While the United States has no effective bridges between school and work, half of West Germany's 16 to 18-year-olds learn a career in the workplace while attending school one day a week. This model can be adapted for American students to increase their employment opportunities and make academic learning easier. (Author/LHW)

One focus of a year-long study of West German apprenticeship was the conditions that are most supportive of learning on the job. The study design incorporated two distinctions that the Germans consider critical: manual versus white-collar occupations and size of training firm. Two occupations were studied--auto mechanic and…