High-quality career and technical education (CTE) and work-based learning opportunities can support students along a pathway to credential attainment, employment and upward economic mobility through intentional skill development and experiential learning. CTE concentration in high school can increase graduation rates while helping students build…

The notion that the U.S. has a growing skills gap -- the difference between what employers need to fill in-demand positions and the skill of the current workforce -- is a hot topic among policymakers. By 2020, 65 percent of jobs will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school, according to the Georgetown University Center on…

High-quality career and technical education (CTE) programs represent an effective way to provide young adults with an educational experience that prepares them for both college and career success. But not all CTE programs provide accessible pathways to a bounty of educational options without dead ends. To address the false dichotomy--college…

This Special Report outlines state-level policy components that help ensure work-based learning opportunities for high school students are well-coordinated, broadly accessible, aligned to state or regional workforce demands, and of high quality.

Work-based learning faces significant changes in delivery in the face of a global pandemic that has severely limited physical access to schools and businesses. These changes have forced school leaders and employers to acknowledge pre-existing inequities that perpetuate historical barriers and racial discrimination and keep marginalized learner…

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on many facets of students' successful transitions from secondary into postsecondary education, particularly for students who depend on in-person delivery of content and experience. For many young people, paid work-based learning has historically provided a needed source of income, and its…

States increasingly need a more highly skilled workforce to meet the requirements of businesses, keep up with a rapidly changing economy and accelerate growth that leads to economic opportunity for workers and families. As a result, governors recognize that their role is to bring together education, workforce and economic development as talent…

Big Bend Community College (Washington) plays an important role as part of a unique international 2-year work-study program. It provides English instruction, cultural activities, and facilities for Japanese farm trainees who have sought theoretical and practical agricultural training in the United States. (JO)

A description of the functioning, problems, and coordinator roles for Washington State's Community Involvement Program--a systematic effort to place students off-campus in practical learning situations that will augment their formal classroom training--now operating in Washington's 27 community colleges. (DC)

Created in 1961 by the Washington State Legislature, the Youth Development and Conservation Corps (YDCC) affords youth and young men aged 14-21 employment opportunities in conservation programs that entail developing, improving, and maintaining natural and artificial recreation areas for the general public. It is designed to help young…

An illustration of a community at work, this documentary shows how work experience can be made relevant to career and educational goals. Reflects the feelings of staff and program operators about how effective manpower and educational agency linkages have been in fostering coordination and collaboration between the two institutions. (CT)

A comprehensive study of the vocational education needs, services, and funding in the State of Washington is described and documented in this report. The total study report was issued in two parts. Part One of the study, available in this issue as VT 021 097, summarizes the major findings and presents recommendations for improvement of vocational…

A study examined six cases where job training and economic development had been successfully linked through an interorganizational arrangement. Cases were nominated by U.S. Employment and Training Administration officials, job training and economic development experts, and published reports. The six organizations of primary focus were Pima County…

Instructional strategies, methods, and techniques of the National Institute of Education's Experience-Based Career Education Program (EBCE) can be successfully integrated into the existing high school program, as demonstrated by a project in the Bellevue, Washington, public schools. The two-and-one-half year project incorporated a career cluster…

This publication is designed to provide information about Mid-Management education to administrators and instructors of Post-secondary institutions. It identifies the objectives and operational structure of Washington State Mid-Management programs, and, in an attempt to establish consistency among programs, provides a subject matter guideline for…