February 11, 2026

The advantages of work-based learning experiences are well-documented:

• They help learners develop valuable skills.

• They give employers access to emerging talent.

• They help college graduates land in jobs that require a college degree.

Yet while 70 percent of college freshmen say they want a paid internship, only 25 percent of seniors have completed one.

Last week, Virginia state leaders launched InternshipsVA, a new statewide program to support paid internships.

The state will provide $14.5 million a year to the program. The funding includes grants to small- and medium-sized businesses to help them recruit undergraduate interns, fund their wages, and design programming. Research shows these businesses often lack the resources to develop work-based learning programs on their own, yet account for most new job growth.

PODCAST: Strada’s Melissa Leavitt and Kevin Grubb joined the Signals in Higher Ed podcast to discuss how work-based learning and career guidance drive economic mobility, exploring the roles of states and employers in scaling career-connected education.

ANNOUNCEMENT: West Virginia has joined the Learning Mobility Collaborative, a Strada-supported nationwide movement to align education and workforce systems to empower learners with the ability to build, own, and articulate their learning across the fragmented education and employment landscape.

WEBINAR: Strada Senior Vice President of Work-Based Learning Laura Love will join a Feb. 17 webinar on how employers can grow work-based learning at their businesses. Hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the discussion will explore employer barriers, practical solutions to common problems, and innovative examples from across the country.