Ohio
One option among several. Students choose how to demonstrate competency.Work-based learning hours in Ohio's competency alternative
What the state asks for, how it describes a work-based learning experience, and the codes schools report it under.
What the state asks for
250
hours of work-based learning
A supporting option
- What the option is for
- A student who does not attain a competency score on the Algebra I or English language arts II end-of-course examination, after a retake, can demonstrate competency another way. One way is to complete two options from a list, at least one of them foundational.
- Where the hours sit
- The 250 hours are a supporting option. A student also needs one foundational option, so work-based learning alone does not complete the requirement.
- Evidence
- The experience needs evidence of positive evaluations.
- When hours can start
- As early as grade 9, and they can accumulate across several years.
Sources: Ohio Revised Code 3313.618(B)(1)(b), effective October 9, 2026. Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Career Experience and Technical Skill, page last modified August 26, 2026.
What Ohio requires of a work-based learning experience
Quoted from the Department's own documents.
What Ohio asks for
Definition
sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution that fosters in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and instruction.
Work site
Work-based learning experiences must occur at a work site (a work site can also exist virtually or within the school facilities).
Supervision and evaluation
Work-based learning experiences must be co-supervised and co-evaluated by an instructor or other educational representative and an employer or business mentor.
Learning agreement
A learning agreement built on professional, academic and technical competencies aligned to the student’s program of study, student success plan and/or graduation plan must be in place.
How a KANU experience meets it: Your school and the employer partner sign a written agreement and plan for each student.
Accumulating hours
Students can accumulate work-based learning hours across multiple years, beginning as early as grade 9. Students may also accumulate hours across multiple types of work-based learning experiences.
Positive evaluations
“Positive evaluations” refers to the student’s demonstrated progress in mastering learning competencies as identified in the learning agreement. These learning competencies should be evaluated by both the instructor or educational representative and the employer or business mentor.
iYour school makes the final determination on any experience.
Sources: Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Career Experience and Technical Skill, page last modified August 26, 2026 (work site, supervision, learning agreement, hours and positive evaluations). Ohio Work-Based Learning, October 2020, page 1 (definition).
The types of work-based learning Ohio lists
Six types, as the Department names them. Entrepreneurship, school-based enterprise and simulated work environment are among them.
Off-Site Placement and Internship
Apprenticeship & Pre-Apprenticeship
Remote/Virtual Placement
Entrepreneurship
In an entrepreneurship experience, the student operates his or her own business or service, including oversight of all operational and risk-management decisions.
School-Based Enterprise
In a school-based enterprise, students work cooperatively to operate a business or service, with facilities, resources and equipment most often provided by the school.
Simulated Work Environment
In a simulated work experience, the student works cooperatively with a business mentor to perform work in a simulated environment.
Sources: Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, EMIS Manual Section 2.9, Student Program (GQ) Record, Version 17.1, September 10, 2026, pages 9 and 10 (the six types). Ohio Work-Based Learning, October 2020, page 2 (descriptions).
How schools report it in EMIS
Schools report these program codes in the Student Program (GQ) record. KANU does not report on a school's behalf.
Internship Completion
Program code 305012Qualifying internships are experiences in which the student is a paid employee or non-paid intern for a business or community partner.
Apprenticeship/Pre-apprenticeship
Program code 305014Reported for apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship experiences.
Apprenticeship Acceptance
Program code 305016Providing evidence of acceptance into an apprenticeship program registered with the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council after high school that is restricted to participants eighteen years of age or older.
Apprenticeship Completion
Program code 305018Completing an apprenticeship registered with the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council in the student's chosen career field.
Other Work-Based Learning
Program code 305099This element will include the other three types of work-based learning as defined by the Office of Career Technical Education. Other work-based learning types include entrepreneurship, school-based enterprises and simulated work environments.
Work-Based Learning >0 and <40 hrs
Program code 310040The hours band for a student's work-based learning.
Work-Based Learning 40-99 hrs
Program code 310099The hours band for a student's work-based learning.
Work-Based Learning 100-249 hrs
Program code 310249The hours band for a student's work-based learning.
Work-Based Learning 250-499 hrs
Program code 310499The hours band for a student's work-based learning.
Work-Based Learning 500+ hrs
Program code 310500The hours band for a student's work-based learning.
Source: Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, EMIS Manual Section 2.9, Student Program (GQ) Record, Version 17.1, September 10, 2026, pages 25 and 26.
Things directors miss
The 250 hours are not enough on their own.
They are a supporting option. A student also completes at least one foundational option.
“The only requirement is that students complete at least one foundational demonstration. The second demonstration can be either foundational or supporting.”
Hours do not happen during instructional time.
The Department's guide says so directly.
“Work-based learning hours should never occur during instructional time and should otherwise not overlap or interfere with teacher-led activities.”
Planning before an entrepreneurship experience does not count.
The Department's guide says so in its description of the type.
“Planning completed prior to the operation of the business would not qualify as work-based learning experience.”
Approval depends on whether the student is in CTE coursework.
The EMIS manual sets a different approval for each case.
“For students who are not enrolled in CTE coursework, work-based learning experiences must be approved by the district’s Business Advisory Council. For students who are enrolled in CTE coursework, work-based learning experiences must be aligned to the CTE pathway approved by the department in which the student is enrolled.”
Sources: Ohio Revised Code 3313.618(B)(1)(b). Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Career Experience and Technical Skill, page last modified August 26, 2026. Ohio Work-Based Learning, October 2020, pages 1 and 2. EMIS Manual Section 2.9, Version 17.1, September 10, 2026, page 9.
See the experiences in the catalog
Each lists its planned hours.
Checked 13 October 2026
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