State policymakers recognize the economic imperative to ensure that education and training are connected to good jobs. Employers are seeking -- and are often struggling -- to hire appropriately skilled workers. For job seekers, the path to a good job with education beyond a high school diploma is certainly clearer than one without postsecondary…

The purpose of this research brief is to summarize the literature on the career development needs of college students with disabilities, highlight exemplary models of support, and provide recommendations on best practice and future efforts to support positive employment outcomes for persons with disabilities. Four key career development areas are…

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…

This report describes a study conducted by the Community College Research Center (CCRC) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Task Force on the Work of the Future to understand how community colleges are adapting their workforce programs to changing skill demands, diversifying pathways to certificates and degrees, and grappling with…

This report focuses on one of the State University of New York's (SUNY's) applied learning initiatives that includes work-based activities, e.g., co-ops, internships, work study, and clinical placement (SUNY Works). With funds from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, SUNY asked the Rockefeller Institute of Government to examine applied…

THE NUMBER AND TYPES OF ENTRY JOBS AVAILABLE TO HIGH SCHOOL LEAVERS AND THE SKILLS DEMANDED BY THE EMPLOYER AS A PREREQUISITE FOR HIRING WERE STUDIED. DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM EMPLOYERS AND SCHOOL LEAVERS. ALL DATA WERE COLLECTED THROUGH THE USE OF PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEWERS. THESE DATA WILL PROVIDE SCHOOL PERSONNEL WITH THE BASIS FOR MAKING…

Describes a cooperative education program in the Midland Public Schools (Michigan) which permits the student to receive on-the-job experience along with in-school education at the same time. The authors note that many of the same techniques described could be used effectively in a public relations program for any school in any community to enhance…

The project, a voluntary program, funded under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, was designed to aid in the educational and occupational adjustment of young people, 16 through 20 years of age, who have left school, or who are potential dropouts. The rationale of the program requires that the trainee's goals come first, not…

The Job Upgrading Program helps school dropouts and potential dropouts either return to or adjust to the regular school program or become prepared for the world of work. Trainees are given the opportunity to take an abbreviated school program, receive highly individualized personal counseling, learn about the factors for achieving success in a…

Project PIT (Program of Industrial Training) was a pilot and demonstration program of industrial training for Detroit's innercity youth. Its major aims were to provide youth with occupational information and guidance, to help youth see the need for a good education, to provide these youth with financial means to return to school, and to make…

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…

Funded under ESEA Title I, this program was designed to provide income and work experience for disadvantaged junior high school youths age fourteen and above; and, to provide incentives which would motivate youths to continue their education through high school. The wages earned were intended to enable the student to provide for some of his…

Focus group interviews were held with approximately 60 of the several hundred high school students who are participating in school-to-work transition programs offered through the Kalamazoo County (Michigan) Education for Employment (EFE) consortium, The 10 focus groups held involved 5-8 students each and were distributed across program types as…

A descriptive review of three job preparation programs for out-of-work youth and guidelines for organizing similar programs in local communities are presented. The programs ranged from a large operation in Detroit to smaller individualized programs initiated by Kalamazoo, Michigan, and North Richmond, California. They were designed primarily to…

This report of a survey of eight states which implemented the School to Work Opportunities Act (STWOA) provides information on provisions in the state plans, the extent to which special educators participate in planning and implementation efforts, and how the needs of students with disabilities have been addressed. An overview is provided of the…