[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 45 (Thursday, April 21, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 H.R. 2884, SCHOOL-TO-WORK OPPORTUNITIES ACT OF 1994 CONFERENCE REPORT

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, the figures are well known. They come as 
no surprise. Half of American high school students never go to college. 
A mere one-quarter of our youngsters obtain postsecondary degrees.
  However, unlike most other industrialized nations, we don't have a 
comprehensive system to prepare this majority of our young Americans to 
move from high school into the high-skilled, well-paid jobs that hold 
the best hope for our collective future. The sporadic and 
individualized efforts that are made at this simply are not enough. The 
result is that high school dropouts and even high school graduates tend 
to drift from one entry-level and minimum-wage job to the next, until, 
several years after graduation, they begin to acquire the training 
needed to qualify them for a trade or vocation.
  In Germany, Japan, and most other industrialized countries, students 
begin to learn in high school those skills they will need to be 
successful in the job market. They compete to qualify for prestigious 
apprenticeship programs. They study, both on the job and in school 
settings, the theories, skills and other knowledge necessary to advance 
in their fields.
  Mr. President, the simple truth is that the countries which are our 
major competitors for export markets and jobs are well ahead of us in 
this area. Their systems for moving the non-university-bound students 
from school to productive work are far better organized, and function 
without the years of unproductive drift that so many American 
youngsters experience.
  The School-to-Work Opportunities Act is a bold stroke designed to 
spur development of such systems throughout the United States. This act 
would establish a national framework for local partnerships to develop 
school-to-work programs and make them available to all students. Such 
programs would combine classroom learning with real-world work 
experience. They would train students in general job-readiness skills 
as well as industry-specific occupational skills.
  The benefit to young people is clear. In our ever shrinking world, 
the need to prepare our future generations to compete and win in the 
global marketplace is imperative for our continued prominence in world 
markets. To do so, we must develop and utilize the talents of all our 
young people far more effectively than we have. For the same reasons, 
the benefits to American business are no less obvious. Only if they 
continue to have best skilled and most capable workers in the world 
will their corporate futures be secure.
  The School-To-Work Opportunities Act would help high schools and 
community colleges create programs in cooperation with business, to 
develop the academic skills and attitudes toward work that many of our 
youngsters lack today. Through a set of grants and waivers of certain 
Federal program requirements, the act would establish a national 
framework for the development of school-to-work systems to help youth 
in all States make the transition from school to the workplace. States 
and community partnerships will use Federal funds as venture capital to 
spark the formation of school-to-work programs, dedicated to linking 
the worlds of school and work. Secondary and post-secondary education 
institutions, private and public employers, labor organizations, 
government, community groups, parents and students will work together 
on designing, developing and implementing the programs.
  The act would afford States and localities substantial discretion in 
establishing and implementing comprehensive, statewide school-to-work 
systems. Business partners would have a significant input in crafting 
and directing these efforts to better reflect their work force needs 
and future trends.
  My State of Vermont has been in the forefront of the the existing 
American efforts in this regard. In our efforts to shape this bill and 
promote its ideals, the Secretaries of Labor and Education travelled to 
Vermont and met with out leaders in the field. They examined some of 
our innovative programs and the students currently benefiting from this 
approach to school-to-work transition. There are any number of 
excellent programs in Vermont. For the sake of brevity, I will mention 
just two.
  The Stafford Technical Center in Rutland, VT is named for former 
Senator Robert T. Stafford who worked tirelessly on education issues 
during his years in Congress. The center's school-to-work vehicle is 
the Herlihy Student Apprentice Program. The Herlihy Program helps 
students overcome the hurdle of no experience by opening the door to 
the world of work. Students profit by the: Combination of academics at 
Stafford Tech with the apprentice experience in the work world; 
direction of academic courses toward apprentice work so that learning 
is applied and has meaning; and maturation and development of a 
competent self-image and positive work ethic.
  Supervised learning is provided in a number of area businesses in 
several clusters, including manufacturing, retailing, banking, medical 
support services and small business. Academics are focused on 
application. Students experience the connection between learning at 
school and applying their knowledge in the workplace. Academic 
components include technical communications, mathematics, applied 
science and employment skills. The Herlihy Program offers students an 
in-depth knowledge of how the business world functions and the 
opportunity to gain the necessary skills. Most important, the students 
find out what kind of work they like to do and how they can succeed.

  The Essex Technical Center in Essex Junction, VT, is another fine 
school-to-work program. The Cooperative Education Program there is 
based on the premise that carefully coordinated, actual work experience 
in a chosen occupational field offers the student a valuable experience 
that cannot be duplicated in the classroom. Co-op placement allows the 
student to experience first hand the on-the-job realities of employee 
responsibilities, employer expectations, financial considerations, job 
satisfaction and the social role he or she plays in the work setting. I 
ask unanimous consent that a further detailed statement of this 
program's goals, objectives and other particulars be printed in the 
Record at the conclusion of my remarks.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. (See 
Exhibit 1.)
  Mr. JEFFORDS. The School-to-Work Opportunities Act has strong 
bipartisan support. It will encourage States and communities to build 
meaningful connections between the worlds of school and work. Just as 
schools need to change to meet the demands of businesses that are 
competing in a global economy, our business culture also needs to 
change to create incentives for students to stay in school and make 
smooth and productive transitions from school to work. The future of 
our youth and of our businesses, and ultimately our standard of living, 
depends on developing and utilizing the talents of our noncollege-bound 
young people far more effectively than we have.
  Twenty-three national groups have endorsed this legislation, 
including major business groups--the Business Roundtable, the U.S. 
Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and the 
National Alliance of Business--the AFL-CIO, the U.S. Conference of 
Mayors, the National Education Association, the American Federation of 
Teachers, and the National Governors' Association.
  In addition, the business community not only actively supports the 
legislation, many national firms are committing to participate in its 
programs, including BellSouth, Ford, Kodak and McDonald's. Countless 
smaller business also are prepared to join in on this effort.
  Mr. President, like many of the legislative items that pass through 
this body, this one is not perfect. But with the benefit of extensive 
bipartsan input, as well as the cooperation of labor, business, 
education, and community leaders, its merits certainly far outweigh any 
shortcomings that remain. I am a cosponsor of this legislation, and I 
support it heartily. The House of Representatives passed it yesterday 
with over 300 votes. We should do so well, so that it can be sent on 
its way to the President for swift enactment.

                               Exhibit 1

         Essex Technical Center--Cooperative Education Program


                       1. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

       Cooperative Education is based on the premise that 
     carefully coordinated, actual work experience in a chosen 
     occupational field offers the student a valuable experience 
     that cannot be duplicated in the classroom. Co-op placement 
     allows the student to experience first hand the on-the-job 
     realities of employee responsibilities, employer 
     expectations, financial considerations, job satisfaction, and 
     the social role he or she plays in the work setting.
       Co-op involves combining actual work experience in a 
     specific occupation with related instruction and training in 
     school. This integration effectively facilitates the 
     transition from school to the working world by enhancing a 
     student's employability and increasing the practical value of 
     his/her educational experience.
       Increasingly, co-op takes on a whole new meaning due to the 
     highly technical and rapidly changing labor market demands. 
     By working together with community resources, a relationship 
     that is beneficial to employer, school, student, and 
     community results.


                        2. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

                                 Goals

       To give theoretical knowledge meaning through practical 
     application,
       To develop positive work-related habits and attitudes;
       To provide a laboratory for developing marketable skills in 
     a chosen occupational area;
       To convey an understanding of employment opportunities and 
     responsibilities;
       To bring schools and employers together in training 
     efforts;
       To provide social and technical information which can be 
     used to evaluate and revise instructional programs;
       To enable schools to be aware of changes in the labor 
     market; and
       To provide an effective means for helping young people 
     become productive community members.

                               Objectives

       Through a Career Work Experience the students will have the 
     opportunity to explore occupational options in a career 
     field. Each exploration will be two weeks in duration.
       Through a program of alternating planned instruction and 
     work experience in an occupational field, lasting anywhere 
     from a couple of weeks to a full school year, students will 
     have the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in an 
     employment setting, to develop positive work-related habits 
     and attitudes, to develop abilities to work cooperatively as 
     a team member, to build self-esteem and confidence through 
     careful preparation and close supervision, and to have an 
     opportunity to work in a location which may lead to 
     employment.


    3. how has the program achieved the stated goals and objectives?

       Through a series of seminars in each of the technical 
     programs students are exposed to workplace readiness skills. 
     Students are instructed in and assessed on the skills 
     necessary for employment and retention. These include skills 
     identified for acquiring employment and workplace traits 
     necessary for performing successfully in the workplace. 
     Students have the opportunity to use these skills in an 
     actual work site through a career work exploration or a 
     career work experience.
       Work sites are selected on the basis of the student's 
     career goals and related educational needs. The sites are 
     developed through the cooperation of employers, technical 
     instructors and the cooperative education coordinator. The 
     student is the center of activity with all participants 
     working cooperatively to provide the best and most effective 
     experience for the student.
       The following is a summary of the numbers of students who 
     have participated in the program during the 1992-93 school 
     year:
       132 students have participated in the short term Career 
     Work Experience.
       53 students have participated in the Cooperative Vocational 
     Education.
       Two students have received their entire program through an 
     external field experience. These were in the fields of 
     Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacology.


             4. impact on student learning and achievement

       Through the co-op programs students are given the 
     opportunity to try on the skills they have learned in their 
     technical program. Sometimes students do not always see the 
     importance of learning particular skills or attitudes. 
     Through this program students have discovered the reality of 
     going to work and interacting with skilled individuals.
       Following these career experiences many students realize 
     the need to further their education through post secondary 
     education or on-the-job training. Some students remain in 
     school longer than they otherwise might have a result of 
     these opportunities.
       Programs such as the cooperative education program 
     recognizes that all students do not learn in traditional 
     ways. This program provides an alternative avenue of learning 
     for some students while supplementing traditional education 
     for others.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Chair 
will note that morning business, under a previous order, concludes at 
10:30.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that my remarks be 
considered as in morning business, even if that time expires.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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