A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 13 of Title 22.1 an article numbered 6.1, consisting of sections numbered 22.1-253.01, 22.1-253.02, and 22.1-253.03, relating to Work-Based Learning Coordinator Pilot Program established.
HB180 establishes a Work-Based Learning Coordinator Pilot Program within the Virginia Department of Education for public school students. The program is designed to expand equitable access to high-quality work-based learning experiences by selecting between 12 and 24 participating school divisions or consortia, each of which must employ or contract with at least one coordinator. The bill defines work-based learning broadly to include internships, cooperative education, clinical experiences, apprenticeships, externships, job shadowing, and school-based enterprises, with priority given to paid experiences when feasible.
The coordinators would be responsible for building employer partnerships, arranging written agreements, matching students to placements, coordinating with school staff and workforce partners, and helping provide supports such as transportation, PPE, and accommodations. The bill also requires participating divisions to collect and report detailed participation and outcome data, disaggregated by student subgroup, including participation counts, hours, wages, credentials earned, and post-graduation outcomes when available. The Department would publish model agreements, compliance tools, reporting standards, and funding guidance, and would report annually on implementation and whether the pilot should continue or expand.
HB180 would add a new article to Title 22.1 of the Code of Virginia governing a state-run pilot program for work-based learning coordination. It would authorize the Board of Education to adopt regulations and the Department of Education to administer the program, select participating divisions, issue guidance, award grants, and collect standardized data. The bill would also create new administrative expectations for school divisions that participate, including formal employer agreements, labor-law compliance, student support services, and subgroup-based reporting. The act would expire on July 1, 2029, making it a temporary pilot unless extended or replaced.
The bill appears generally positive in concept, focusing on expanded student access to career-connected learning, workforce alignment, and equity. Its structure suggests a policy effort to professionalize and scale work-based learning through dedicated coordinators, state guidance, and grant support rather than leaving implementation entirely to local school divisions. However, the bill was left in the House Appropriations Committee, indicating that fiscal concerns or competing budget priorities likely limited its advancement.
The main points of potential contention are funding, administrative burden, and the scope of state involvement. The bill requires grants to support coordinators and related costs, but it depends on appropriations and limits local match requirements only in the first year, which may raise concerns about long-term affordability. School divisions may also face added reporting, compliance, and coordination obligations, especially around labor law, safety, privacy, and disaggregated data collection. Supporters are likely to emphasize equity, workforce development, and student opportunity, while skeptics may focus on cost, implementation complexity, and whether the pilot duplicates existing local or regional work-based learning efforts.