The focus of this paper is "dual" apprenticeship training, which involves both on-the-job and institutional training. Apprentices receive training both within the companies to which they are apprenticed and within state-run, vocational institutes. The cost of training under this system is mainly borne by the employer, which has given…

Criticisms commonly lodged against apprenticeships and vocational education are examined. Vocational education professionals and apprenticeship officials should cooperate in operating training programs. (CJ)

The increase in apprenticeships and on-the-job experiences at schools and vocational institutions has increased school administrators' and employers' legal responsibilities. One major legal concern is responsibility for student injury at the training site. While all states have workers' compensation laws, states have varying laws concerning…

Over the past 5 years, 6 states and an estimated 100 local communities have established youth apprenticeship systems; 8 other states have passed legislation that could include apprenticeship programs; proposed federal legislation would fund state and local programs. Critics cite costs, the fear of diverting resources from existing school programs,…

A core component of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, work-based learning refers to programs that provide students with exposure to or actual experiences in workplaces. Typical work-based learning programs include youth apprenticeship, internship, job shadowing, cooperative education, and mentoring. This document contains reprints of seven…

Real, quantifiable evidence shows that school-to-work (STW) programs yield two important benefits: positive academic results for students and positive business results for employers. Preliminary research indicates that workplace learning leads to higher academic achievement; reduced dropout rates; better attendance; better college preparation; and…

Britain has attempted over the past decade to develop German-style youth apprenticeships through its Youth Training Scheme (YTS). YTS has the basic attributes considered essential to bridging school and work. The greatest achievement of YTS is that large numbers of employers were persuaded to provide work experience positions on short notice, and…

Challenges identified by T. Bailey (1993) as obstacles to youth apprenticeship programs are accurate but do not justify the turn to alternative approaches he recommends. U.S.-style program can be built to overcome these difficulties if employer-worker collaboration can be fostered and institutional bases can be constructed. (SLD)

S. F. Hamilton and the author agree on the potential of youth apprenticeship programs for education but disagree on the strength of the problems facing implementation of apprenticeship models. A two-level reform strategy is recommended to develop an institutional and legal structure and to encourage employer participation. (SLD)

Two studies tested the feasibility of a national school-to-work transition venture. One study involved focus groups of employers in eight cities to identify incentives encouraging employers to take part in youth work-based learning programs. The second involved a telephone survey of employers in seven cities who had participated in local…

Schools do a very poor job of preparing noncollege-bound youth to make the transition from high school to employment and adult life. A lack of formalized transition systems compounds the problems that many noncollege-bound youth encounter as they try to obtain meaningful, career-sustaining employment in primary labor markets. Various instructional…

Apprenticeship is primarily a training activity, is administered by the United States Department of Labor, and is probably the oldest systematic form of employment preparation for youth in this country. Cooperative education (CWE), on the other hand, has as its focus an education (versus "training") philosophy, is administered by the…

Summarizes remarks made by the Governor of Wisconsin about welfare reform, supporting more flexibility at the state level to enable states to try new approaches that will help people get off welfare. Initiatives undertaken in Wisconsin are reviewed, with emphasis on work programs and apprenticeships for high school students. (SLD)

The importance of a skilled and highly educated workforce to economic well-being is widely recognized, and the relationship between skills and income is becoming stronger over time. Largely as a result of growing demand for skilled workers, state-level training programs are becoming increasingly important as complements to federal programs.…

This literature review focuses on the school-to-work transition, especially as it relates to school reform. The dual focus of the review highlights issues surfacing from research and evaluation of theory and practice in the field, as well as review and evaluation of programs that fall under three types of school-to-work transition reform…