselor of the student has determined that the progress of the student toward graduation will not be impaired.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026