Workplace Learning

 Field-study trips are an excellent way of exposing students to both the workplace and post secondary education and training institutions.  Site tours of participating businesses and organizations allow students to become familiar with the products of a company, learn about entry-level positions and the qualifications needed, and observe people working in jobs to which the students themselves may aspire.

The auto academy has approximately 2-4 field-study trips per year.  Attendance on field-study trips is required for all academy students.  All field-study trips include classroom activity, discussion and/or an assignment that is included as part of the students' grade for the automotive class.  All students not attending the field-study are required to attend all classes as normal and complete an alternative assignment.  Prior to departure for the field-study trip, classroom grades will be checked.  Students may be declared "ineligible" for the field-study trip(s) for any of the following reasons:

• Failing any class at the time of the field-study grade check
• Not submitting their field-study permission slip in accordance with the designated time line.
• Not securing the Parent/Guardian permission in writing on the field-study form
• Being on suspension from school on the day(s) of the field-study trip
• Exhibiting behavior that is considered inappropriate on a previous field-study trip
• Any bus riding violation on a previous field-study trip
• Violation of any SCHS or CUSD rule or policy on a previous field-study trip
• Dressing inappropriately (academy shirts are required)
• Being late for any assigned roll call, meeting, and/or departure time

Students are required to be on their best behavior when attending any academy field-study trip.  Students must understand that they are representing not only themselves, but also the auto academy, San Clemente High School, and the Capistrano Unified School District.  It is a privilege to be invited to visit one of our many outstanding and dedicated business partners. Parents, Business Partners, and all Academy Staff are invited and are encouraged to attend all academy field-study trips.  Substitute teachers will be paid for by the academy for teachers attending the field-study trips, as necessary.  Chaperones on field-study trips are an integral part of the field-study...without enough chaperones, some field-study trips my have to be cancelled.  If a parent or business partner would like to volunteer to chaperone all they need to do is call the academy office @ 949.366-9843.  It would be greatly appreciated.

• Provide the student with an opportunity to observe real-world situations.
• Motivate students to expand their educational career goals.
• Help Academy students make a choice of possible internship sites.
• Allow students to see the relationship between their high school educational experiences and their occupational choice.

• Supervisors (mentor) conducting the job shadowing must have completed the Academy Mentor Training course at SCHS 
• Job shadowing is scheduled for after school hours or on the weekend (when it is convenient and agreed to by both the student and the supervisor)
• Each job shadowing exercise should last between one to three hours
• The job shadowing experience sheet must be completed by the student and the supervisor (mentor) for each job shadowing experience
• The supervisors' Job Shadowing Student Evaluation sheet must be returned to the academy in the stamped, self-addressed envelope provided.
• The supervisor is to show the student as many aspects of the job as possible in the time allotted
• Students who perform more than one Job Shadowing, the second and the third ones must be completed at different types of automotive businesses.
• Each individual student must phone the job shadowing site and make their own arrangements for a mutually agreed to date and time
• Students may attend the job shadowing with one or two other academy students who are job shadowing at the some site, but no non-academy students may attend.
• Students must provide their own transportation to the job shadowing site...they may drive themselves (with proper license and insurance) or a parent/guardian my drive their student.  STUDENTS MAY NOT DRIVE OTHER STUDENTS TO THE JOB SHADOWING SITE

Many individuals in the private sector are interested in speaking to students in the classroom and sharing their own personal experience with them.  Our business partners are a very rich source of information for our students regarding such matters as career selection, employment skills, and the importance of continuing education and/or training.  The ATPA maintains as extensive list of speakers and topics.  Students can expect to hear presentations from at least one to five guest speakers per semester.  Occasionally, parents of Academy Students are interested in volunteering as a classroom speaker.

Each 11th grade student who participates in the intership program will be matched with a mentor from our business partner list.  The purpose of a mentor is to give the students a professional role model who can offer information and guidance on how to achieve success.  Only ATPA Business Partners who have completed the Academy Mentor Training course are eligible to be assigned to mentor a student.  Normally, the mentor assigned to an infividual student will also be his/her supervisor in the work place during the students' internship.  The responsibilities of an ATPA mentor are to:

• serve as a professional role model;
• conduct job shadowing exercises for academy students;
• provide the student with work place exposure and training;
• provide the student with career information and guidance;
• evaluate the students' work habits and skills

All mentors are always invited to our annual Meet the Industry Night function.  It's a great ftime for students and parents to meet our mentors in a very informal, social gathering. 

In accordance with the requirements in SB44, the ATPA is responsible for placing students in an internship program.  The purpose of the internship program is to provide the academy students with a meaningful learning experience in the field of automotives.  Therefore, in the summer between their junior and senior years, all academy students are required to perform one of the following:

• Complete the Academies' summer ROP internship program with one of the ATPA's trained and certified business partners
• *Attend, and successfully complete, summer school (full-time, 2 courses minimum) to make-up failed courses
• *Be employed full-time (40 hrs./week) for duration of the summer

*Note:  Students who must complete full-time summer school to make-up failed courses or work at a full-time, paid job experience for the entire summer are exempt from the academy internship requirement. Part-time summer school students (1 course), students taking a summer school course for their own personal advancement, and students working a part-time job are still required to complete the internship program. The ATPA internship program is offered through the Capistrano-Laguna Beach Regional Occupational Program (ROP). The Academy Director/Automotive Teacher is also a fully qualified ROP Instructor and is responsible for developing, organizing, teaching, and supervising the internship program. The Academy Summer Intern Institute offers of the following benefits to academy students:

• 78 hours (60 hrs. On-the-Job Training [OJT] and 18 hrs. classroom instruction) of training and actual work experience distributed over 5 weeks.
• 5 additional credits of ROP automotive electives
• Students may earn an ROP Certificate of Completion and an ROP Perfect Attendance Certificate
• Possible job opportunity upon completion of the internship
• Some internships are paid work experience
• A formal work evaluation from the workplace supervisor
• Opportunity to meet, work with, and be trained by, industry professionals
• An enhancement to the students' resume

Every effort is made to place at least two academy students at each internship site.  Academy students must provide their own transportation to and from the internship site...they may drive themselves (with proper license and insurance) or a parent/guardian may drive their student.  STUDENTS MAY NOT DRIVE OTHER STUDENTS TO THE INTERNSHIP SITE.

All non-paid interns are fully insured while enrolled in the internship program through the ROP's Workman's Compensation Insurance.  Paid interns must receive Workman's Compensation Insurance coverage from their employer.