ERIC ED393970: Toward a Youth Apprenticeship System. A Progress Report from the Youth Apprenticeship Demonstration Project in Broome County, New York.

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by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CE 071 260
ED 393 970
AUTHOR
Hamilton, Mary Agnes; Hamilton, Stephen F.
TITLE
Toward a Youth Apprenticeship System. A Progress
Report from the Youth Apprenticeship Demonstration
Project in Broome County, New York.
INSTITUTION
State Univ. of New York, Ithaca. Coll. of Human
Ecology at Cornell Univ.
SPONS AGENCY
New York State Legislature, Albany.
PUB DATE
Jan 93
NOTE
35p.
PUB TYPE
Research/Technical (143)
Reports
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
*Apprenticeships; Check Lists; Competence; Competency
Based Education; Demonstration Programs; Educational
Research; Education Work Relationship; Employer
Attitudes; Employment Qualifications; Engineering
Technicians; Health Occupations; High Schools;
Managerial Occupations; Manufacturing; *Noncollege
Bound Students; Office Occupations; Parent
Participation; Partnerships in Education; *Program
Development; Records (Forms); School Business
Relationship; State of the Art Reviews; Student
Eval'hation; Student Participation; Technical
Occupations; *Vocational Education; Work Experience
Programs; *Youth Employment
IDENTIFIERS *New York (Broome County)
ABSTRACT
This document summarizes the accomplishments of the
first year of the Cornell Youth Apprenticeship Demonstration Project
in Broome County, New York, a program in which six high schools and
six employers in the Binghamton area have joined forces to prepare
noncolleRe-bound young people for careers in manufacturing and
engineering technology, administration and office technology, or
health care. The first of the document's three sections provides an
overview of the program, which placed 40 students in apprenticeships
between fall 1991 and fall 1992, as well as discussions of the
program's participating employers, schools, and parents and their
motives for participation. Section 2 is an overview of research on
the following topics related to creating the infrastructure for youth
apprenticeship: learning objectives/competencies; work-based
curricula; apprenticeship progress reports; teaching and learning at
work; career pathways; school-based curricula; and the institutional
base of apprenticeship. In section 3, the role of youth
apprenticeship as a means of preparing students to perform all tasks
within a broadly defined occupational area is emphasized and
discussed in relation to the health care, office occupations,
administration/office technology, and manufacturing/engineering
technology fields. Sample instruments used by the project employers
to evaluate apprentices' progress are included. (MN)
10 I
'PREPARING YOUTH FOR THE FUTURE
Toward a Youth
Apprenticeship System,
A Progress Report from the Youth
Apprenticeship Demonstration Project
in Broome County, New York
Maly Agnes Hamilton
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Circe or Educational Rasoatch and Improvement
E UCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
Stephen F. Hamilton
CENTER (ERIC)
This document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
January 1993
Minor changes have been made to
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Points of view or opinions states in this
document do not necessarily rooresent
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AND
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DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL
HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
BEST COPY AVAILABLE ,
RESOURCES
TO THE EDUCATIONAL
INFORMATION CENTER ERIC)
CORN ELL
V BR S
7 Y
U N
I
I
2
1
This report describes a research and dbvelopment project of the Department of Human
Development and Family Studies, College of Human Ecology, Cornell UniVersity, based
at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome CountY.Pinancial support is provided by a
legislative initiative of the New York State legislature sponsored bY Assembly Majority
Leader James R. Tallon, Jr., and by grants froin the Pew Charitable Musts, the Charles
Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Dr. 'G. Clifford and Florence B. Decker FOundation.
Dean Francine Firebaugh's unwavering confidence and support have been crucial to the
project's contiiation.
Far too many people have participaed in the development of this project to.make a
comprehensive list possible. We include, therefore; only people wire have worked with
us as staff or students. Foremost in that group is Benjamin J. Wood, Who, with Penny
Corino, has alticonstracted a lirm foundation for the project in Broome County. We
owe sincere thanks as well to Sue Bier, Jeff Claus, Nell Eppinger, Mary Ann Erikson,
Renee Ferrari; Sherlyn Frank; Fiona Mclitall,y,"Paritela MoW,'Starr Niego, Lynn Olcagaki,
Elizabeth Rowe'Margaret Wiebold, Felicia Wiener; and Suet Wu. ,
ParthipatingEmployers
Anted, Imaging Prqducts Division of International Paper Corptration (joined 1992)
IBM Corporation at Endicott (joined 1992)
-
Lourdes Hospital
The Raymond Corporation
.
Security Mutual Life InsuranCe Company of New York
United Health Services Hospitals: Binghamton General Hospital, Wilson Medical Center
Participating Schools
Binghamton High School
Greene High School
Susquehanna Valley High School
Union-Endicott High School
Whitney Point High School
Windsor High School (joined 1992)
-0-
Printed on recycled paper
3
Produced by Media Services at Cornell University
Cornell University is an equal opportunity, iffuniative action educator arid employer.
1/93 6M iris E20474N
'
.
Contents
The Apprenticeship Program
1
2
Participants and Their Motives
2
Employers
Schools
3
Parents
3
4
Research Overview
Creating the Infrastructure for Youth Apprenticeship
5
Learning Objectives: Competencies
5
i
I
Work-Based Curricula
5
Apprentice Progress Report
6
Teaching and Learning at Work
10
Designing and Managing Work Experience
10
Coaching Apprentices
11
Mentoring Apprentices
13
Apprentices' Responsibility for Learning
14
x,
Career Pathways
16
/
School-Based Curricula
f,
19
/
Special Projects
19
Advisory Group
20
Courses
20
School Coordinators
21
Institutional Base
22
...o.
Defining Occupational Areas
22
Health Care
22
Administration and Office Technology
26
Manufacturing and Engineering Technology
29
Restrictive Rules and Regulations
30
Conclusion
30
4
remained intimately involved in the
Cornell's Youth Apprenticeship
demonstration project. The ultimate
Demonstration Project located in
goal, however, is not only to create
and around the city of Binghamton,
programs but to create a comprehen-
New York, has two major objectives:
sive school-to-work transition system,
'lb create an enduring program
which is lacking only in the United
that will enable participants to move
States among industrial powers.
from adolescence into adulthood as
This report identifies issues encoun-
productive workers, active citizens,
tered during the programs first year
and caring family members.
of operation and describes how they
'lb foster the creation of a nation-
have been dealt with. It is not a
wide system that will achieve these
manual, but practitoners and policy
purposes for all young people who do
makers may find in it ideas about how
not graduate from four-year colleges.
to design and operate programs.
Three closely related functions
contribute to these objectives:
The Apprenticeship Program
developing the program, tending to
its daily operation, and conducting
The first apprentices were enrolled in
research. Research done in Europe
the Cornell program during the fall of
and the United States led to the
1991. Twenty-two juniors from five
project's initiation.' Cornell University
high schools were placed with four
retains direction of the project to
employers. Twenty completed the
facilitate continuing research and
school year satisfactorily and enrolled
program development. Research
for their second year in the fall of
guides and enriches program develop-
1992. Twenty new apprenticeships
ment and day-to-day operations in
have been created for juniors in 1992
addition to informing people outside
93. One new high school and two new
the project about what we have
employers have joined the project.
learned.
Table 1 summarizes the occupational
areas covered by the current appren-
lb gain a full understanding of how
ticeships. (Four of the twenty new
youth apprenticeship can work in the
apprenticeships will be filled in
United States, staff at Cornell have
January 1993.)
Table 1. Apprenticeships in Broome County, New York
September 1992
Lumber of Apprenticeships
Occupational Area
Manufacturing and Engineering Technology
12
Administration and Office Technology
13
Health Care
15
Total
40
1. See Apprenticeship for Adulthood: Preparing Youth for the Future by Stephen F.
Hamilton (New York: Free Press, 1990) and "Teaching and Learning on the Job: The
Pedagogy of Apprenticeship" by Stephen F. Hamilton and Mary Agnes Hamilton (unpub-
lished manuscript, Cornell Youth and Work Program, July 1990). An updated summary of
this latter study appears in James E. Rosenbaum, ed., Youth Apprenticeship in America:
Guidelines for Building an Effective System (Washington, D.C.: William T. Grant
Foundation Commission on Youth and Americas Future, 1992).
mean was B- (80.4). Most students
the process that emerges. The project
The three occupational categories in
were enrolled in regents courses, the
can be characterized as a "bottom-up"
which apprenticeships have been
level between basic and honors. Some,
createdmanufacturing and engi-
approach, in contrast to efforts in
however, are honors students, and
neering technology, administration some states (e.g., Wisconsin, Oregon,
some have below average school
Minois) to create a youth apprentice-
and office technology, and health
carewere chosen because they are
performance, demonstrating that the
ship system from the "top down."
program is appropriate for most
Because we did not know when we
all projected to grow substantially,
students. Half of the first-year
began just how any of our apprentice-
both in the country as a whole and in
apprentices reported that the highest
the region. All three include a range of
ships would work out over a four-year
level of education achieved by either
period, seeking registration seemed
occupational titles associated with
parent was high school graduation.
premature. Our use of the term
post-high school education and
Only four had a parent with four or
"apprenticeship" indicates our firm
training but not requiring a baccalau-
intention to meet the definition
reate degree. They span predomi-
more years of college. Racially,
apprentices reflect the county's
propounded by the Federal Commit-
nantly male, predominantly female,
population, which is 4.4 percent
and mixed-gender occupations,
tee on Apprenticeship.'
nonwhite.
attracting conventionally oriented
During the developmental phase,
youth and allowing others to learn
Cornell staff retain primary responsi-
occupations associated with the other
Participants and Their
bility for designing and implementing
gender.
Motives
the project. The structure and
practices of the program described in
The program design was inspired by
Employers
this report resulted from their efforts.
youth apprenticeship in Germany and
Employers participating in the project
other European countries. It enables
Benjamin Wood, who is located in
have described their motives as a
Broome County's Cooperative Exten-
young people to combine school with
combination of self-interest, concern
sion office (one hour's drive from
carefully planned and supervised
about the quality of the work force in
Cornell), coordinates the project
work experience over a four-year
the region, and civic responsibility
locally; he convenes the steering
period, including two years of commu-
They hope apprentices will eventually
committee, works with the schools on
nity college. At completion, they will
become their own skilled workers,
recruiting and scheduling, and helps
have acquired a high school diploma,
meeting a need they anticipate. The
an associate's degree, and expert job connect employers with school staff to
depth of their commitment is indi-
solve problems,'
skills derived from extensive work
cated by their willingness to assume
experience. We hope the program will
the costs of paying apprentices and of
The aim is to recruit middle students,
ultimately qualify for registration with
training and supervising them. They
young people who probably would not
the New York State Department of
are also realistic enough to know that
enroll in college without an extra
Labor, then it will also provide
young people may not complete a
boost but who do not have severe
nationally recognized skill certificates.
four-year program and that, if they do,
academic or behavioral problems. We
they might choose to work for another
Both the four-year duration of the
expect that as it matures the program
employer. They believe, however, that
program and formal registration are
will become better able to accommo-
the training they provide will benefit
goals that have not yet been achieved.
date young people who face greater
other employers and the apprentices,
risks. First-year apprentices' grade
Our program development strategy
and they are willing to expend
has been to engage young people,
point averages (GPA) indicate that
resources without the guarantee of a
middle students were successfully
schools, and employers as quickly as
direct return.
possinle and then to try to formalize
recruited. The modal GPA was C. The
2. The Federal Committee on Apprenticeship, which advises the U.S. Department of Labor, is one of several groups in which some represen-
tatives of organized labor have expressed opposition to the use of the term "apprenticeship" outside of the registered craft apprenticeships
that now exist in the United States. This opposition stems from justifiable pride in an effective system and from fear that any broadened
are
usage will erode that system and organized labor's key role in it. But it also reflects a common belief in the United States that teenagers
incapable of learning advanced skills and performing as joumeyworkers. European experience decisively refutes this belief. Our vision of
youth apprenticeship is wholly consistent with the Federal Committee on Apprenticeship's definition, but it applies to occupations that are
not now apprenticeable and incorporates groups that are underrepresented in traditional programs. It also makes stronger connections
between school and work than does traditional U.S. apprenticeship. Completion of most traditional apprenticeships is based largely on hours
served, whereas youth apprentices earn their credentials by demonstrating the compete.,,: es they have acquired.
3. Creating Apprenticeship Opportunities for Youth, the 1991 progress report, contains more information about the structure, roles, and
responsibilities within the project.
participation and affirm their under-
Securing employers' participation is
some uniform standards for what
the most challenging aspect of our apprentices will do and the competen-
standing of the program, including the
project and of youth apprenticeship
research component. Interviews with
cies they must acquire.
parents revealed that they support it
generally. Unlike school-based
Schools
strongly. Their only recommendation
approaches to learning, youth appren-
Schools participate because they
ticeship absolutely requires the
is that it should serve more young
believe apprenticeship will benefit
people.
participation of employers. Without
their students. They gain educational
large numbers of committed employ-
The concern most frequently ex-
resources that employers provide.
ers, youth apprenticeship will remain
pressed by parents is that participa-
Costs for program development, staff
a small program at best. Altruism,
tion might jeopardize their child's
training, and coordination are as-
though a component of that commit-
chances of going to college. It is the
sumed by the Cornell Youth and Work
ment, will never be sufficient to
rare parent of a high school sopho-
Program, which also conducts
motivate widespread participation.
more who does not believe his or her
research and development. But each
Germany and other European nations
child can and should go to college.
school must assign staff to work on
can maintain large youth apprentice-
The project incorporates two years of
the project and pay for special
ship systems because they are
community college, which allays this
arrangements from its regular budget.
motivated by conditions, institutions,
concern for most parents.
The level of commitment by schools is
and structures that do not yet exist in
remarkable in view of the straitened
It is important to keep parents
the United States. For example,
circumstances they face.
informed about what apprentices are
German labor unions and youth are
doing at work. The training director of
Because the purposes of the project
willing to accept low apprenticeship
a Swiss manufacturing firm described
align with their own, schools have
wages, limiting employers' costs.
apprenticeship as relying equally on
been much easier to recruit than
German employers produce and sell
workplace, school, and family. He
employers. Nearly every school
high-quality goods and services that
required applicants to bring their
system in the region has expressed
require a highly skilled work force and
parents for interviews and parents of
willingness to participate. If youth
command premium prices, a product-
apprentices to visit the plant before
apprenticeship grows, however, so will
market strategy that enables them to
the end of the three-month trial
the demands on schools.
pay high wages and training costs.
period. This level of parent involve-
German labor markets are predomi-
The most onerous demand on school
ment makes sense in view of appren-
nantly internal in the sense that
staff is for flexibility in scheduling
tices' youthfulness, but it is not a
workers tend to stay with one em-
students. Providing sufficient time for
familiar practice for American
ployer and move up rather than
a significant work experience while
employers. Most of the employers in
switching employers (entering the
assuring that all students take the
our project hire workers who are
external labor market), enabling firms
courses they need is a great challenge,
independent adults. Therefore, we
to recoup their investment in training
especially in smaller schools that do
have had to set up communication
apprentices. The German government
not have multiple offerings of the
lines between employers and parents
pays many of the costs of developing
same classes. Because employers are
as well as between employers and
and maintaining the system, such as
usually unable to plan apprenticeships
schools. The local project coordinator,
those for creating curriculum and
far in advance, scheduling has
Ben Wood, has been essential to
setting standards. Chambers
typically created problems. A second
facilitating such communication.
associations that all employers are
consideration, beyond making time for
required to joinspread the other
Some firms have invited parents to
work experience in apprentices'
costs equally. Because apprenticeship
participate in their orientations for
schedules, is strengthening their
is so widespread, training firms need
new apprentices. Parents also serve
academic connections to the occupa-
not fear losing all their apprentices to
on the committees that guide the
tions, for example, by registering
other firms; they can easily replace
project in each school. Additional
them in advanced courses in science,
those that are lost with workers
communication is maintained through
math, electronics, and accounting.
trained elsewhere.
a newsletter, the Apprentice's
Parents
Almanac, social gatherings such as a
In a small demonstration project like
Parents are informed about the
supper or a picnic, and telephone
ours, employers are recruited indi-
project as part of the student recruit-
interviews.
vidually. But for youth apprenticeship
ment process. Ordinarily they are
to grow, employers must act collec-
invited to an informational meeting
tively, agreeing tc provide a given
before students fill out applications.
number of training slots and setting
They must agree to their children's
Research Overview
Interviews and ethnographic observa-
tions of apprentices at work are key
research methods. In addition to
yielding field notes that are later
coded and analyzed for use in re-
search reports, observations and
interviews give project staff access to
information that is critical to the
program's operations and enable them
to work as consultants with appren-
111
tices and their adult instructors. Being
simultaneously participant and
Research Data
observer carries some risks, but that
School Performance Records
dual role has proved exceptionally
valuable in strengthening the pro-
Course selection, grades, attendance, national test scores,
gram.
extracurricular activities, discipline
Monitoring the impact of the program
Surveys
is central to the project's research and
Time use, educational expectations, self-perception
development purposes. As the
[regarding scholastic competence, job competence, global
program develops and the research
self-worth, social acceptance, close friendships, and adult
becomes more narrowly focused, we
relationships]
will attempt to assess the impact of
apprenticeship on young peoples
Work values, learning from work, usefulness of work experience, job
development, broadly defined. Much
stress
of our work at this stage involves the
Family background
identification of key variables to guide
development of instruments for
Apprentice Progress Reports
continued data collection and to
Coaches' ratings of apprentices on nine competencies
generate and refine hypotheses for
Interviews of Apprentices
testing by further research and
program development.
Perceptions of work, apprenticeship, school, self, and their future
Interviews of Parents
The key question guiding our research
is not whether youth apprenticeship
Perceptions of the program and their child's progress
works, but how it works. We want to
Interviews of Coaches, Mentors, and Managers
learn under what conditions and for
Perceptions of their role in the program, program development, and
which youth apprenticeship works
their future
best. That is, we want to examine the
conditions that contribute to good
Observations
apprenticeships generally, but we also
Key incidents that illustrate how teaching and learning occur in the
expect that characteristics of indi-
workplace
vidual apprentices will interact with
Portfolios
environmental conditions to make
some contexts better for some
Collections of progress reports, journals, projects, work schedules, and
work products
individuals. The major goal of our
research is to explore how teaching
and learning occur informally in
workplaces.
The multiple data sources listed in the
box to the left serve primarily to
monitor and document the way the
project functions. Measuring its
outcomes will be more useful after the
project is better established and
apprentices have spent more time in
it. Preliminary analyses of data
collected to date suggest that partici-
pation has a positive effect on their
selection of career pathways, develop-
ment of social and technical compe-
tencies related to the workplace, and
acquisition of self-confidence.
The apprenticeship experience also
expands the number of adults young
people feel close to. At the end of
their first year in the project, ten of
Competencies Learning Objectives for Youth Apprenticeship
the twenty apprentices reported that
Technical Competencies: Perform Work Tasks
adults in their workplaces were
among the five most important adults
1. Procedures: Follow steps to accomplish a task.
in their lives. It is important to note,
2. Computer use: Use computer technology efficiently and effectively.
however, that these adults did not
replace apprentices' parents.
3. Principles: Understand reasons for procedures.
4. Excellence: Commit to high standards of practice and to continuous
Creating the Infrastructure for
improvement.
Youth Apprenticeship
Social Competencies: Participate in an Organization
5. Systems: Understand the organizational context.
Learning Objectives:
Competencies
6. Rules: Adhere to professional norms.
7. Teamwork: Cooperate with others in a variety of roles.
Following the lead of British sociolo-
gists who describe workplaces as
8. Communication: Use written and spoken language to give and receive
sociotechnical systems, we have
clear messages.
identified social as well as technical
competencies that apprentices should
9. Responsibility: Act independently when appropriate; take initiative for
work and learning.
learn. This combination also reflects
background research revealing that
how well neophyte workers under-
fourthcommitment to excellence
stood and operated within the social
of laboratories or departments. We are
system of their workplace was at least
also beginning to sort learning
is generic.
as important to their success as how
objectives according to which are
To make apprenticeship viable for
better accomplished through firsthand
well they could perform technical
large numbers of young people and in
tasks. It is also consistent with the experience in the workplace, through
many firms, we are working to enlarge
message of the Secretary's Commis- related learning in a classroom, or
the domain of generic competencies.
through ad hoc group instruction.
sion on Achieving Necessary Skills
If each firm and occupation requires a
(SCANS) and other recent reports
separate apprenticeship, curriculum
detailing the demands of high-
Work-Based Curricula
development and certification will be
performance workplaces.
prohibitively expensive. Furthermore,
A curriculum identifies and justifies a
Social competencies (see the box to apprentices will be constrained in
set of learning objectives and the
the right, above) are generic; they
their career choices because training
instructional activities designed to
apply equally in all the workplaces in one firm or occupation will not
achieve them. It also indicates how
transfer to another.
where apprentices are located. Most
the achievement of those objectives
technical competencies are specific to
will be assessed. Curricular issues
Participating firms are beginning to
a particular occupation, even a
arise both at school and in the
identify a common core of learning,
particular firm. The first three
workplace. Our project has empha-
which we hope eventually to group as
categories of technical competen-
sized learning at work because less is
modules incorporating similar proce-
ciesprocedures, computer use, and
known about that topic than about
dures such as those used in a variety
principlesare the most specific. The
learning at school. This emphasis also
9
place apprentices wherever they can
In the meantime, we are continuing to
matches the design of the project
acquire specified competencies.
because apprentices are in too many
refine competencies to develop
apprenticeship programs that are
different schools and occupations to
Apprentice Progress Report
justify a specialized school-based
comparable even when they are
The most useful work-based curricu-
curriculum'
sponsored by different employers. We
lum tool we have devised thus far is
start with the needs and learning
Sweden, borrowing from Danish adult
the Apprentice Progress Report.
opportunities provided by willing
education, has organized secondary
Originally this report was intended as
employers. Department managers first
vocational education into modules for
a tool to document what apprentices
describe tasks that an apprentice will
each occupational area. A module
had learned and to communicate that
perform and then list competencies
incorporates the knowledge and skills
learning to the apprentices and
related to those tasks. Because
associated with one aspect of an
managers in other departments. Now
managers naturally begin with
occupation (e.g., building trusses for
it also serves to identify in advance
technical procedures, computer use,
construction). Unlike the German
what an apprentice will learn in a
and principles, and because the other
system, in which apprentices receive
given department. It also enables
competencies are generic, we now
blanket certification for all the
employers and researchers to assess
invite managers to concentrate on
competencies specified for an occupa-
the learning plan within each depart-
identifying tasks related to the first
tion, Swedish vocational students
ment as well as across an apprentice-
three competencies and we now
indicate their competencies to a
ship program within and among firms.
supply them with the list of generic
prospective employer by showing
This document enhances discussions
competencies. lbgether, these form
precisely which modules they have
about employers' vision of the future
the core of a learning plan within a
completed. Modules are more flexible
and their needs for future workers.
departmeiz. This initial core is
than blanket certification. They can be
This year, employers agreed to share
tendered as a draft; the learning plan
selected and combined to meet any
the progress reports with schools to
is modified as managers gain experi-
number of specialized needs. They
substantiate the award of academic
ence with apprentices, and it is
can be earned at any time and
credit to apprentices.
adapted to individual apprentices'
location. An employer might hire a
speed of learning and the length of
vocational graduate and then require
time they spend in the apprenticeship.
the person to complete additional
(In their first placements, apprentices
modules as an apprentice to become
learn not only new technical proce-
fully qualified. Slow learners might
dures but also many social competen-
leave high school after completing
cies such as the rules of the workplace
only a few modules but still have
and ways to communicate. As they
occupational credentials. Faster
acquire generic competencies, they
learners graduate with a more
learn specific competencies more
impressive collection of modules.
quickly.)
We hope eventually to develop equally
A set of departmental plans states
systematic curricula. Doing so will
what an apprentice will learn. Ulti-
require substantial human resources
mately, like the competencies,
and extensive participation from
learning plans must be established
employers, educators, and worker
from the top down. Currently, appren-
representatives. Universally accepted
tices are placed in departments whose
work-based curricula will require
managers choose to accept them. This
commitment to youth apprenticeship
is a sensible start-up strategy but
by a substantial segment of employers
cannot be sustained on a large scale.
in a given field on a statewide basis, if
Employers must decide what they
not nationwide.
want apprentices to learn and then
4. Fortunately, European approaches provide useful models for organizing learning in the workplace. For example, the Swiss
Modellehrgang (model apprenticeship or pattern of instruction) is organized by sections. Each section specifies work that must be
accomplished, sometimes defined by professional standards (e.g., machine within a tolerance of IT7 and surface finish of N?) and theory
(e.g., safety precautions, hardened metals, machine maintenance). Some sections (e.g., service shop) r un several pages and are subdivided
(lathe, drilling, machining, CNC, assembly), each subsection having all the elements of other whole sections. Some sections include more
than one occupation (e.g., machinist and machine repairer). The model or pattern establishes national standards for what apprentices will
do and learn. Each firm then adds to the pattern its own needs and opportunities to create a customized plan for its apprentices.
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