Launched in 2011, the Accelerating Opportunity (AO) initiative aims to increase the ability of students with low basic skills to earn valued occupational credentials, obtain well-paying jobs, and sustain rewarding careers. AO encourages states to change the delivery of adult education for students interested in learning career skills by enrolling…

This report of the Youth Employment Committee begins with the history of its formation. A discussion of the committee meetings is divided into two sections focusing on its two subcommittees. The section on the skills subcommittee lists the basic academic competencies and work-related skills as well as the nonacademic, work-related skills developed…

Provides a model for the Career Specific Basic Education curriculum development process for joint use by teachers of a career content area and teachers of basic education. Components of the model described are task analysis, preliminary assessment of basic education competencies, the curriculum development team, collecting materials, and…

This booklet presents the inspirational stories of 31 people who were served by Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs in Illinois. Their stories reflect the mission and success of JTPA in Illinois and illustrate how these 31 individuals with diverse backgrounds--school dropouts, teen parents, former substance abusers, welfare recipients,…

A study was conducted to explore the possibility of career education's impact upon a broad range of basic skills, including skill areas where standardized test scores are usually not available. Information was obtained through structured interviews with nineteen elementary (grades 1-5) teachers in seven schools in Rockford, Illinois, who were…

Minority participation in the workforce, and by extension in vocational education, is increasingly important to the economic welfare of the United States. Describes a conference focusing on minority issues and concerns in vocational education related to programs, students, staff, and research. Recommends development of role models, funding, and…

Designed to assist administrators of staff development programs for personnel engaged in Illinois' summer educational programs for migrant youth, this guide contains suggestions for a 2-day intensive staff inservice program. Providing a continuum of difficulty to allow selection of activities and levels most appropriate to local needs, the guide…

This monograph describes a suggested approach to career education for handicapped students that focuses on two aspects of the career development process, career exploration and development of an academic program reflecting vocational needs. Discussed in the section on career exploration are career goals, the teacher-counselor role, individual…