Succeeding in Your Internship or Apprenticeship

Demonstrate appropriate professional dress, communication, and etiquette across a variety of workplace settings and industries.

Define work ethic and demonstrate the key behaviors—punctuality, dependability, and reliability—that build trust with employers.

Demonstrate respect for individual and cultural differences, use inclusive language, and understand how meritocracy functions in diverse workplaces.

Identify key equal opportunity laws, recognize forms of discrimination and harassment, and understand legal and ethical responsibilities in the workplace.

Understand the principles of teamwork, group dynamics, and collaboration strategies that help teams outperform individuals and achieve shared goals.

Identify sources of workplace conflict and apply communication, mediation, and consensus-building techniques to transform disagreements into constructive outcomes.

Apply core principles of clear written technical communication and deliver effective oral technical presentations with appropriate visual aids and pacing.

Explain and justify technical decisions, simplify complex information for varied audiences, give and receive professional feedback, and maintain effective workplace documentation.

Use time-management skills independently to prioritize tasks, build schedules, and overcome personal barriers to productivity.

Coordinate schedules and tasks within a group, manage deadlines under pressure, and optimize shared team productivity.

Identify workplace hazards, apply protective measures, and respond to emergencies and injuries in the workplace.

Understand the personal, organizational, and cultural dimensions of workplace safety, including mental well-being and the shared responsibilities of employers and employees.

Compare the roles, responsibilities, and core skills of managers versus leaders in the workplace.

Apply core management and leadership skills including decision-making, motivation, delegation, performance management, and adapting management styles.

Identify career development opportunities within CTE fields and explore entrepreneurship as a career pathway, including business ownership models.

Assess personal skills and interests to develop a structured career plan, and evaluate education and training pathways including trade schools, universities, certifications, and apprenticeships.

Develop essential job search tools and professional skills including resumes, cover letters, portfolios, interview techniques, networking, and compensation research.

Apply foundational math and budgeting skills to interpret paychecks, manage project budgets, and understand business expenses.

Collect and visualize workplace data, use standard measurement tools, read technical drawings, and apply fraction and decimal operations in trade and business contexts.

Develop industry-specific vocabulary, understand job functions across major industries, and apply core customer service and digital workplace skills.

Learners will understand what professional credentials are, how they differ across types, why they matter, and how to prepare for and maintain them.

Learners will explore key industry-specific credentials in healthcare, IT, and skilled trades, learn to evaluate credentialing bodies, and build a personal credentialing roadmap for their career path.

Learners will understand the structures, benefits, and differences between internships and apprenticeships and know how to find and apply for these work-based learning opportunities.

Learners will develop strategies to set goals, build skills and relationships, maximize outcomes, and evaluate the quality of their work-based learning experience.

Learners will understand entrepreneurship fundamentals, compare ownership models, identify viable market opportunities, conduct market research, and draft a business plan.

Learners will evaluate funding options and legal structures, assess risks, explore growth strategies and specialized business models, and create an investor pitch deck.

Learners will understand foundational legal and ethical responsibilities in the workplace, including equal opportunity laws, anti-discrimination and harassment policies, industry-specific regulations, and ethical decision-making frameworks.

Learners will understand and apply specific legal and ethical compliance requirements in professional settings, including contracts, intellectual property, privacy and confidentiality, whistleblowing, consumer and environmental regulations, professional codes of conduct, and data security obligations.