Michigan Work-Based Learning for IEP Transition: Requirements, Training Agreements, and Job Coaching

Why Classroom-Only Transition Plans Aren't Enough

A transition IEP that lists "the student will explore employment" without connecting the student to actual work settings is a compliance gesture, not a transition plan. Work-based learning (WBL) — real job experiences in real workplaces — is where students with IEPs build the skills that employment assessments and classroom simulations can't replicate: navigating a supervisor's expectations, following a schedule that someone else sets, managing sensory environments they didn't choose.

Michigan has specific rules governing WBL for special education students. Under MARSE Rule R 340.1733(i) and the MDE Work-Based Learning Manual, these experiences carry legal requirements that go beyond an informal job shadow arranged by a teacher.

What Michigan Requires for Special Education WBL

A signed training agreement. Before a student with an IEP starts any work-based learning placement, the school, the employer, the student, and the parent (if the student is under 18) must sign a formal training agreement. This document defines the work activities, the learning objectives tied to the student's IEP transition goals, the schedule, and the supervision responsibilities of both the employer and the school.

Teacher site visits. The supervising special education teacher or work-based learning coordinator must visit the work site at least once every nine-week period. These visits verify that the student is performing the agreed-upon tasks, that safety standards are being met, and that the placement continues to align with the student's IEP goals.

Safety compliance. WBL placements must meet all applicable child labor laws and workplace safety standards. Students under 18 have additional restrictions on hours, hazardous tasks, and working conditions under both federal and Michigan law.

IEP documentation. The WBL experience must be documented in the student's IEP, connected to specific measurable postsecondary goals for employment, and reflected in the annual transition assessment.

Types of Work-Based Learning in Michigan IEP Transition

WBL isn't one thing. Michigan recognizes a spectrum from observation to competitive employment:

Job shadowing. Short-term observation of a worker in a field the student is exploring. Low commitment, high exposure. Good for students in early transition (ages 14-16) who are still identifying interests.

Community-based work experiences. Unpaid or minimally paid placements in community settings — retail, food service, office work, custodial — where the student practices work behaviors with support. These are common in ISD-operated transition programs.

Internships and cooperative education. More structured placements where the student works regular hours, receives feedback from an employer, and may earn school credit. These require the full training agreement and teacher site visits.

Supported employment and job coaching. A student placed in a competitive integrated employment setting with a job coach who provides on-site support. The coach fades their involvement as the student becomes independent. Job coaching can be funded through the IEP, through Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS), or through a combination.

Project SEARCH. A national program with Michigan sites that places transition-age students in year-long internship rotations within a host business — typically a hospital, university, or large employer. Students rotate through three different departments over the school year, building a range of skills. Entry requirements and referral routes vary by Michigan site; ask the local program and school or agency team. The goal is competitive integrated employment by program completion.

Competitive Integrated Employment: The Federal Standard

Since the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), federal policy has pushed VR agencies toward competitive integrated employment (CIE) as the primary outcome for working-age adults with disabilities. CIE means a job in a typical workplace, at or above minimum wage, alongside workers without disabilities.

In the IEP context, this means transition goals should aim for CIE wherever appropriate. Sheltered workshops and sub-minimum-wage settings are increasingly disfavored — Michigan does not prohibit them outright, but MRS counselors are directed to prioritize CIE outcomes in every Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).

If your child's IEP team is writing transition goals that point toward segregated settings without exploring CIE first, push back. Ask what WBL experiences the team has arranged to test the student's capacity for integrated work before making that determination.

How to Strengthen WBL in the IEP

At the annual IEP meeting, ask these specific questions:

• What work-based learning experiences are scheduled for this school year?
• Is the training agreement completed and signed by all parties?
• Who is the supervising teacher, and when is the next site visit?
• How does this WBL placement connect to the student's measurable postsecondary employment goal?
• Has the IEP team coordinated with MRS for job coaching or supported employment funding?

If the school says WBL is "not available" in your district, that's a resource problem, not a legal excuse. The transition IEP must still include services that prepare the student for employment. Request that the team document what alternatives they are providing and how those alternatives will achieve the same outcomes.

The Michigan IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes a WBL readiness checklist, a training agreement walkthrough, and the step-by-step process for coordinating MRS-funded job coaching with school-based transition services.

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