Describes the "Industry Exploration Tour," which provides vocational educators with hands-on experience to learn the needs and wants of industry as they relate to preparing people for work. (Author/JOW)

Youth jobs can serve as an introduction to employment, but few jobs for young adults in their 20s make use of their skills. Young people will be motivated to succeed in school only when they can find employment in jobs that pay well above minimum wage and provide benefits, security, and opportunities for advancement. In order to improve the…

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…

A study to ascertain state progress in building school-to-work systems reviewed the state applications for school-to-work planning grants submitted in December 1993 and 1993 state reports on progress toward achieving the National Education Goals. State infrastructure to support and guide local programs included clear goals, public understanding…

The purpose of this guide is to help those who are planning implementation grants for funding through the School-to-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA) and for local districts who are planning for implementation of school-to-work transition programs. It is a program guide designed to provide a framework through which each state or district might plan…

This publication offers a state-by-state summary of the school-to-work and/or school-to-careers activities funded by the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico as of the summer 1997. Arranged alphabetically by state name, the profiles provide some or all of this information, as appropriate,…

This bulletin discusses transition programs for youth with disabilities. It outlines features of effective transition programs that have proved to be successful including longitudinal planning, emphasis on careers (not labels), work-based learning, connection to community resources, and sustained involvement of employers. A set of strategies is…

Most of Arizona's 13 state-funded school-to-work (STW) partnerships are serving out-of-school youth through existing programs within their boundaries. The programs typically fall under the jurisdiction of educational institutions, training institutions, business and labor organizations, and other organizations. The most common approach to serving…

A series of five discussions with more than 50 people involved in the national school-to-work initiative created by the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 (STWOA) resulted in the following conclusions (among others): (1) Problems with the concept include a negative attitude toward the phrase "school-to-work," the complicated nature…

This report examines the provisions of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act and describes the steps that have been taken thus far to establish an Ohio system. It discusses the general features that must be included in Ohio's school-to-work system and the strategies around which Ohio's school-to-work plans are being structured. Recommendations are…

The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 established a national framework to guide the development of statewide school-to-work (STW) opportunities systems in each state. Governors apply to the National School-to-Work Office for 5-year federal implementation grants. Early research on implementation of STW in rural areas suggests that…

This bulletin focuses on the requirement of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 that school-to-work initiatives engage representatives of organized labor in the development, implementation, and governance of a school-to-work system. The first section outlines what organized labor brings to the school-to-work initiative. The next section…

This publication provides guidance to state and local administrators responsible for planning and implementing comprehensive school-to-work systems for all students, including youth with disabilities, under five key federal laws: (1) School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994; (2) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as amended in…

Information is provided on tech prep education programs, which are part of a restructuring movement that combines secondary and postsecondary programs to provide technical preparation in a field such as engineering technology, agriculture, health, or business. Information on the following topics is outlined: seven essential elements of tech prep;…

A study obtained early information on the effects of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 on states' efforts to develop and implement effective systems of school-to-work transition. Systems in eight states were studied: California, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. State leaders understood the need…