ERIC ED340947: Vocational Education Involvement with Business/Industry/Labor. Trends and Issues Alerts.

4 Pages·1991·0.24 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUKENT MUNE
CE 060 303
ED 340 947
Imel, Susan
AUTHOR
Vocational Education Involvement with
TITLE
Business/Industry/Labor. Trends and Issues Alerts.
ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational
INSTITUTION
Education, Columbus, Ohio.
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED),
SPONS AGENCY
Washington, DC.
PUB DATE
91
CONTRACT RI88062005
NOTE
4p.
Information Analyses - ERIC Clearinghouse Products
PUB TYPE
(071) -- Reference Materials - Bibliographies (131)
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*Cooperative Programs; *Educational Improvement;
DESCRIPTORS
Educational Policy; Educational Practices;
Educational Trends; *Education Work Relationship;
Futures (of Society); Institutional Cooperation;
Noncollege Bound Students; Policy Formation;
Postsecondary Education; Resources; *School Business
Relationship; Secondary Education; *Vocational
Education
*Partnerships in Education
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
As a result of the educational reform movement of the
1980s, there has been increased emphasis on joint efforts between the
private sector and the educational system. Although early efforts
focused on college-bound youth, changing demographics, a decline in
the nation's productivity, and heightened international competition
have increased concern about the economic well-being of
noncollege-bound youth as well. The need to maintain a productive and
competitive work force is placing new demands on education to make a
greater contribution to economic development. To achieve this,
vocational educators must be willing to engage in partnerships with
employers, labor, government, and other institutions. Although
partnerships between educators and business/industry/labor are
growing in number and substance, limited success has been achieved in
efforts to link public and private sectors in the broad-based and
extensive local cooperation necessary to have long-term and
substantial impact. The trend toward increased collaboration between
vocational education and business/labor/industry will continue, but
issues will be raised about the direction and forms of the
collaboration--how much, what kind, who will manage it, and where
will the resources come from? (This publication contains an annotated
liJt of 16 print resources and 8 resource organizations.)
(KC)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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VOCATIONAL EDUCATION INVOLVEMENT WITH
BUSINESS/INDUSTRY/LABOR
TRENDS AND ISSUES ALERTS
SLAW' Imel
ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career,
and Vocational Education
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
C"
ut Educational Research and tmprnvo.nent
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER IERIC)
Jelh
is document haS bean reprOduCed SS
received from the person or organItation
originating It
0 Minor chinges have been made 10 improve
reproduction qullity
Points ol view o' apinionsstatedin Ihisdocu.
merit do not Ile :Manly represent official
OERI position or policy
7wr7rnwn-mran,4,7-746-Piii-a
imuc, aeatinAouse on Adult, Career,
and Vocational Education
ALERTS
TRENDS AND ISSUES
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION INVOLVEMENT WITH
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BUSINESS/INDUSTRY/LABOR
ed?"; and "Can consensus be reached on short- and long-
One consetiuence of tht educational reform movement of
term goals?" (Axelrod 1989).
the 1980s has bean the clamor for additional joint efforts
between the private sector and the education _system (Hoyt
This Trends and Issues AleN contains resources that voca-
1991). Although early educational reform efforts focused
tional educators can use in developing partnerships with
primarily on the needs of college-bound youth, recent reports
business/industry/labor. Both print resources and organiza-
education
stress the need to improve the connection between
tions that can be consulteJ for further information are
and work (National Center on Education and the Economy
included.
1990; _William T. Grant Foundation 1988). Changing demo-
graphics, a decline in the nation's productivity, heightened
international competition, and concern about the economic
Print Resources
well-being of youth have increased sensitivity to the require-
ments of noncollege-bound youth. The need to maintain a
Axelrod, V. M. "Collaboration in the 21st Century." Paper
productive and competitive work force is placing new de-
presented at the annual conference of the International
mands on education to make a greater contribution to eco-
Association,
Training
and
Education
Vocational
nomic development. To achieve this, vocational educators
Orlando, FL, December 1989. (ED 317 799).
must be willing to engage in partnerships with employers,
labor, government, and other education tnstitutions (Griffin
Describes eight characteristics of effective linkages.
1989).
Advice to the Private Seam
Beckwith, R.; and others.
Although partnerships between educators and business/
Minois State Council on
Report 3.
Springfield:
industry/labor are growing in number and becoming more
Vocational Education, March 1989. (ED 318 873).
sophisticated, there has been limited success to date with
efforts to link public and private sectors in the broad-based
Includes six key actions the private sector might under-
and extensive Focal cooperation necessary to have long-term
take to assist with the modernization of vocational edu-
and substantial impact. Compared to the magnitude of the
cation and the improvement of educational programs in
effort that is required, these endeavors are few and small in
Illinois.
number but they do indicate the direction that collaborative
alliances must take. Partnerships currently in operation can
Collingwood, J.; Cutlip, M; and Lee, R.
*Training Work
be grouped into two broad categories: open-ended collabo-
Forces during Changini Times." Paper presenta at the
rations and project-specific collitborations (Smith and Trist
national conference-of-the At terican Technical Educa-
1988).
tion Association, Fort Worth, TX, March 1989. (ED
307 929).
Open-ended collaborations are cooperative efforts between
two or more institutions that set broad, long-term goals.
Describes the Des Moines Area Community College
trItool-
councils,
industry-education
include
F.xamples
industry outreach effort that is administered by the
buniness partnerships, and quasi-public skills brokering
Economic Development Group, an entrepreneurial cen-
corporations. Project-specific collaborations are cooperative
ter that employs 45 tralning consultants and support
efforts that are 'attended to meet more narrowly dermed,
staff.
short-term goals such as specific skill needs. Some examples
training, and employer-
are union training programs, contract
Dorsten, L. E. and Hollenbeck, K Private Sector Partki-
based training fumied- by states (ibid.).
riga, Ram.
Dabon with Postsecondary Institutions.
-Columbus: Center on Education and Trammg for -Em-
The trend toward increased collaboration between vocational
plo7 yment, The Ohio State University, May 1989. (ED
education and business/industry/labor will continue, but
30 405).
there are some policy issues around the direction these
efforts should take and the best forms of collaboration to try.
Reports the results of a study that collected and exam-
At one level is the debate about how much and what kind of
ined information on the nature and extent of business
education is enough. Questions such as "What should be
and postsecondary occupational program linkages. Data
taught, to whom, and in what setting or context? are affili-
front 76 postsecondary administrators and 661 employers
ated with this discussion. At another level, organizational
are included.
questions about how the collaborations should be managed
Fundamental to this debate is the question
are raised.
Gordon, H. R. W
in Mich Vocational Education and
"Which institutions should handle which role in training the
Establish
Can
E,ffective
Postsecondary
nation's work force?" (ibid.).
Florida
Linkages mils Employers.
Jacksonville:
Community College, (19891 (ED 314 106).
Vocational educators wishing to launch or enhance collab-
orative efforts with business/industry/labor may be more
Reports on the results of several studies that collected
concerned with factors that contribute to successful collab-
data from educational institutions and employers to
orative ventures than with policy issues. Questions that they
identify motives for
collaborative
in
participating
need to consider in thinking about collaboration include
arrangements.
"Will the collaborative effort -be a priority/ and will there be
adequate resources appropriated to make it work?"; "Will the
Griffin, D. "Joint Ventures: A New Agenda for Education."
effort be thought of as a-long-term investment?"; "Will the
Vourtkmal Education faunal 64, no. 3 (April 1989):
partnership become institutionarzed?"; "Will there be ade-
2A-25, 45.
quate communication structures to keep all partners inform-
3
;.=:-&..
Smith, T. L, and Trig, C. ?Mini; tg and Educating the Wodc
Examples of current economic development partnership
Force in the Nineties: The Rationale for Public-Private
industry,
programs between vocational education ancl
Collaboration. Information Sales no. 331. Columbus:
labor, and governmentare described and ideas for form-
ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational
ing joint ventures are shared.
Education, Center on Education for Training and Em-
ployment, The Ohio State University, 1988. (ED 303
Hoyt, K "Education Reform and Relationships between the
6M.
Private Sector and Education: A Call for Integration.*
Phi Delta 1Cypan 72, no. 6 (February 1991): 450453.
Provides a yationale for public-private linkages to
existin_g forms ol col-
improve training,
describes
for bringing about closer ties in
Proposes four straits,.
laboration, and makes recommenc5tions for policy
the relationships between education and work.
initiatives.
Lacey: R. A. and Kingley, C. A Guide W Woddng Patna,-
William T. Grant Foundation. The Forgoften Half: Non-
Aps. Waltham, MA: Center for Human Resources,
College Youth in America. An Interim Report on the
Brandeis University, 1988. (ED 295 001).
Washington, DC: Com-
School-to-Work Transition.
mission on Worlc, Family and Citizenship, WTGF,
Focuses on implementation issues from the experiences
January 1988. (ED 290 822).
of 21 work-education partnership projects fostered by the
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation.
Contains an analysis of ways to improve the school-to-
work transition, including tapping the resources of the
Lefkowitz,B.; Kingsley, C.; and Hahn, A. Working Plutnat.
community and the workplace.
Waltham, MA: Center for Human
ships Casthook.
Resources, Brandeis University, 1987. (ED 295 002).
Yin, R. K.;_ and others. IntemfRwsIzational Partnerships in
Efforts: Six Coe
1..ocal lob Creating and kb
illustrate common
Includes three case studies that
Washington, DC: COSMOS
Studies. Knal Report.
experlences encountered by 21 work-education part-
Corporation, September 1989. (ED 313 578).
fnstered by the Edna McConnell Clark
nerships
Foundation.
Examines six cases where job training and economic
development were successfully linked through an
McNelly, D. E., and Searle, M. A. Private SecWr Inidatives
interogranizational arrangement.
to Modernize Vocational Education. Knoxville: Depart-
ment of Technological and Adult Education, University
of Tennessee, August 1989. (ED 317 751).
Reaource Organizations
Reports on i study conducted to identify and analyze the
AFL-CIO, Education Department, 815 16th Street, NW,
f secondary vocational education and
involvement
s
Washington, DC 20006 (202/638-312).
business and industry in joint partnership agreements in
Tennessee.
Street,
American Vocational
King
Association,
1410
Alexandria, VA 22314 (703/683-3111).
The Compact Project
National Alliance of Business.
Sehool-Business Partnerships for Immv'inR Education.
Center for Human Resources, Heller Graduate School,
Washington, DC: NAB, 1989. (ED
Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254-9110 (617/736-
3770).
Contains individualyrofiles of 12 cities engaged in school-
business partnership efforts and lessons learned from
ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational
their experiences.
on Education
for
Training
and
Center
Education,
Employment, 1900 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1090
National Center on Education and the Economy. America's
(800/848-4815; 614/292-4353).
Choice: High Skills or Low Wages1 The Report of the
Commission on the Skills of the At ,erican Workforce.
Labor/Higher Education Council, 3429 34th Place, NW,
Rochester, NY: NCEE, June 1990. kED 323 297).
Washington, DC 20016 (202/362-1522).
Describes the choice the United States faces between
National Alliance of Business, 1201 New York Avenue, NW,
high skills and low wages and makes recommendations
Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005 (202/289-2910).
for changing the approach to work and education that
will lead to a choice for high skills.
Public/Private Ventures, 399 Market Street, Philadelphia,
PA 19106 (215/592-9099).
National Child Labor Committee. Report on Study o Exist-
ing and Potential Linkages betweas 4i,psdceshlp and
William T. Grant Foundation, 1001 Connecticut Avenue,
New York, NY:
NCLC,
Coopenstive Education.
NW, Suite 301, Washington, DC 20036-5541 (202/775-9731).
September 1988. (ED 313 545).
Reports on the results of a study of the status and
This Dyads mid Iowa Akre was developed in 1991 by Susan Imel with
potential of links between apprenticeship and coopera-
funding from the Office of Educational ftsearch and Improyement, U.S.
tive education to determine whether and how resources
Opinions
Depariment of Education, under contract No. RI88O62O05.
expressed do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of OERI or
should be expended to increase and strengthen those
the Department. Dyads and Isms Alva may be freely reproduced.
linkages.
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