Learning for Careers provides a comprehensive account of the Pathways to Prosperity Network, a national initiative focused on helping more young people successfully complete high school, attain a first postsecondary credential with value in the labor market, and get started on a career without foreclosing the opportunity for further education. It takes as its starting point the influential 2011 Pathways to Prosperity report, which challenged the prevailing idea that the core mission of high schools was to prepare all students for college. In response, the Pathways Network was founded in 2012 to promote cooperative arrangements between educational and business institutions in order to fashion pathways for young people to acquire twenty-first-century skills and achieve professional success. This book traces the evolution of the Pathways Network over the past five years, focusing on the efforts of a diverse set of states and regions to build systems that span high school and the first two years of postsecondary education. States such as Delaware and Tennessee have been highly effective in establishing systems designed to equip students with credentials valued in the contemporary labor market. At the same time, the authors acknowledge the technical, political, and cultural challenges in redesigning career-focused education to produce satisfactory outcomes for young people throughout the country. Learning for Careers offers a way forward for the millions of young people and employers that face a rapidly evolving and ever more competitive globalized workplace. This book will be essential reading for all who have a stake in educational and economic opportunity in the United States.

This book describes the fifteen strategies identified through research reviewed by The National Dropout Prevention Center and Network at Clemson University. Each chapter in this book was written by a nationally recognized authority in that field. Research has shown that these 15 strategies have been successfully implemented in all school levels from K - 12 in rural, suburban, and urban centers; as stand-alone programs or as part of systemic school improvement plans. Helping Students Graduate: A Strategic Approach to Dropout Prevention also covers No Child Left Behind and its effects on dropout rates; Dealing with Hispanic dropouts; Differences and similarities between rural and urban dropouts. These fifteen strategies have been adopted by the U.S. Department of Education. They are applicable to all students, including students with disabilities.

This important book is for anyone who wants to make the most of work-based learning: employees, employers, educationalists, policy makers and researchers. It sheds light on ways of giving full-time employees the chance to take up learning opportunities which are of the same level and rigour as those on offer to the full time student. It approaches the subject from the perspective of the learner, drawing on case studies to provide detailed insight. It suggests that universities already have in place much of the machinery needed to support learners who are in work: they just don't make enough use of it. Look closely and you will find a substantial legacy of this kind of activity by universities. This is a book about seizing opportunities. In one volume, Understanding Work-Based Learning makes a valuable contribution to current employer engagement and learner demand debates, and provides first hand learner experiences to guide existing and potential work based learners, employers, educationalists, policy makers, and researchers.

This book will help you reduce the number of young adults who leave school without completing a high school program. These successfully proven strategies were identified through research conducted by The National Dropout Prevention Center at Clemson University. The strategies are: - EARLY INTERVENTIONS - Family Involvement... reach out to all families - Early Childhood Education... begin positive learning environments early - Reading and Writing Programs... establish this foundation to all learning THE BASIC CORE STRATEGIES - Mentoring/Tutoring... increase competency with a supportive adult or peer - Service Learning... implement academic learning connected to service - Alternative Schooling... provide options beyond the traditional setting - Out-of-School Enhancement... develop after-care, summer school, and extended hours MAKING THE MOST OF INSTRUCTION - Professional Development... provide resources & training for innovative, research-based techniques - Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences... implement proven methods for a diverse student population - Instructional Technologies... integrate technology into daily curriculum - Individualized Learning... provide customized work plans for each student MAKING THE MOST OF THE WIDER COMMUNITY - Systemic Renewal... change rules, roles, and relationships to effect school improvement - Community Collaboration... engage businesses and organizations - Career Education and Workforce Readiness... provide applied training and instruction for today's workplace - Conflict Resolution and Violence Prevention... teach the strategies of fair engagement and safety

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This book disrupts the false dichotomy of college versus career by showing how young people and the programs created to serve them integrate the worlds of college and career readiness as students work to learn against the odds and strive toward lives that matter to them. Work-based learning at each stage of the K–college experience is crucial to the development of young people. Through analysis of national policies on college readiness and work-based learning, as well as through illustrative case studies of young people in work-based learning programs, the authors highlight the programs, voices, and experiences of young people from middle school through college. Through interviews, participating students share their views, aspirations, and preparation for both college and career.

Skilled technical occupationsâ€"defined as occupations that require a high level of knowledge in a technical domain but do not require a bachelor's degree for entryâ€"are a key component of the U.S. economy. In response to globalization and advances in science and technology, American firms are demanding workers with greater proficiency in literacy and numeracy, as well as strong interpersonal, technical, and problem-solving skills. However, employer surveys and industry and government reports have raised concerns that the nation may not have an adequate supply of skilled technical workers to achieve its competitiveness and economic growth objectives. In response to the broader need for policy information and advice, Building America's Skilled Technical Workforce examines the coverage, effectiveness, flexibility, and coordination of the policies and various programs that prepare Americans for skilled technical jobs. This report provides action-oriented recommendations for improving the American system of technical education, training, and certification.

Rapid changes in the workplace, including progress in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, make the contribution of career and technical education more significant than ever. In the fifth edition of his foundational text, Dr. Gordon is joined by new coauthor Deanna Schultz. Continued focus on the history, philosophy, structure, and evolution of career and technical education highlights in-depth coverage on emerging trends relevant to all areas of the field. The pedagogical structure of the text presents abundant information in an accessible format. The authors’ introduction to the origins of and early leadership in CTE lays the groundwork for later discussions of representation of women and underrepresented minorities in the discipline, as well as the implications of a multigenerational workforce and global community on the way educational programs are designed for career readiness. In addition to comprehensive updates, this edition features a section exploring work-based learning, information on current legislation, and a new chapter on community and technical colleges.