This digest examines community college welfare-to-work programs and the strategies employed to enhance program completion, job retention, and educational advancement. It begins with a discussion of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, and the implications of this "work-first" oriented legislation…

With special attention to meeting the needs of migrant students who are characterized by high mobility and a high dropout rate, this digest presents an overview of career education counseling and provides guidance to assist teachers, counselors, and administrators in incorporating such counseling into their curricula. The three major career…

One promising practice for improving workplace preparation, apprenticeship, has been effective in preparing skilled workers for the changing needs of the workplace. Apprenticeship is a training strategy with eight components: it combines hands-on training on the job with related instruction; employer needs dictate programs; it is regulated by law;…

This digest explores various ways in which businesses have partnered with educational institutions to improve vocational education efforts. It begins the article with an acknowledgment that vocational education has undergone consistent reform in the last decade to satisfy the demands of public, corporate, and government sectors that hold community…

Work-based learning (WBL) includes a range of activities that extend beyond traditional cooperative education, such as job shadowing, service learning, internships, and apprenticeships--all of which provide career and technical education (CTE) students with valuable experience in the world of work. Several issues are involved in developing…

The challenge of preparing young people for employment and facilitating the smooth transition from school to work has spurred the enactment of the federal School-to-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA), in May 1994. The intent of STWOA is to establish a national framework in which states can create work- and school-based learning systems that include…

Cooperative education can enhance classroom instruction by providing practical work experience that is relevant to students' career goals. Among co-op's benefits to students are increased relevance of learning and motivation for study; improved self-reliance, self-confidence, and responsibility; contacts with potential employers; and higher…

Work-based learning may occur in the following forms: contracted instruction; cooperative education; school-to-apprenticeship; registered apprenticeship; career exploration; service learning; career internships; career academies; school-based enterprises; and clinical experience programs. The following are key components of work-based learning…

Recent educational approaches that have career and technical education (CTE) components have integrated work-based learning (WBL) with traditional academics. Among positive effects of the association between WBL and secondary students' educational outcomes are: (1) increased attendance, (2) decreased dropout rates, (3) increased number of academic…