[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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