Warren County High School is seeking community support in making sure its students are workforce ready upon graduation.The school is offering a new program to students called Work Based Learning and local businesses are being sought to provide students with on-the-job experience. “Work Based Learning is a model being promoted on both a national and state level to address the rise of youth unemployment and the gap noted by many employers between their workforce needs and the skills young people are bringing to the workplace,” said Rebecca Leech, transitions and work based learning coordinator at WCHS.The Tennessee Department of Education launched the new Work Based Learning framework that is being implemented statewide, and is now a required offering as outlined in the State Board of Education’s recent High School Policy.“Work based learning brings what was once known as co-op education into the 21st century by connecting the academic and technical education that students are receiving in high school to the applied learning they find on the job,” said Leech.Although co-op education was phased out of the high school years ago, other work based learning opportunities have continued. There’s currently a WCHS course that aims to put students on the job so they can experience real situations outside the classroom.