ABSTRACT
A central argument in favor of work-based learning is that students acquire various practical skills and that they learn about industries and careers. At face value, this assertion seems obvious and intuitively defensible. The stories about interns are replete with images of their performing specialized and skilled activities: the apprentice cabinetmaker assembles a chest of drawers; the veterinary clinic aide tests a canine fecal sample; the accounting intern calculates cash-flow totals for her firm. These performances clearly reflect a capacity to use skills and knowledge to accomplish important organizational purposes. It also seems plausible that by working alongside skilled workers and professionals, the interns will learn about what it means to have a career in those fields-as a cabinetmaker, a veterinarian, or an accountant.
