The rapidly changing economy is raising the stakes on states to address the skilled workforce needs of employers and to expand economic opportunity to more people and places. To guide the policy actions of states, Jobs for the Future (JFF) designed a comprehensive policy agenda for increasing attainment of postsecondary credentials valued in the…

The North Carolina 4-H CareerSmarts Program is designed to unite the public and private sectors to provide career education for young people. This packet contains three handbooks (for agents, proteges, and mentors) that explain the program and outline practical ways to conduct it. CareerSmarts consists of three phases. Phase one is conducted…

This report was designed to help State and local officials carry out their responsibilities under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), Title 1, Section 123 (a) (1), with respect to the eight percent of funds which are set aside to foster cooperation between the JTPA system and educational institutions. The report presents options for States…

This booklet provides an overview of the youth apprenticeship program in Florida. The 12 sections cover the following topics: (1) "why" youth apprenticeship; (2) goals and objectives of youth apprenticeship in Florida; (3) characteristics of youth apprenticeship; (4) how youth apprenticeship differs from other work-based learning…

Written for both educators and business people, this document provides guidelines for business-education collaboration. The guide defines the characteristics of business-education partnerships that effectively promote school improvement and describes the stages a partnership undergoes as it progresses to a fully developed collaborative effort. The…

This booklet outlines the process used by Elgin Community College to custom design training for business and industry. The implementation of the process, beginning with the initial request for training, is addressed rather than how the service is marketed. The booklet is divided into the following six sections: introduction, Illinois State Board…

This document presents a prototype Individual Transition Plan (ITP) process and format for students receiving special education services. Following an overview of the role of transition, a section on the ITP process discusses pre-meeting activities, conducting an ITP meeting, monitoring and evaluating the ITP meeting, and a rationale for the…

The guide, developed by the Secondary Transition and Employment Project (STEP) in Idaho, provides an overview of its sequential vocational curriculum intended to help students with mild, moderate, and severe handicaps to: (1) identify their vocational preferences and aptitudes; (2) use community resources to find out about jobs; (3) observe and…

A planning procedure was developed to increase opportunities for secondary special education students to be referred to and receive appropriate community services after graduation. The procedure requires interagency cooperation and focuses on vocational placement, postsecondary education, living arrangements, mobility, and financial planning.…

This handbook provides basic information about forming and operating an industry-education partnership council (IEPC). Purpose of the handbook is to enable interested communities to replicate the model IEPC and develop strong local industry-education alliances. Part I is an introduction to industry-education partnerships. Part II focuses on…

This guide, which is intended for teachers interested in starting a workplace mentoring program, presents information about mentors and mentoring that can be used to match students with the right mentors in the workplace and help prepare and support students and mentors in enhancing the student-mentor match. The guide begins with background…

This manual, produced and used in a project of the Central Oklahoma Area Vocational Technical School, provides direction for developing and implementing a school-to-work curriculum for secondary students. Based on the Central Oklahoma Vocational-Technical Model, the guide contains the following 11 sections: (1) blueprint for getting students ready…

This bulletin for businesses is a step-by-step guide to planning and implementing an effective job-related employee basic skills program. Part 1 provides general principles to guide the effort. It addresses literacy and basic skills, the importance of context, and changing requirements for literacy. A preview of key program principles concludes…

This annotated bibliography contains 55 citations of materials that contain information on transitional programs for the physically or mentally challenged or disadvantaged students. Citations include descriptive, evaluative, and research reports; guides; information analyses; opinion papers; and reference materials. Materials for inclusion in this…

This handbook describes a model for providing professional development time for teachers by matching them up with volunteers from local industries who regularly replace them in the classroom. This industry volunteer model offers a way for business and industry to support professional development for local classroom teachers by contributing a…