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14.4.0 What is School-to-Work (STW)? |
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Louisiana Statewide Transition Project and Louisiana: Healthy and Ready to Work Fact Sheet Series |
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1/4/99 |
I. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, by the year 2000 sixty-five percent of jobs will require skilled
labor. This figure has increased forty-five percent since 1950 and twenty
percent since 1991. In order to meet the changing needs of a changing
workplace, the Federal government passed the School-to-Work Opportunities Act,
which was signed into law in 1994. This Act is a national initiative of the
U.S. Departments of Labor and Education designed to set up state and local
school-to-work systems for ALL students. School-to-Work (StW) emphasizes a new
approach to learning that links students and schools to the workplace. To be
successful, school-to-work must be locally-driven and community-based. Local
StW activities vary across communities, but may include teacher internships,
student work experiences, and employer support for classroom activities. It is
an effort to teach students the value of high-level academic achievement with
an understanding of the workplace. For students with disabilities, StW provides
a link between academics and vocational opportunities.
II. KEY
POINTS
Vision Statement
Bright futures come about by preparing all
Louisianians to become productive citizens. In order to achieve this vision,
our school-to-work system will:
·
Ensure adults are
prepared to assist all students to be lifelong learners.
·
Be built upon local,
regional and statewide ownership.
·
Provide support
structures to serve local needs (Louisiana
Works, 1997).
Mission Statement
Through a coalition of the total community,
the Governor's Council on School-to-Work will develop and support local,
regional, and state capacity to create an effective system that ensures
students move successfully into the workplace, pursue further learning, and
lead productive lives (Louisiana
Works, 1997).
Seven Guiding Principles:
1. Purpose - prepare all students for productive
citizenship and work.
2. Skill standards - identify what students need to know
and be able to do in a changing workplace.
3. Reshape high schools; link learning with work.
4. Encourage students and parents in career planning:
based on four broad occupational clusters:
·
business and
marketing
·
engineering,
industry, technology
·
health and human
services
·
humanities and the
arts
1. Recruit employers for work-based learning,
internships, mentoring.
2. Agree among education/training entities to award
advanced credit.
3. Connect the parts and smooth student's paths to work
and further learning (Louisiana
Works, 1997).
Regional Partnerships
Louisiana supports nine StW regions. Each
multi-parish region is coordinated by a regional partnership. Due to a great
deal of local autonomy, the Partnerships are able to adapt programs to meet the
specific characteristics of the region. Within each region StW activities may
include:
·
tech prep programs
·
career academies
·
youth apprenticeships
·
cooperative education
·
vocational technical
schools
·
vocational student
organizations
·
school-based enterprises
·
counseling and
assessment
·
mentorship and job
shadowing
·
internship or externship
·
service learning,
cluster-integrated majors
·
career awareness,
exploration and counseling
Regardless of a regions specific activities,
all StW partnerships share a general approach to prepare all students to enter
the changing workforce. This approach incorporates three types of activities:
School-based Learning:
School-based learning activities include
activities that provide students with opportunities for:
·
career exploration
·
instruction in academic
and technical skills
·
guidance in identifying
employment and education goals
·
participation in a
course of study in a career major
·
an integrated curricula
across all subject areas
·
completion of career
interest inventories
·
employment-readiness
training such as job search and job maintenance skills
Work-based Learning:
Work-based learning activities are defined as
learning experiences and activities that are based on and take place in some
type of work setting or simulated work setting. The aim is to ensure that all
students have a planned job-training program and that educational experiences
are related to the occupational goals. These activities can include:
·
apprenticeships
·
internships
·
co-ops
·
on-the-job training
(critical to this component)
·
career academies
·
school-based enterprises
·
occupational/technical
labs
·
job simulation
·
workplace mentoring
·
instruction in workplace
·
work-study programs
Connecting Activities:
Connecting activities are designed to make
learning relevant by merging school learning and life experience. They bridge
the gap between school-based and work-based activities for each student by
connecting the content and development of instruction in the student's areas of
interest.
Connecting activities can include:
·
matching students with
employers
·
establishing liaisons
between education and work
·
providing help to
schools and employers to get partnerships started
·
encouraging the
participation of employers in the educational process
·
making job placements
·
collecting and analyzing
outcomes of the school to work program
·
forming linkages between
youth development activities, industry, and the community
III. ROLES/NEXT
STEPS
Students/Young Adults:
Students should be aware of the programs
offered in school, community, and region especially when writing their
transition plans. These opportunities may include career exploration, job
shadowing, internships, cooperative education and apprenticeships.
Families:
Parents are encouraged to speak up and be a
part of planning. Encourage your son or daughter to participate. Ask employers
to be involved and help with career planning.
Agencies:
Education and rehabilitation personnel are
encouraged to participate in their local StW Partnerships. Challenge students
to use their knowledge in real world situations. Use a hands-on approach to
learning and seek workplace opportunities for students.
IV. RESOURCES/CONTACTS
To gain more information about the programs
in your area, check the chart below to determine which region you are in and/or
contact the state School-to-Work office (504) 342-2462. There is a Coordinator
and a Facilitator for School-to-Work activities in each region. The Coordinator
and Facilitator will have information about specific programs in your area.
School-to-Work Partnerships
Region I - Metro Vision
Parishes served: Jefferson, Orleans,
Plaquemine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist
PHONE 504/527-6937 FAX 504/527-6970
Region II - Pinelands
Parishes served: East Feliciana, Tangipahoa,
Washington, St. Helena, St. Tammany
PHONE 504/732-6640 FAX 504/732-6603
Region III - Bayou
Parishes served: Assumption, Lafourche, St.
Mary, Terrebonne
PHONE 504/857-3660 FAX 504/857-3677
Region IV - Cajun Heartland
Parishes served: Lafayette, Acadia,
Evangeline, St. Landry, St. Martin, Vermilion, Iberia
PHONE 318/236-6890 FAX 318/236-6837
Region V - Imperial Calcasieu
Parishes served: Calcasieu, Cameron,
Jefferson Davis, Beauregard, Allen
PHONE 318/437-6103 FAX 318/437-6120
Region VI - Central Workforce Alliance
Parishes served: Vernon, Rapides, Winn,
LaSalle, Avoyelles, Grant, Catahoula, Concordia
PHONE 318/448-1591 FAX 318/442-7834
Region VII - Red River Partnerships at Work
Parishes served: Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne,
DeSoto, Lincoln, Red River, Webster, Bienville, Sabine, Natchitoches
PHONE 318/795-4226, 318/795-4227 FAX
318/795-4225
Region VIII - Northeast Louisiana
Parishes served: East Carroll, West Carroll,
Madison, Tensas, Richland, Franklin, Morehouse, Ouachita, Union, Jackson,
Caldwell
PHONE 318/435-7540, 318/435-9606 FAX
318/435-9911
Region IX - Gateway
Parishes served: East Baton Rouge,
Livingston, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana,
Ascension
PHONE 225/334-1820 FAX 225/334-2419
V. REFERENCES
Louisiana
Works. (1997). About School-to-Work Baton Rouge, LA: Channing L. Beefe
Co., Inc.