Explains a program which integrates into graduate technical writing courses a mini-internship in which students undertake small, off-campus writing projects during the academic term. Points out that the small scale of the program allows for informal, direct contacts between students and firms, while posing few administrative problems. (SG)

A job-task reporting system was developed to help manage communication between disabled students at job-site experiences and their work experience coordinators, training sponsors, and classroom teachers. A monthly calendar listing worker functions and a summary report form enable students to make daily reports about their job activities. (JDD)

The Card Connection: Business for Children project gives East Harlem elementary school children an understanding of economics. This greeting card business teaches math and communication skills, interview techniques, basic economics concepts, and salesmanship. Requirements include a minimal initial investment for materials and supplies, an…

Samples of farmers who employed indentured apprentices, Technical and Further Education (TAFE) college teachers, and trade committee members were asked their attitudes about the Farm Apprenticeship scheme versus agricultural colleges. The results show a high degree of division of labor and mutual recognition between teacher in TAFE colleges and…

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 survey was conducted of 332 Spanish participants in initial vocational training in schools, occupational training for specific jobs or industries, and work-based training that takes place in a real work environment. Trainees considered work-based training most useful, vocational training second. Perceptions of usefulness differed by gender,…

Contributors to this volume address the feasibility of work-based education as a reform for the U.S. educational system and consider whether such strategies will work with large numbers of students. Costs, problems of implementation, and alternative approaches are discussed. The following papers are presented: (1) "Introduction" (Thomas…

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…

In January 1995, Illinois' McHenry County College began development of an occupational initiative to prepare individuals for functioning in the "high performance workplace" of today's technological and informational society. The initiative, "Academy for High Performance," was designed to integrate general education with an…

Based on an initial phase of a study conducted in 1993 that surveyed 1,200 two-year colleges to describe the scope and character of work-based learning programs already in existence, phase 2 sought a more in-depth understanding of selected exemplary work-based learning programs. Ten programs in eight two-year colleges were identified for further…

A federal program, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) employed young men during the Great Depression to help conserve natural resources by planting trees and building paths, roads, picnic areas, and parking lots in National Forests and National Parks. The men were supplied lodging at a camp, food, and one dollar a day. They could also take…

The simplicity and "common-sense" quality of school-to-work's (STW) basic concepts are the greatest threats to the full implementation of STW. Implementation requires a fundamental restructuring of secondary education and far greater involvement of employers in the preparation of young people for work. A synthesis of findings from eight…

This bulletin focuses on workplace mentors for all students involved in work-based learning as required in the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. It reviews these key issues that should be addressed in developing an effective mentoring component in a school-to-work system: a recruitment plan for mentors; eligibility screening for mentors and…

Many students in today's high schools choose courses and work experiences in an unplanned, aimless manner that often results in limited career options and undeveloped potential. Innovative educators across the nation have responded by restructuring schools around career pathways, which are integrated, multiyear sequences of career guidance,…

School-based enterprise (SBE) can be defined as any school-sponsored activity that engages a group of students in producing goods or services for sale to or use by people other than the students involved. The advantages of SBEs include the following: deeper understanding of academic subject matter through application in a practical context,…