This research aims to create the 8+i link and match model as an embodiment of a healthy learning ecosystem between schools and the worlds of business and industry. The research technique is a mix of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The qualitative technique develops a basic list of success characteristics using…

Purpose: The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the extent to which differences existed in the attainment of Texas Education Agency approved industry-based certifications of Texas high school graduates by their ethnicity/race, gender, and economic status. In the first study, the degree to which the attainment of Texas…

This qualitative case study explored stakeholders' perceptions in Baxter County, Arkansas, regarding workforce development initiatives at Mountain Home High School Career Academies and Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. The purpose was to understand if these initiatives met local employers' needs and contributed to creating a skilled and…

More than half of the youth in upper-secondary education in Norway choose programmes in vocational education and training. There is a larger risk of marginalisation in VET than in other educational programmes. One challenge facing VET is the mismatch between students' vocational education and the companies` need for apprenticeships. It is found…

4-H academics responded to the COVID pandemic by rapidly adapting CDC and other resources for virtual delivery. A statewide epidemiology project was taught to 48 youth with the goal of minimizing fears and confusion, increasing prevention measures, leveraging current topics for education, and bolstering the social-emotional health of youth…

England's mainstream upper secondary curriculum is driven by academic, exam-based GCSEs and A levels, with applied learning qualifications an alternative for 'less-academic' 16-18-year-olds. This paper elides two studies of the impact of the BTEC National Diploma on employment and career trajectories, one from the perspective of 16-22-year-olds,…

Some students learn better if they can apply skills and knowledge to their lives. Youth apprenticeships are a way for students to work and gain skills in a chosen career field and earn money while still in high school. Youth apprenticeships are on a continuum of work-based learning that includes job shadowing and internships. Apprenticeships…

This essay analyses the implementation of a work-based learning policy in upper secondary schools in Italy. The policy aims to improve student orientation and enhance their soft skills. Based on two ethnographic research studies in Italy, this essay utilises Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical framework, particularly the 'field' concept, to examine how…

In response to the most recent adoption of both the Carl D. Perkins Act (Perkins) and the CAPE Act, Brevard Public Schools (BPS) was required to implement work-based learning in all secondary Career and Technology Education (CTE) programs to ensure they receive federal funding. This qualitative case study explored the experiences of eight BPS…

College costs and persistent workforce shortages have prompted educators, policymakers, and employers to shift the conversation on the transition from school from a narrow "college for all" emphasis to a broader "postsecondary education" and "career pathways" perspective. This paper describes an innovative effort to…

This article reports from a study of what messages concerning "industry--society--environment" are communicated to secondary students when they participate in webinars with representatives from the petrochemical industry. The webinars are conceptualised as part of an arena for governing science education and the messages as companion…

The purpose of this study was to gather the perspectives of community partners regarding the work experiences for youth with disabilities to provide an understanding of (a) the community's role and (b) how connections in rural communities were formed. This study provided a deeper understanding of the processes that influence the phenomenon of…

This study examines partnerships between schools and businesses that are intended to foster training and employment opportunities for secondary students with developmental and other disabilities in Saudi Arabia. A survey was developed to investigate employers' perspectives on students' skills, practical strategies for training, and their…

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) have both an educational and professional function. Although employer engagement is necessary to execute the latter function effectively, employer engagement remains a problem for most TVET institutions. This research investigates employer engagement in upper secondary TVET schools in Ghana.…

Purpose: While recognizing networking as a powerful means of school turnaround, most studies focus on governments' and schools' roles in promoting collaborative turnaround rather than the complexity of external providers and their behaviors. This study explores multiple external providers' complex roles in networked school turnaround.…