Many youth in America are not on track for labor market success. One factor that increases the risk of poor labor market outcomes among these youth is dropping out of school (Rumberger 2020). Youth who drop out of school are at greater risk for job instability and for lower longterm earnings (Hair et al. 2009). They are also more likely to…

This paper tests whether school-to-work (STW) programs are particularly beneficial for those less likely to go to college in their absence--often termed the "forgotten half"' in the STW literature. The empirical analysis is based on the NLSY97, which allows us to study six types of STW programs, including job shadowing, mentoring,…

Intended as a supplement to the Competency-Based Vocational Education Administrator Module Series, this guide overviews the typical vocational programs available and the general kinds of requirements involved that would have implications for program planning and budgeting. Part 1 of three parts defines what is meant by vocational education. The…

This document highlights the school-to-careers (STC) partnerships connecting workplace experiences to classroom learning to prepare students for successful employment in the utilities industry. First, the current state of the utilities industry and careers in the utilities industry are reviewed. Next, the following organizations and employers are…

This document highlights the school-to-careers (STC) partnerships connecting workplace experiences to classroom learning to prepare students for successful employment in the automotive industry. First, the current state of the automotive industry is reviewed and the role of STC in addressing automotive service needs is explained. Next, the…

This document consists of descriptions of 43 effective youth employment initiatives that were identified by the Promising and Effective Practices Network (PEPNet), a project of the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC). The document begins with an explanation of the five broad categories of criteria used to select the programs (purpose and…

This booklet is intended to help Indiana 11th graders plan their futures by identifying their career and educational goals and available employment and educational opportunities. The following are among the topics discussed in sections 1-4: (1) identifying goals (planning ahead, using class schedules to chart one's course, developing career and…

A process study was conducted between 2000-2001 in order to gauge the progress of 98 Connecticut institutions that received state school-to-career (STC) grants. Progress was measured against national averages. The following were among the findings: (1) grantees made significant progress in implementing fundamental STC components, such as career…