Northwest Outreach Center

Glenn B. Anderson, Ph.D. Susan McGee, M.S.

Abstract

Jobs in several regions of the U.S. are expanding faster than the number of available and qualified workers. However, traditional education in many secondary schools is not adequately preparing youth to take advantage of these opportunities. The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 was enacted by Congress to encourage schools to design new initiatives to better prepare students to enter and compete in the workplace. The three core components of the Act are defined. Keys to successful partnerships are discussed and examples provided. The authors' own search for model programs serving students who are deaf or hard of hearing is described.
 

The Skills Gap

The January 20, 1997 issue of Time magazine included an article titled, "Where the Jobs Are." Of interest was how the article opened, "Want a Job? Tool and die companies in Toledo, Ohio are so strapped for skilled help that they're recruiting in Russia where good workers are shivering and unemployed--Or think about Silicon Valley, where two jobs await every qualified applicant and an astonishing 18,000 technical and managerial slots remain unfulfilled" (Greenwald, 1997, p. 55). The main message in the article was that jobs in several regions of the U.S. are expanding faster than the number of available and qualified workers. Also, while many of these jobs require training beyond high school, not all require a 4-year college degree. The article ended with predictions that the job growth will continue well into the next century as long as the economy remains strong.
 
With an expanding economy and employers facing difficulty filling many jobs, the 1990's seems to be an ideal time for students preparing to enter the job market. However, traditional education in many secondary schools is not adequately preparing youth to take advantage of the job opportunities in today's job market. In a national survey conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers, 87% of the responding employers indicated difficulties finding qualified candidates for jobs at all levels ranging from unskilled to highly technical positions (The Center for Workforce Success, 1998). In addition, the responding employers also reported that approximately two-thirds of their incumbent employees possess deficiencies in basic job skills such as timeliness, math, writing, and oral communication. One avenue for decreasing the skills gap is increased collaboration between schools and employers. A strategy for promoting this collaboration is the emergence of school to work initiatives.

 
The Emergence of School to Work Initiatives

Along with legislation passed in more than a dozen states, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 was enacted by Congress to encourage schools to design new initiatives to better prepare students to enter and compete in the workplace. The strategies developed under this legislation are known as "school-to-work" or "school-to-careers" initiatives. They are based on incorporating learning in the classroom with learning in the workplace or exposing students to "real work in real workplaces" (Bailey, 1995, p.1).
 
The goals of these initiatives apply to all youth, deaf or hearing, college bound or non-college bound. However, since change in the workplace is occurring at such a breathtaking pace, schools alone cannot do the job of preparing students for the workplace of today and tomorrow. Many other stakeholders must participate as collaborators to help create new visions and strategies.
 
The key to linking effective classroom and workplace learning is the establishment of productive partnerships among schools, employers, postsecondary institutions, and community-based programs such as vocational rehabilitation. These partnerships offer considerable potential for developing programs and infrastructures to link school and work opportunities for all youth, including those who are deaf. In the sections that follow, the philosophy and core components of the school-to-work initiatives are summarized and key elements of successful school-to-work partnerships are discussed.
 

Philosophy and Core Components
of the School to Work Initiatives

A basic premise underlying school-to-work initiatives is that every student--both college-bound and non-college bound--can benefit from being exposed to career options through learning by doing and applying abstract concepts to real-life situations (National School-to-Work Opportunities 1997 Report to Congress). Through this approach to learning, students are provided with opportunities to learn academic subjects by seeing knowledge learned in the classroom applied in the real world. They are also provided with opportunities to learn job-specific information and skills and relate them to their classroom learning through direct experiences in actual workplace settings. Such experiences are intended to help students discover what career options fit their interests and abilities. School-to-work initiatives are guided by the philosophy that it is of little use for students to be shown a "menu" of career opportunities without being allowed to "taste the entrees" since for many young people, the transition from formal schooling to careers is unstructured, haphazard, and often frustrating (National School-to-Work Opportunities 1996 Report to Congress). Many school leavers tend to "flounder" for many years before they settle on a stable job or career. Thus, school-to-work initiatives aim to help young people define career goals and determine which postsecondary education or training options are a best fit in order to pursue their career interests (National School-to-Work Opportunities 1996 Report to Congress; Chew, 1995).

Perhaps the most significant philosophical premise of the school-to-work initiatives is the emphasis on integrating school-based and work-based learning. This means the focus is on "preparation through work" as opposed to "preparation for work (Chew, 1995). By integrating school-based and work-based learning, pathways can be created for students to follow as they move from school to further education or their first jobs. The three core components contained in the School-to-Work Act of 1994 that emphasize the philosophy of preparation through work are school-based learning, work-based learning, and connecting activities. Each component, briefly summarized from the National School-to-Work Opportunities 1997 Report to Congress ( p.13) is presented below:

• School-based learning includes instruction and curricula that integrate academic and technical/vocational learning to enable students to meet high academic standards linked to related postsecondary and/or career pathways. Examples of school-based learning include activities such as instruction and classroom learning that coordinate with training and work experiences, career awareness, career exploration, career counseling, and regularly scheduled student evaluations.

• Work-based learning incorporates workplaces as actual learning environments for students. Examples of work-based learning include activities such as job training and work experiences that coordinate with classroom learning, workplace mentoring, and instruction in general workplace competencies. These cover--to the extent that is possible--all aspects of an industry. Work-based learning tends to be designed around career majors that students choose and can ultimately lead to the award of a skill certificate.

• Connecting activities are the "glue" that generally link school-to-work efforts together. Generally a range of activities and considerable effort are necessary to integrate productive school-based and work-based learning experiences. Examples of connecting activities include those that match students with employers, secure school-site mentors as liaisons with employers, provide technical assistance to employers, provide services and outreach to parents and other stakeholders, and conduct ongoing evaluations of program outcomes.

Key Elements of Successful
School-to-Work Partnerships

Because many of the school-to-work initiatives are new and evolving, most programs are still in their formative stages of development and implementation. The experiences and success of a number of programs, however, has made it possible to identify several core elements that are critical to effective school-to-work initiatives (Olson, 1997; National School-to-Work Opportunities 1996 Report to Congress; Charner, Fraser, Hubbard, Rogers, & Horne, 1995). Some of these key elements are described and brief case examples are provided to illustrate their applications in "real life settings."

• Successful partnerships are guided by supportive and committed leadership among schools, businesses, postsecondary programs, and community-based programs. Successful programs were most often guided by a group of individuals who took the initiative and responsibility to call key players to the table and "make things happen." Underlying their success in fostering closer collaboration between schools and businesses were strong local-based relationships and trust. In Alabama, for example, a State Partnership group was appointed by the Governor to guide the state's school-to-work initiatives. The Partnership consists of nine state agency heads and leaders of various businesses and industries. Each state agency head designated a knowledgeable and experienced member of his/her staff as their representative to plan and guide school-to-work activities at the state and local levels. Other key representatives in the Partnership include those from K-12 programs, special education, rehabilitation services, and two and four-year colleges/universities (National School-to-Work Opportunities 1998 State Profiles Report).

• Successful partnerships are guided by committed program staff. The leadership of program staff--teachers, counselors, worksite mentors, and other support staff-- is essential to successful partnerships. Because school-to-work programs are new and evolving, these individuals must be innovative, adaptable, and willing to take risks in working with schools and worksites. These individuals must often be prepared to assume diverse roles such as providing placement assistance, professional development training, outreach and technical assistance, tutoring, job coaching, interpreting, and a host of other functions as needed. Most importantly, they must have the support of their administrators and supervisors (Charner, et al, 1995).

An example of a school-to-work initiative guided by committed staff is the Transition Partnership Program (TPP) at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont (CSDF). TPP is a joint project of the California Departments of Education and Rehabilitation. The TPP staff serve junior and senior students providing career guidance services, career exploration classes, and job placement assistance on and off-campus. When students are ready for off-campus placements, the TPP staff facilitate interpreting during student interviews with employers, provide education and technical assistance to employers to assist them in working with deaf students, and monitor students' progress through follow-up contacts. They also conduct Job Club meetings one evening per week to provide students who are on job sites with opportunities to discuss job related experiences and learn problem solving techniques. To facilitate student post-graduation plans, which may include further education or employment, the Rehabilitation Counselor transfers students' cases to the to their hometown Rehabilitation Counselors located in one of the rehabilitation service districts in Northern California (Career Center Handbook, California School for the Deaf at Fremont, undated).

• Successful partnerships are guided by support from local and state government. Successful partnerships are most likely to evolve and succeed in local communities and states that have a comprehensive vision for linking school-to-work with their broader education reform and workforce development initiatives. For example, in Massachusetts, school-to-work initiatives are being developed in industries that the state has identified as critical growth areas such as financial services, biotechnology, and marine services. In Maryland, nine career clusters have been identified to facilitate school-to-work initiatives in schools and local communities throughout the state. These career clusters are aligned with the state of Maryland's economic development priorities. The nine career clusters include: Hospitality and Tourism; Business Management and Finance; Manufacturing; Engineering Technology; Environmental, Agricultural, and Natural Resources; Health and Biosciences; Arts, Media, and Communication; Transportation Technologies; and Construction and Development (National School-to-Work Opportunities 1998 State Profiles Report).

• Intermediary entities are key players in forming and sustaining successful partnerships. Many successful partnerships have intermediary entities or organizations such as a local chamber of commerce, a private industry council, or community-based organization that provide the "glue" to hold the partnerships together. These organizations act as "facilitators" or "liaisons" among the key partners. Often they are established as a third-party entity to provide the infrastructure needed to form and sustain collaboration among key players who may not have a strong history of cooperation. Having an infrastructure in place can help facilitate activities such as fundraising, capacity building, and the implementation of school-to-work initiatives. An example of an intermediary entity is Career Partners, Inc. established by the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce. The board of Career Partners, Inc. includes a representative from each educational institution and a business representative from each of the industry clusters. The board sets policy, raises funds, promotes school-to-work, and serves as the employer of record for the students. The goal of Career Partners, Inc. is to make school-based and work-based learning opportunities available to all 6,000 Tulsa high school seniors by the year 2000 (Olson, 1997). Another example of an intermediary entity is the Career Center at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont. The Career Center is the "glue" that coordinates the following components of CSDF's school-to-work initiatives: career exploration classes; on-campus work experience programs; off-campus work experience placements and internships; meetings of the vocational advisory committees for the school's vocational programs; and annual employer recognition programs. The Career Center staff also serve as liaisons with the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Regional Occupational Programs, employers, community agencies, and various postsecondary programs (Career Center Handbook, California School for the Deaf, Fremont, undated).

• Creative financing strategies are used to support successful partnerships. Implementing successful partnerships requires considerable financial support from diverse sources. Most programs were begun with initial start-up funds from federal grants through the School to Work Opportunities Act, local and state funding initiatives, or support from private foundations. The challenge facing most partnerships, however, is developing resources and funding strategies to sustain school-to-work programs on a long-term basis. An example of an initial start-up is Austin, Texas: In 1993 the city government and chamber of commerce established the Capital Area Training Foundation, a non-profit entity whose primary mission was to promote school-to-work initiatives in the Austin area. The mayor and the city council committed about $200,000 a year in seed money plus free office space. Staff were hired at the foundation and by 1994, they had secured over $1 million in federal grants to implement school-to-work programs (Olson, 1997).

 

To date, several nationally-funded projects have profiled programs that were nominated as model school-to-work initiatives. These projects, however, did not focus on identifying model school-to-work partnerships specifically designed to benefit deaf students. To address this need, the University of Arkansas's Research and Training Center is currently soliciting nominations for programs that are providing school-to-work experiences for deaf students. Nominations are invited from a broad range of programs serving deaf students - including programs in secondary, postsecondary, or community-based settings. Nominations can be sent to the authors via their website or mailing address listed below. The nominations should include program name, contact person's name, address, phone number, and a brief statement of why the program is being nominated.

The goal of this effort is to identify programs that are successfully implementing elements of the three core components of the school-to-work initiatives--school-based learning, work-based learning, and connecting activities. Descriptive profiles of the programs will be compiled into a resource document for dissemination to programs interested in establishing and/or improving their school-to-work programs for deaf students.
 

Concluding Remarks

This is both a challenging and exciting time in the education of deaf students. As educators, we can continue to let things remain as they are, or we can take up the challenge of the school-to-work initiatives to better prepare our students for the 21st century.
 
For more information about what is being done related to school-to-work, contact the following programs.

Glenn Anderson, Ph.D. GAnderso@comp.uark.edu
Susan McGee, M.S. SMcGee@comp.uark.edu
University of Arkansas Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
for Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
4601 W. Markham
Little Rock, AR 72205
(501) 686-9691 v/TTY
(501) 686-9698 (FAX)
http://www.uark.edu/depts/rehabres
 
The National School-to-Work Learning & Information Center
400 Virginia Avenue, Room 210
Washington, DC 20024
(800) 251-7236
(202) 401-6211 fax
http://www.stw.ed.gov

 
References

Bailey, T. (1995). (Ed.). Learning to work: Employer involvement in school-to-work transition programs. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution

California School for the Deaf (Undated). Career center handbook. Fremont, CA: California School for the Deaf.

Charner, I., Fraser-Shore, B., Hubbard, S., Rogers, A., & Home, R. (September, 1995).

Reforms of the school-to-work transition: Findings, implications, and challenges. Phi Delta Kappan, 57-59.

Chew, C. (1995). School to work transition: Resources for counseling. Madison, WI: Center on Education and Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Greenwald, J. (January 20, 1997). Where the jobs are. Time, 149, 3, 55-62.
 
Olson, L. (1997). The school-to-work revolution: How employers and educators are joining together to prepare tomorrows skilled workforce. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
 
Report to Congress (September, 1997). Implementation of the school-to-work opportunities Act of 1994. Washington, D.C.: National School-to-Work Opportunities Office.
 
Report to Congress (September, 1996). Implementation of the school to work opportunities act of 1994. Washington, D.C.: National School to Work Opportunities Office.
 
---------(1998). 1998 State profiles. Washington, D.C.: National School to Work Opportunities Office.
 
The Center for Workforce Success (1998). The skills gap: The shortage of qualified workers: A growing challenge to the American economy. National Association of Manufacturers: Center for Workforce Success, The Marketing Institute.
 

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Last modified 20AUG1999