ERIC ED354303: School-to-Work Transition: Alternatives for Educational Reform.

40 Pages·1992·0.9 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 354 303
CE 062 906
AUTHOR
Smith, Clifton L.; Rojewski, Jay W.
TITLE
School-to-Work Transition: Alternatives for
Educational Reform.
PUB DATE
[92)
NOTE
41p.
PUB TYPE
Information Analyses (070)
EDRS PRICE
MFO1 /PCO2 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
Apprenticeships; *Career Choice; Career Guidance;
Cooperative Education; *Educational Improvement;
*Education Work Relationship; *Employment
Opportunities; Experiential Learning; High Schools;
Noncollege Bound Students; Program Improvement;
School Business Relationship; *Transitional Programs;
Unemployment; *Work Experience Programs
ABSTRACT
Schools do a very 7n or job of preparing
noncollege-bound youth to make the transition from high school to
employment and adult life. A lack of formalized transition systems
compounds the problems that many noncollege-bound youth encounter
as
they try to obtain meaningful, career-sustaining employment in
primary labor markets. Various instructional alternatives
can prepare
students to make the transition from school to work: transitions for
special populations, paid employment preparation/transition
alternatives (such as apprenticeship, cooperative education, and
entrepreneurship), and nonpaid employment preparation and transition
alternatives (such as internships and practica, community-based
volunteering, tech prep, mentoring, and simulations, shops, and
labs). A synthesis of these preparation alternatives
resulted in the
identification of six key components that
are needed for successful
school-to-work transition programs:
(1) coordinated, nonfragmented
provision of appropriate services;
(2) strong education-business
partnerships resulting in paid work experiences; (3) relevance in
the
learning process through linkage of instruction and work;
(4) early
and continuing career counseling and guidance;
(5) program
accountability to students and community; and (6)
a wide range of
career/employment options available
upon completion of transition
services. Four desired outcomes for participants of transition
programs are as follows: connecting theory with practice, developing
personal and career maturity, gaining personal
awareness, and
attaining professional insight. (Contains 61 references.)
(Author/KC)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that
can be made
from the original document.
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School-To-Work Transition: Alternatives for Educational Reform
Clifton L. Smith, Ed.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Occupational Studies
The University of Georgia
603 Aderhold Hall
30602-7162
Athens, Georgia
[phone]
Jay W. Rojewski, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Occupational Studies
The University of Georgia
624 Aderhold Hall
Athens, Georgia
30602-7162
[phone]
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
:U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
ED ED CATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC,
This document has been reproduced
.
as
received from the Person or organization
originating it
Cl Minor changes have been made to improve
reproduction quairty
Points Of view or op.nions stated in thrsdoct
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
ment do not necessarily represent official
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC).-
OERI posnion or
pOlICY
Running Head: SCHOOL-TO-WORK TRANSITION.
2
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
iii
ABSTRACT
.
INTRODUCTION
1
2
DEFINITION
.
PERSPECTIVE
2
Current State of the Problem
4
Contributing Factors to Current Situation
.
5
Repercussions of a Poor School-to-Work Transition System
6
Federal Legislation: A Call for Change
7
Sociological Influences
9
Summary
.
PEDAGOGICAL ALTERNATIVES FOR PREPARING STUDENTS
FOR TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL-TO-WORK
9
Transition for Special Populations
.
11
Generic Transition Preparation Alternatives
11
Paid Alternatives
.
11
Apprenticeship .
13
School-to-Apprenticeship Model
14
Youth Apprenticeship
15
Cooperative Education
.
17
School-Based Enterprises/Entrepreneurship .
18
Nonpaid Alternatives
.
18
Internships/Practicuum .
20
Community-Based Volunteering
20
Technical Preparation (tech-prep or "2+2")
22
Mentoring
24
Simulation, Shops, Labs
25
Other Alternatives
DISCUSSION
27
Key Components of Successful School-to-Work Transition Programs
.
30
Desired Student Outcomes
.
.
32
.
REFERENCES
ii
ABSTRACT
the transition
American education does a very poor job of preparing non-college bound youth to make
compound the
from high school to employment and adult life. A lack of formalized transition systems
problems that many non-college bound youth encounter as they try to obtain meaningful, career-
This paper reviews the current state of the problem
sustaining employment in primary labor markets.
transition system.
by examining contributing factors to and repercussions of a poor school-to-work
Pedagogical alternatives for preparing students to make the transition from school to work are
discussed including transition for special populations, compensated employment preparation/transition
alternatives (e.g., apprenticeship, cooperative education, and entrepreneurship), and noncompensated
employment preparation/transition alternatives (e.g., internships and practicuums, community-based
volunteering, tech-prep, mentoring, and simulations/shops/labs). A synthesis of these preparation
alternatives resulted in identification of six key components that are needed for successful school-to-
of
work transition programs. These key components include coordinated, nonfragmented provision
appropriate services; strong education-business partnerships resulting in paid work experiences;
relevancy in the learning process through linkage of instruction and work; early and continuing career
counseling and guidance; program accountability to students and community; and a wide range of
career/employment options available upon completion of transition services. Finally, four desired
theory with
outcomes for participants of transition programs are described and include connecting
practice, developing personal and career maturity, gaining personal awareness, and attaining
professional insight.
iii
SCHOOL-TO-WORK TRANSITION:
ALTERNATIVES FOR EDUCATIONAL REFORM
INTRODUCTION
improving academic
Educational reform movements of the 1980s focused primarily on
enhancing the school-to-
proficiencies of college-bound youth. Indeed, little attention was given to
such as The Forgotten
work transition of noncollege-bound youth. However, more recent reports
(Commission on the Skills
Half (William T. Grant Foundation, 1988a; 1988b) and America's Choice
disconnection between education
of the American Workforce, 1990) stress the need to overcome the
for youth not pursuing a four-
and work (Imel, 1991) and provide smooth, non-fragmented options
school-to-work transition has been prompted by such
year college degree. The recent emphasis on
productive and
factors as changing student and workforce demographics, the need for a more
youth (Imel, 1991).
competitive work force, and concern about the economic well-being of many
possible to tolerate...a
According to the National Governors' Association, "in the past, it was
human potential that results
haphazard approach to school-to-work transition...[b]ut today the waste in
needed that connect youth in
no longer can be afforded (p. 22)" (Imel, 1991). Programs are now
Grant Foundation, 1988a).
school with the world of work and knowledge of themselves (William T.
in making the transition to
Because of inadequate preparation for employment and lack of assistance
jobs without opportunities for
work, many youth struggle in the labor market, are unemployed, or in
advancement.
workforce hampers our
In addition to difficulties faced by individuals, a skill-deficient young
marketplace.
nation's economic growth, productivity, and ability to compete in a global economic
literate workers
Projections for slow labor force growth and increasing demands for technologically
will exacerbate this problem into the next decade.
and work closer together
A new educational reform should be based partly on bringing school
learning more relevant to the
to enhance the workplace as a learning site, and to make school
problem-solving and social skills that young adults will need on the job.
r-
t)
School-to-Work Transition
DEFINITION
school-to-work movement has
The United States Department of Labor (1992) reports that the
in the past 10 years. During this
been under way for several decades, but has grown dramatically
However, Stone (1992) provides a
time, a number of competing definitions have been developed.
school -to -wort: transition:
clear and concise synopsis of the major elements of successful
conceptualized as the movement
Traditionally, successful school-to-work transition has been
and the acquisition of an
between the end of formal, secondary or postsecondary education
job-related training
entry-level job related to the vocational program; or the continuation of
the increasing instability of
and education....A modification of this definition that recognizes
condition where the
labor markets would define successful school-to-work transition as a
labor market occupation
student can demonstrate the skills necessary for entry into a primary
(p. 7)
aspirations.
or career path consistent with his or her
of American youth but,
The transition from school-to-work is not a single event in the lives
begins with odd jobs like
rather, an extended process with several milestones. This process typically
jobs. "Only
babysitting or lawn mowing and advances to part-time paid employment in service sector
others define as their 'first real
after finishing full-time schooling do most youth begin what they and
level of schooling completed,
job.' The nature of that [first] job depends heavily on their age, the
Grant Foundation, 1988a, p. 25-
and particularly on the youths' network of connections" (William T.
26).
PERSPECTIVE
Current State of the Problem
grudgingly
Over the past several years, educators, politicians, and business leaders have
job of preparing
acknowledged the growing realization that American education does a very poor
1992; Secretary's
youth to make the transition from school to employment and adult life (Grubb,
Foundation,
Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, 1991; Stone, 1992; William T. Grant
assistance in preparing for
1988a). In fact, noncollege bound youth in our society receive little or no
Constant, and Moore
and finding employment when they complete their secondary education. Byrne,
upwards of 20
(1992) described the transition process as a "do-it-yourself" system that may affect
college or university.
million young people who will not go directly from high school to a four-year
2
School-to-Work Transition
school
Stone (1992) reported that we spend five to six thousand dollars on the post-high
than five
education of each young person who continues formal schooling, while we spend less
It is somewhat surprising that we do not pay more
hundred dollars per person on those who do not.
when one considers
attention to the school-to-work transition of noncollege bound youth, especially
but do demand
that over three-fourths of all jobs in this country do not require a college degree,
specialized knowledge or skills (Burke, McKeena, & McKeen, 1991).
bound
The lack of formalized transition systems compound problems that many noncollege
Increasingly,
youth face in obtaining meaningful, career-sustaining employment upon graduation.
school until they
youth are spending "several years milling around in the workplace or sometimes at
jobs. Age becomes a proxy for reliability"
are perceived as mature enough to hold down adult
until their
(Stone, 1992, p. 6). The result is that mostflounder from one low-paying job to the next
The William T.
mid-20s and are never seriously trained for a career (Magaziner & Clinton, 1992).
Grant Foundation (1988a) reported that:
real
For the one-half of youth who don't enroll in postsecondary education, the typical 'first
offers low
job' is almost always in the secondary labor market, one that requires few skills,
for advancement, and little
pay and few or no benefits, little training, slim opportunity
(p. 26)
significant contact with adults.
unskilled
Jobs found in the secondary labor market are usually in retail, food service, clerical, and
require
manual labor sectors. Rarely do these jobs require a high school diploma and typically do not
William T. Grant Foundation, 1988a).
any training whatsoever beyond a short demonstration (Stone;
Without question, the United States devotes little assistance to noncollege-bound youths in
transition from school to work (U.S. , 1991b). And, when compared with transition supports
established in European and Asian countries, the United States is the worst at facilitating youths'
transition from school to work (Stone, 1992). For instance, Japanese seniors typically obtain
employment through well-established school-business connections and over two-thirds of German
Europe
youth participate in apprenticeship programs (O'Neil, 1992). "Indeed, most young people in
job
and Asia move directly into the primary labor market by age 20 or 21, normally with a set of
skills that are in demand" (Burke et al., 1991, p. 24).
3
p.
School-to-Work Transition
/1111111
Danish young person
At the age of 16, the average German - or Austrian, or Swiss, or
Arkansas - or New York or
begins the transition to adulthood....At the age of 16, the average
that too often seems,
California - young person faces two more years of compulsory education
(Northdruft cited in Stone, 1992, p. 1)
and generally is, irrelevant to the world of work.
Contributing Factors to Current Situation
domestic transition policy exist?
Why does the tremendous discrepancy between foreign and
in the industrialized world at
What has caused the United States to be considered the worst country
U.S. lack a real structure for
facilitating youth in their transition from school to work? Why does the
preparing students to transition from school to work (O'Neil, 1992)?
the demographic shifts
One reason for the recent attention on school-to-work transition is
contains more students
occurring in both the general and school populations. Our school population
(Maddy-Bernstein & Rojewski,
with special needs than at any other time in our nation's history
and economically
1992). Greater numbers of immigrant, limited-English proficient, disabled,
problems including
disadvantaged students are a part of the American classroom. In addition, social
making a tremendous impact on the way we
teen pregnancy, drug abuse, and latch key children are
kids
"In short, our classrooms are increasingly being filled with the kind of
educate our children.
away" (Stone, 1992,
whose problems we usually ignored in the past or who we were content to throw
this segment of our population augment the difficulties
p. 4). The additional problems encountered by
experienced in making the transition from school to work.
including the perceptions
A number of other factors have contributed to the current situation
hiring decisions made
of youth toward their education, program emphases made by school personnel,
interesting that until
by business and industry leaders, and the transformation of the workplace. It is
they left the classroom (Byrne et al.,
very recently schools did not feel responsible for students once
1992). This lack of perceived responsibility was coupled with a singular focus on college
youth despite
preparation. For whatever reason, secondary sch- s have ignored noncollege-bound
diploma five years
the fact that less than 20 percent of high school graduates will receive a college
after their graduation.
4
School-to-Work Transition
students (especially
Perhaps because of this misplaced emphasis on college preparation, many
experiences. This academic
non-college bound youth) have discounted their academic high school
of connectedness between
decline can be directly attributed to students' correct assessment of the lack
disconnectedness particularly hurts
the world of work and schools (Bishop, 1992). This perceived
school (O'Neil, 1992).
those young people that enter the labor market directly out of high
play in the preparation
Students are not the only ones to have discounted the role that schools
Employers have also blamed
for and actual transition of youth from school to the world of work.
entry-level workers.
schools for the poor academie preparation and lack of vocational training in
reminds us that many of
However, the blame cannot rest solely with the schools. Byrne et al. (1992)
provided little in the way of
these same employers have had "minimal contact with the schools and
often preferring to
structured training for the high school students or recent graduates they hired,
avoid hiring them entirely" (p. 23).
of blame and
Shanker (cited in Stone, 1992) indicated that this type of circular behavior
irresponsibility has resulted in two consequences:
secondary labor
Youths' negative attitudes toward work because of [their] involvement in the
in the state of
market (no relationship between school and work); and, young adults remaining
down' and are
'adolescent worker' until they are in their mid-twenties when they might 'settle
(p. 3)
presumed mature enough for primary labor market jobs.
RepercusSions of a Poor School-to-Work Transition System
transition
Byrne et al. (1992) boldly declared that the absence of an effective school-to-work
dearly, both socially and
system to help noncollege-bound youth enter the workforce costs us
economically. The national economy is damaged by our inability to take otherwise qualified young
people often spend
people and transition them directly to primary labor markets. Instead these young
importantly, the lives of many
years floundering in low-skill, low-paying secondary markets. More
help make transition smoother.
young people are being damaged by our collective failure to
direct
Hamilton (cited in William T. Grant Foundation, 1988a) argued that "the absence of a clear,
youth"
path from school to work contributes to much of the problematic behavior among American
(p. 27).
5
School-to-Work Transition
especially in the face
Concerns also exist in relation to the quality of the American workforce
qualified workers that
of toughening global competition (O'Neil, 1992). A need exists to produce
and skills (U.S. Department of Labor, 1992).
possess increasingly sophisticated knowledge
is a critical element in
According to the U.S. (1991b), "improving the quality of entry-level workers
going to compete
improving tip, overall quality of the national workforce if American businesses are
efficient method to
effectively in the world market place" (p. 64926). The most effective and
between work
alleviate these concerns lies in better quality work experience, closer integration
from school to adult
experiences and schooling, and a coordinated, systematic process of transition
life and employment (William T. Grant Foundation, 1988a).
Federal Legislation: A Call for Change
Education Act
Congress authorized the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology
Perkins II, members of Congress recognized that
as amended (Perkins II) in 1990. In legislating
in a world
vocational and technical education have much to offer this country's effort to compete
and major emphasis of Perkins
economy and to prepare a world class workforce. A recurring theme
vocational courses and
II, as envisioned by Congress, is the strengthening of the academic content of
recognized that
the infusion of academic curriculum with practical, work-related examples. Congress
remain
the preparation for work was moving to a new paradigm, while education was tending to
distinction
somewhat static (Resnick, 1987). A new paradigm for education, one that lessens the
prepared non-college
between the workplace and learning, was needed. Just as important, adequately
school to primary
bound youth must be provided with options for making a smooth transition from
labor markets.
Changes in Perkins II provided vocational education with the impetus for assuming a
leadership role in state and local efforts to provide these transition options by:
Emphasizing the integration of academic and vocational education,
requiring greater accountability of vocational programs,
education,
distinguishing between secondary and postsecondary levels of vocational/technical
from
encouraging local districts to provide leadership in reforming and improving transition
school to work, and,
6