Overview

Developing Talent, Delivering Results: How Work-Based Learning Strengthens Companies and Careers is a September 2026 report published by Business Roundtable. The report examines how employer-supported work-based learning programs strengthen workforce talent pipelines, support recruitment and retention, and create opportunities for career development and advancement.

The report presents a broad continuum of work-based learning approaches, ranging from short-term career awareness activities and job shadowing to internships, apprenticeships, cooperative education, and multiyear rotational development programs. It describes the purposes, potential employer benefits, and participant benefits of different models, emphasizing that organizations can select approaches appropriate to their workforce needs, resources, and hiring objectives.

The report describes a five-phase work-based learning framework, accompanied by company examples demonstrating how employers use different approaches to prepare prospective and current workers for changing occupational requirements.

Methodology

The publication is an applied research synthesis and employer practice report rather than an original empirical research study. It combines findings from published workforce research, a separate labor market analysis conducted by the Burning Glass Institute, and illustrative programs operated by Business Roundtable member companies.

Key Findings & Recommendations

 Business Case for Work-Based Learning

• Identifies several employer benefits associated with work-based learning, including:
  • Strengthening recruitment pipelines
  •  Developing job-relevant skills
  •  Identifying promising candidates
  • Reducing reliance on external hiring
  • Supporting retention and career advancement.
• Analysis by the Burning Glass Institute provides quantitative evidence concerning Business Roundtable member companies:
  • Offer more than 650,000 internship, apprenticeship, and cooperative education opportunities annually, accounting for approximately one in seven such opportunities across U.S.
  • Work-based learning participants represent an estimated 4%–5% of new hires at Business Roundtable member companies.
  • Nearly 40% of interns at member companies receive and accept fulltime employment offers.
  • Former interns at member companies earn approximately 6%–8% more than comparable workers at other companies, with the earnings difference persisting up to ten years after their internship.
  • Former interns at member companies accumulate an estimated $77,000 earnings premium over ten years compared with their peers.
  • Findings suggest work-based learning can be associated with positive employment and earnings outcomes. However, because the report does not provide detailed information about the underlying analytical methods, the estimates should be interpreted as reported associations rather than conclusive evidence of causation.

Work-Based Learning Continuum

• A framework organizes work-based learning into five phases:
  • Phases differ in their purposes, duration, level of employer investment, and relationship to employment opportunities.
  • Framework emphasizes that employers do not need to progress sequentially through every phase.
  • Organizations may begin with activities suited to their workforce objectives and operate multiple forms of work-based learning simultaneously.
• Phase 1: Career Awareness
  • Activities introduce learners and prospective workers to industries, organizations, occupations, and career pathways.
  • Generally require limited employer investment and do not involve sustained work assignments.
  • Career Days: Events bringing employers together with students or job seekers to explain occupations, required skills, and career opportunities.
  • Company Tours: Organized visits that introduce participants to workplace operations and organizational environments.
  • Site Visits: Opportunities to observe workplaces, interact with employees, and learn about specific industries or occupations.
• Phase 2: Career Exploration
  • Activities help participants investigate career interests, understand workplace expectations, and assess potential occupational pathways.
  • Exploration programs generally require fewer resources.
  • Challenges and Competitions: Employer-sponsored activities in which individuals or teams address business problems, develop solutions, or demonstrate skills.
  • Externships: Short-term experiences that allow participants to observe workplace activities and explore potential careers.
  • Job Shadowing: Opportunities to follow employees and observe the responsibilities and daily activities associated with particular occupations.
• Phase 3: Career Preparation
  • Activities provide more direct engagement with employers, opportunities to apply knowledge, and experiences that develop professional capabilities.
  • Mentorships: Structured relationships in which experienced professionals provide career guidance, coaching, and support for professional development.
  • Micro-Internships: Short-duration assignments, typically lasting several weeks, through which participants complete specific tasks or deliverables for employers.
  • Project-Based Opportunities: Structured activities in which participants address actual business challenges, develop solutions, or complete projects aligned with employer needs.
• Phase 4: Career Training
  • Activities involve sustained workplace participation, structured skill development, and closer connections between learning experiences and potential employment.
  • Cooperative Education: Programs integrating academic study with substantial periods of supervised employment, often alternating classroom learning and paid workplace experience.
  • Fellowships: Time-limited, frequently cohort-based programs that provide structured professional experience, mentoring, and opportunities to develop specialized skills.
  • Internships: Temporary employment experiences in which participants undertake meaningful workplace assignments, develop professional skills, and explore career opportunities.
  • Pre-Apprenticeships: Programs designed to help participants acquire foundational occupational knowledge, technical skills, and experience needed to enter apprenticeship programs.
• Phase 5: Career Launch
  • Activities provide intensive, structured employment and development experiences designed to prepare participants for specific occupations, professional responsibilities, or longer-term organizational roles.
  • Apprenticeships
    • Structured, paid programs combining supervised on-the-job learning with related instruction to develop occupational proficiency.
    • Programs may be registered with federal or state apprenticeship authorities or operate outside registered systems.
    • Generally focus on developing proficiency in a defined occupation.
    • Typically involve larger investments and more direct connections to employment.
  • Rotational and Early-Career Development Programs
    • Structured programs in which participants work across multiple departments, business functions, or assignments to develop broad organizational knowledge, professional capabilities, and leadership potential.
    • Typically provide exposure to multiple organizational functions and prepare participants for broader career or leadership opportunities.
    • Typically involve larger investments and more direct connections to employment.
    • Rotational assignments may be incorporated into apprenticeship programs.

Examples of Employer Work-Based Learning Programs

The report profiles programs operated by Business Roundtable member companies across several industries. Examples illustrate the range of approaches companies are using, from early career exploration and professional internships to intensive technical training, apprenticeship, and rotational leadership development. They demonstrate that work-based learning is not limited to students enrolled in traditional academic programs but may serve career changers, adult learners, and incumbent workers. The examples are descriptive profiles of employer practices rather than independently evaluated case studies.

• Accenture
  • Collaborates with employers, educators, community organizations, and government agencies to expand apprenticeship pathways. Examples include cybersecurity talent development in Washington, DC, manufacturing workforce initiatives in Ohio, and data and AI training pathways.
• Aon
  • Helped establish the Chicago Apprentice Network in 2017 to expand apprenticeship opportunities through employer, educator, and community partnerships.
  • The network's experience contributed to the establishment of the National Apprentice Network in 2021.
• Carrier
  • Operates TechVantage, a workforce development initiative launched in 2025 that supports technical education, apprenticeships, and skilled trades development in heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems.
  • The company reported providing more than 200,000 hours of training to over 20,000 industry professionals in 2025.
• CBRE
  • Supports Meta Platforms through America's Workforce Academy, formerly known as LevelUp.
  • The initiative provides paid training and hands-on learning for fiber technicians supporting data center construction and infrastructure.
  • Participants can earn industry-recognized credentials and pursue full-time employment with contractors.
• Cognizant
  • Operates the Synapse initiative to expand AI, digital, and workforce skills training.
  • The company sponsors registered apprenticeships in occupations including software development and data science and requires early-career employees to complete its Vector 1 AI certification program.
• Comcast NBCUniversal
  • Offers rotational development experiences lasting approximately two years, providing participants with assignments across areas including finance, cybersecurity, and technology.
• General Motors
  • Provides cooperative education opportunities that connect classroom instruction with periods of practical workplace experience, enabling students to apply academic learning before graduation.
• HII
  • Operates extensive apprenticeship programs across shipbuilding, nuclear operations, environmental services, and ship maintenance.
  • At Newport News Shipbuilding, paid apprenticeship programs can last 4-8  years and include classroom learning, practical training, and opportunities to earn an associate degree in maritime technology.
• JPMorganChase
  • Supports Momentum Miami, a five-year, $10 million initiative connecting students and adult learners to technology-sector employment through internships, apprenticeships, education partnerships, and workforce training.
  • Includes support for Miami Dade College and Miami EdTech.
• Microsoft
  • Offers Explore Microsoft, a 12-week rotational experience designed for first- and second-year college students.
  • Provides early exposure to technology careers and professional work experience before students typically qualify for more conventional internships.
• Walmart
  • Uses structured summer internships as a pathway into fulltime employment and leadership development.
  • Participants work on substantive business projects, with some subsequently entering a 24-month rotational development program that prepares employees for management-track opportunities.

Characteristics of Effective Work-Based Learning Programs

The report identifies five practices associated with well-designed employer programs:

• Collaborative Partnerships
  • Employers work with educational institutions, workforce organizations, intermediaries, and public agencies to design and implement programs.
• Intentional Alignment
  • Programs structured around clearly defined workforce needs and participant learning objectives, with appropriate compensation or academic credit, supervision, and mentoring.
• Executive Sponsorship
  • Senior leadership actively supports work-based learning as an organizational workforce investment.
• Outcomes Measurement
  • Employers monitor indicators such as participation, hiring conversion, retention, and program costs to assess performance and improve program design.
• Pathway Integration
  • Work-based learning is connected to broader organizational strategies for talent acquisition, skills development, internal mobility, and career advancement rather than treated as an isolated activity.

 Artificial Intelligence & Workforce Readiness

The report examines the role of work-based learning in preparing employees for increasingly AI-enabled workplaces. It argues that employers require workers who combine technological fluency with durable skills, including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, adaptability, and professional judgment. It suggests that practical workplace experiences are particularly valuable for developing these capabilities because participants must apply knowledge, make decisions, work with others, and respond to feedback in authentic work environments. Work-based learning is presented as one strategy employers can use to prepare new workers while also creating opportunities for experienced employees to develop mentoring, supervisory, and technological capabilities.

Background

Business Roundtable is an association of chief executive officers from major U.S. companies that participates in national economic and workforce policy discussions. The September 2026 report was released as employers confronted changing occupational requirements, recruitment and retention challenges, and the growing influence of AI on workplace skills. The report builds on increasing interest in skills-based hiring and the expansion of educational pathways that combine formal learning with practical work experience. It emphasizes employer participation in developing talent rather than relying exclusively on educational institutions to prepare workers before hiring. Its work-based learning continuum is relevant to employers seeking alternatives or complements to traditional apprenticeship programs. It demonstrates that organizations can engage in workforce preparation through activities varying considerably in duration, cost, complexity, and employment outcomes. The report highlights the importance of partnerships among employers, educational institutions, workforce development organizations, and community organizations in designing programs that meet industry needs and expand career opportunities.

Partners / Funders

Business Roundtable published the report. The Burning Glass Institute contributed the separate labor market analysis used for several quantitative findings. Business Roundtable member companies provided or were featured in examples of work-based learning programs.

Resources

Business Roundtable. (2026, September). Developing talent, delivering results: How work-based learning strengthens companies and careers. https://djhius9upau4z.cloudfront.net/2026-09/BRT_Forum_WorkBasedLearning.pdf

Business Roundtable. (n.d.). Work-based learning accelerator. https://purpose.businessroundtable.org/work-based-learning-accelerator

Business Roundtable. (2026). Developing talent, delivering results: How work-based learning strengthens companies and careers [Report webpage]. https://www.businessroundtable.org/developing-talent-delivering-results