This free kit gives work-based learning (WBL) coordinators three core templates: a training agreement, a timesheet and hours log, and an employer evaluation of student. Each one comes as a PDF and a Word (DOCX) file. The templates are state-neutral starting points, not legal documents. Edit them for your program, check your state's required forms, and have your district review them before you use them. A competency mapping worksheet is included too.
Download the templates
WBL Training Agreement
Use it when: Before day one on site. It sets roles, schedule, learning objectives, and safety.
Who fills it in and signs it: The coordinator and worksite supervisor complete it together. The student, parent/guardian (for students under 18), worksite supervisor, WBL coordinator, and (optionally) an administrator sign it.
Free, no sign-up. Review with your district before use.
WBL Timesheet & Hours Log
Use it when: Every week of the placement, to log and verify hours.
Who fills it in and signs it: The student logs hours and tasks and signs. The worksite supervisor verifies and signs. The coordinator reviews. Comes in three versions: weekly timesheet, monthly hours log, and an activity log for short experiences like job shadows.
All three versions (weekly timesheet, monthly hours log, activity log) in one file.
Free, no sign-up. Review with your district before use.
Employer Evaluation of Student
Use it when: At the midpoint and end of the placement.
Who fills it in and signs it: The worksite supervisor rates the student and adds examples, then reviews it with the student. The student signs to acknowledge receipt, and the coordinator signs.
Free, no sign-up. Review with your district before use.
WBL Competency Mapping Template
Use it when: You are aligning placements and learning objectives to graduation competencies. It was built for New York's eight Portrait of a Graduate competencies; read about New York's new WBL graduation pathway for context.
Who fills it in: The coordinator, ideally with your advisory committee.
Download the WBL Competency Mapping Template (DOCX)
How the templates work together
The forms follow a placement from start to finish. Each one feeds the next.
- Agreement (before the placement). Everyone agrees on the schedule, duties, learning objectives, safety requirements, and who is responsible for what. The learning objectives you write here become the skills the supervisor rates later.
- Timesheet (during the placement). The student records dates, hours, and tasks each week, and the supervisor confirms them. Tying each day's tasks to a learning objective turns hours into evidence of learning. For more, see our best practices for tracking WBL hours.
- Evaluation (midpoint and final). The supervisor rates career-readiness and technical skills against the agreement's objectives and writes down concrete examples. Our guide to training workplace supervisors shows how to set supervisors up to complete it.
- Records you can report from. A signed agreement, verified hours, and a completed evaluation give you a student-level record of participation and completion. That is the starting point for state and federal reporting. See our WBL reporting and compliance guide and our Perkins V work-based learning reporting guide.
New to the terms? Start with what is work-based learning or the complete guide to WBL tracking.
Which template do I need?
Use this table as a starting point. Your state's WBL definitions and your district's policy decide what is actually required.
| WBL activity | Training agreement | Timesheet / hours log | Employer evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internship (paid or unpaid) | Typically yes | Weekly timesheet or monthly log | Midpoint and final |
| Apprenticeship / pre-apprenticeship | Typically yes, alongside any program-specific agreements | Weekly timesheet or monthly log | Midpoint and final |
| Job shadow | Often not needed; check state rules | Activity log | Optional |
| School-based enterprise | Depends on your state and program | Weekly timesheet or activity log | If your program evaluates it |
| Service learning | Depends on your state and program | Activity log or weekly timesheet | If your program evaluates it |
Not sure where a placement fits? The pre-apprenticeship vs. registered apprenticeship guide explains the difference between those two.
Before you use these templates
District and legal review required. These templates are starting points, not legal documents. Have your district attorney, business office, or risk manager review them before use. Pay particular attention to:
- Child labor rules and hours (FLSA), including hazardous-occupation limits for students under 18
- Paid vs. unpaid status
- Workers' compensation coverage
- Liability insurance
- Transportation
- FERPA and what student information you share with employers
- State work-permit or age-certificate rules
As our coordinator's first 90 days playbook puts it: "Have your district attorney or business office review it. Do not skip this."
Check your state's required forms. Some states publish their own WBL forms or packets. Tennessee, for example, ties its WBL personalized learning plan packet to state child labor law and its WBL Policy Guide. If your state has a required form, use it, and borrow from these templates only where your state allows.
Authoritative references:
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under the FLSA
- eCFR, 29 CFR 570.35: hours of work for 14- and 15-year-olds
- U.S. Department of Education, FERPA
From paper forms to one system
Paper and spreadsheet versions of these forms work, and plenty of programs run on them. When you're chasing signatures and timesheets across dozens of placements, work-based learning software can take over the routine parts: students log hours from any device with no app download, supervisors verify with one click, and automated reminders keep students on track with timely submissions, as described on our work-based learning software and home pages. If internships are your main focus, see our internship tracking software.
Frequently asked questions
Are these work-based learning templates free?
Yes. Every template on this page is free to download and edit, with no sign-up required.
What formats are the templates in?
The training agreement, timesheet and hours log, and employer evaluation each come as a PDF (ready to print) and a Microsoft Word (DOCX) file you can edit. The competency mapping template is currently a DOCX file.
Can I use these templates in any state?
They are state-neutral starting points, so you can adapt them anywhere. Before you use them, check whether your state department of education requires its own WBL forms, and have your district review the templates.
Do I need a training agreement for every WBL experience?
It depends on the activity and your state. Extended placements such as internships and apprenticeships typically use a signed training agreement. Short or one-time activities, such as a job shadow, may only need an activity log or sign-in sheet. Check your state's WBL guidance and district policy.
Are these legal documents?
No. They are templates. Have your district attorney, business office, or risk manager review them before use, especially the sections on child labor and hours, paid vs. unpaid status, workers' compensation, liability insurance, and FERPA.
How do these forms help with Perkins V reporting?
Together they document a student's participation in and completion of a WBL experience. That is the kind of student-level record states draw on for the Perkins V work-based learning indicator (5S3), which counts CTE concentrators who graduate having participated in WBL. Your state decides what counts as a qualifying experience and how data is submitted, so the forms support your records but do not guarantee compliance.
Can I edit the templates and add my district's logo?
Yes. The DOCX versions are fully editable. Add your logo, change field labels, and add any fields your state requires.
Want these forms digital, with hours verified automatically?
WBL Tracker gives you real-time visibility into placements and hours, with supervisors verifying hours as students log them. See how it would work for your program.