High school youth today typically spend all of their time within their own subculture. They identify with teenage youth more readily than with parents, teachers, or other adult influences. All too often, their careers are decided by chance or fate. Work experience educational programs allow the high school individual to make his own career choice. He can evaluate his potential and analyze career opportunities to fit his self-fulfillment needs and career goals. To make this available to the student, work experience programs enable the student to enter the world of work and actually experience different occupations, using the community as his laboratory. The purpose of this manual is to describe the "how, what, and whys" of implementing such a program. Included in its content are: what, where and why work experience education; preplanning for a new program; developing program policy; public relations; related instruction; career development; evaluation, follow-up, and reporting; funding work experience programs; legal responsibilities; Management; Elements of outstanding programs; and a bibliography. (DS)