Using 437 interviews with apprentices and trainees, teachers/trainers, and supervisors/managers, a study explored retention in apprenticeships and traineeships and factors that influence it. Apprentices and trainees were more likely to complete their contract of training (COT) if they developed an interest in the occupation and had medium- and…

A literature review examined educational research on school reform and vocational and technical education. The first area examined student risk factors in education, the state of the art in secondary vocational education (career and technical education or CTE), and the interplay of these new forms of CTE and other comprehensive school reform…

Early school leaving is an issue internationally. In Australia, nearly one in three young people is at risk of not completing secondary education, a situation that affects long-term employment prospects and earning capacity. Not all leave early for the same reason, and their reasons are not necessarily negative ones. Six "types" of early…

A qualitative research approach was used to examine how one vocational education and training (VET) school in rural Australia contributed to its community and the complex role of leadership in the process. The study focused on the VET in Schools program in Cooktown in Far North Queensland. The following data collection activities were conducted:…

Pittsburgh Public Schools' student placement coordinator describes their program to help secondary students and school leavers with cooperative, part-time, and later full-time job placement, using behavior modification and cooperative education. Includes program organization, use of paraprofessionals, funding, and the importance of employer…

The Transition Services program of the Onondaga-Dortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (New York) has been identified as an exemplary school-to-work program that includes students with disabilities. The program serves students aged 13-21, most with disabilities; the majority have mental retardation, serious emotional…

This program guide identifies primary considerations in the organization, operation, and evaluation of a work experience program designed for the potential school leaver. The program philosophy is set forth. Program content is then presented. A curriculum framework specifies the exact course title, course number, levels of instruction, major…

A systematic, statewide study of vocational education consumer and homemaking programs was conducted in Pennsylvania to gather data for use in decision-making concerning future funding and for redirection and improvement of these programs. Data were gathered through review of funded projects; questionnaires to school districts; in-depth study of…

The Youth Incentive Entitlement Pilot Projects (YIEPP) demonstration, which was in full operation from 1978 to 1980, was established to test the efficacy of work combined with education as a remedy for high unemployment, low labor force participation, and the excessive school dropout rate of teenagers. YIEPP offered Federal minimum-wage jobs…

The practical steps outlined in this manual are based on the experience of establishing Marquette (Michigan) Alternative Senior High (MASH), organized in 1978 to serve rural youth who had dropped out or were not benefiting significantly from the regular high school programs. Chapters are organized in chronological progression and each refers to…

A project was conducted in Kansas City, Missouri, to diminish the dropout rate by establishing an on-going linkage between the local high school and the adult basic education (ABE) program. The program involved the development of a system of dropout identification, contact, and referral from the secondary school to the ABE program for young adults…

The Career Intern Program (CIP) is an alternative high school designed to enable disadvantaged and alienated dropouts or potential dropouts to earn regular high school diplomas, to prepare them for meaningful employment or postsecondary education, and to facilitate their transition from school to work. CIP components are instruction, counseling,…

The document is the final report of a three-year exemplary program designed to develop and demonstrate a coordinated and integrated program of career development from the first grade through postsecondary vocational-technical education in a county school system serving a population termed disadvantaged. Heavy emphasis was placed on reorientation…

Federal funding for career and technical education (CTE) should move from a state grant program to a competitive grant approach in order to disrupt an entitlement mentality and instead support the creation of high quality CTE programs with improved student outcomes. Funds should be used to develop and expand CTE programs to begin in 9th grade and…

This report is a summary of the evaluation of the Nevada School-to-Careers (STC) Year 4 (1999-2000) implementation and the extent to which implementation supported eight messages STC is intended to send. Results from three surveys are included: Quantitative Benchmark Survey, School Implementation Profile, and Student Exit Survey. All regional…