The notion of what constitutes a high-quality work-integrated learning experience has received increasing attention in the literature, particularly over the past decade. To date, the definitions of high-quality work-integrated learning have been broad and there remains a need to understand how elements of quality can be operationalized,…

Equity-seeking groups of students participating in work-integrated learning (WIL) face disparities in access, retention, and future employment, reflecting challenges and barriers associated with their intersectional identities and dimensions of diversity. These disparities include international students facing cultural discrimination, students…

This second brief on learnings from career education (CE) opportunities in the California Community Colleges (CCC) focuses on what college personnel described as barriers to designing and implementing programs with features that students find helpful, as described in the first brief of this series (ED610768) (e.g., cohorts, consistent course…

Adult education programs play a critical role in preparing immigrants and New Americans (multilingual learners) for employment by building English language skills and supporting workforce preparation and training. Addressing multilingual learners' economic integration needs, one of the three pillars of immigrant integration, along with civic and…

"Three Big Lessons in Six Years" is both a reflection on the past and a look ahead to the future at Charlestown (C-Town) High School (Boston, Massachusetts) and other early college programs across the country. The purpose of this series is to document essential design elements, operational structures, and critical support for students to…

The delivery of research-informed education is a fundamental principle held by universities and is a principle that work-integrated education (WIL) should not be exempt from. In the 1980s and 1990s, critical reviews of the WIL literature suggested WIL research required significant development. Since these reviews were conducted a significant,…

The internship program at Cal Poly Pomona is based on Piaget's theory of intellectual development, enabling students to move from concrete to formal thought. Components include meetings with teacher/coordinators, establishment of learning objectives, group meetings, employer visits and evaluations, daily logs, and self-evaluative reports. (SK)

The author reports on a collaborative effort among three state agencies that is currently giving 3,000 California youth who are disabled a chance to prove themselves in private sector job placements. Discusses program administration, funding, computerized recordkeeping, entrance requirements, and plans for the future. (CT)

This report describes three common options for designing a vocational curriculum for special-needs students and then cites operating vocational programs that use each of the options. Mainstream vocational programs, which are modified to suit special needs, as well as self-contained classes and cooperative work-experience classes, are covered. Also…

This paper reports on an experiment to test youth employment as a tactic for delinquency prevention. Features of jobs that should cause young people to develop a stake in doing well are described. Three elements of the bond to work that enable the work experience to reduce delinquency are identified: commitment, attachment, and belief. Various…

This program overview of experience based career education (EBCE) includes definition of EBCE, comparisons between it and other career/vocational programs, review of program elements and community involvement, and description of its program evaluation and staff training elements. EBCE is described as an alternative to regular high school which…

Effective participatory education programs are planned efforts designed to effect cognitive, social, and affective change. Although research does not yet permit unequivocal generalizations about effects, existing research is promising, especially when compared with research on effects of work experience per se. Positive effects include student,…

Work-based learning (WBL) differs from work experiences gained in regular youth jobs because WBL is intentionally structured to promote learning by linking work with school. Five main purposes of WBL have been identified: enhancing students' motivation and academic achievement; increasing personal and social competence related to work in general;…

Twenty-six university students participated as job-sampling mentors for an on-campus transition project for 17 high school students (ages 16- 20) with mild to moderate cognitive disabilities. The university students gained new expectations for individuals with disabilities, become more aware of attitudes toward individuals with disabilities, and…

The Youth Incentive Entitlement Pilot Projects were set up to aid disadvantaged youths, ages 16 to 19, by guaranteeing them a part-time job during the school year and a full-time job during summer months on the condition that they remain in, or return to, a secondary school or enroll in an equivalent education program. The program was started in…