July 2006


Education Up Close

School-to-Work Focuses on Success for All

The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 is designed to provide all young people with access to programs that integrate academic and occupational education, set high standards, and prepare them for the workforce. School-to-Work provides an opportunity for communities to build on existing strengths and create a coordinated, effective system linking education reform, economic development, and workforce development policies.
   

The focus of School-to-Work is on school, business, and community partnerships; academic and occupational integration; the integration of school- and work-based learning; lifelong learning; and connections to postsecondary education and training. Successful systems build on and connect existing programs such as tech-prep education, school-based enterprises, youth apprenticeships, and job-training initiatives.

According to economist Paul Osterman, roughly "one-third of all high school graduates, and somewhat more high school drop outs, fail to find stable employment by the time they are thirty."

One of the goals of the School-to-Work initiative is to change that statistic, making a larger percentage of American young people employable once they leave school.

School-to-work programs ensure all students a smooth transition from high school to work, college, and/or military training. A typical school-to-work program includes school-based learning, work-based learning, and connecting activities in middle and high school. Topics that might be included are:

  • Making informed decisions
  • Achieving desired results by interpreting and executing instructions
  • Transferring learning from one context to another
  • Recognizing, defining, and solving problems
  • Working effectively in groups to accomplish a goal
  • Identifying personal interests and goals
  • Recognizing and communicating one's strategies for accomplishing objectives

Read More About School-to-Work

National School-to-Work Learning Center
This Web site offers comprehensive resources developed by the National STW Learning and Information Center, a federal agency devoted to STW issues. The site offers extensive resources, including over 400 online tools to help students, teachers, and employers with school-to-work transitions.

National Employer Leadership Council
This site offers links to employer models for school-to-work programs, NELC membership information, and a listserv to keep members up-to-date.

Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE)
On this site, you will find useful information about programs, grants, and events related to vocational education; school-to-work; high school reform; community colleges; community technology centers; empowerment zones and enterprise communities; and teacher development activities.

School-to-Work Seen as Route To More Than Just a Job
John Gehring, staff writer for Education Week, examines ways that school-to-work programs function as part of a series on high school programs.