Summer youth employment programs (SYEPs) have the potential to serve as critical bridges to promising careers, especially for young people who hail from disadvantaged backgrounds or reside in underserved areas. Summer jobs can provide early exposure to professional environments, equipping participants with essential skills for the workplace,…

"Career Academies" is a dropout prevention strategy for youth considered most at risk of dropping out of high school. Students in the program take both career-related and academic courses and acquire work experience through partnerships with local employers. "Career Academies" integrate rigorous academic curricula with career…

This study assessed the effects of a Brevard County (Florida) high school-based vocational training and community-based on-the-job training program called Brevard's Exceptional Students in Transition (BEST). Results indicated positive improvements in vocational skills and behaviors of participants in the BEST program. (JDD)

Vocational cooperative education programs have a definite position in a comprehensive high school curriculum; however, concern has been expressed regarding whether students can fulfil academic requirements for graduation. The Raise Academics in Secondary Education bill in Florida requires more academic courses for graduation. In order for…

A study reviewed the efforts of six states (California, Florida, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, and Washington) to create new policies and strategies to support low-income individuals as they work. The study found the following: (1) working steadily initially after leaving welfare is linked to being employed in later years but is not linked to higher…

The Ventures in Community Improvement (VICI) demonstration, a national research and demonstration program, was designed to test the effectiveness of a youth employment program in various settings. Eight VICI programs, each of which enrolled up to 60 unemployed, out-of-school, economically disadvantaged youths between the ages of 16 and 19, were…