TECHNOS

January 6, 2009

TECHNOS QUARTERLY Spring 1995 Vol. 4 No. 1

School-To-Work—In Maine and across the Country

By Sybil Eakin

The Maine Youth Apprenticeship Program, developed under former Governor McKernan's administration, was already under way when Congress passed the School-to-Work Opportunities Act.

School-to-Work was signed into law in May 1994; it will run until October 1,2001. With an appropriation of $250 million for 1995, it establishes a national framework administered jointly by the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor that has already provided development grants to states for comprehensive school-to-work programs. The Act also provides for implementation grants, which eight states have received so far. Fifteen to 20 more will be awarded in 1995. In addition, 15 partnership grants to bring together local employers and educational institutions and 21 urban/rural opportunities grants for high-poverty areas have been sent to local communities. All of these grant awards, as well as special grants for programs serving Native American youth, are expected to increase.

Existing or planned transition programs such as Tech Prep, cooperative education, and youth apprenticeships provide the foundation for the kinds of initiatives to be fostered statewide. Grant criteria include emphasis on high standards, especially those listed in Goals 2000; instruction that integrates work and school; linkages among secondary schools, junior colleges, and universities; and workplace monitoring and instruction.

Students who complete funded programs successfully will receive at least two credentials: a high school diploma and a certificate attesting to skills recognized and respected by employers. Some students may also receive a two-year college degree or they may opt for further education. For information, contact: Department of Education, 202/260-7278: or Department of Labor, 202/219-6871.

The Maine Youth Apprenticeship Program prepares high school students for the world of work through a combination of intensive classroom learning at school and structured workplace experiences. The program is based on the assumption that young people need better training to succeed in a competitive, global economy and that the challenge is best met if businesses become true partners in the education process.

The involvement of employers includes assessment of students' performance, creation of relevant curriculum, and the development of occupational skill standards specific to given industries. The three-year program provides a direct link to higher education, with students attending high school during the first two years of their participation and a technical college during the third and final year.

1st Year: 11th Grade
Students spend about 50 percent of their time at school and 50 percent of their time at work in alternating blocks, starting in February. They work full-time during the summer.

2nd Year: 12th Grade
Students continue alternating their time between school and work (50 percent of their time at each) and spend summers at their worksites. Students receive high school diplomas.

3rd Year: Technical College
Students alternate in blocks of time between school and work (about 50 percent) at each. Apprentices who attain established skill levels receive Certificates of Skills Mastery listing specific occupational skills mastered.

Andrew Jensen, left, a youth apprentice at Maine Medical Center in Portland, reviews some telecommuni-cations software.

Apprentices, who must survive a competitive selection process, earn about $85 a week as long as they are enrolled (whether they are in a school-based or workplace-based block), with a raise each year, and they receive one year of free tuition at a technical school. During this time, the students are considered employees, not of the firms where they work, but of the Center for Youth Apprenticeship, the office housed at Southern Maine Technical College that oversees the program. The money comes from the $5,000 payments per apprentice that businesses make to join the program. In return, the program guarantees the quality of the apprentices' academic skills (the guarantees are based on proven outcomes in academic testing rather than records of time served in class) and promises to provide remedial retraining free if an apprentice fails to measure up to expectations. The program also provides liaison and technical help to the businesses, schools, and students, and offers training and support to the business and the "meister" (the mentor/supervisor) who oversees the student.

Students' classroom work consists of rigorous courses in math, science, English, and social studies (sometimes in “applied” versions of these subjects), and students must demonstrate high levels of both academic and social skills to succeed.

Apprenticeships are offered in many career fields, including manufacturing, allied health, machine tool, computers, customer service, banking and finance, and others.

In January 1995, 35 Maine high schools combined with 57 state businesses to offer youth apprenticeship opportunities to a total of 70 students. Over the next five years, officials hope that all high schools in the state will participate.

For information about Maine's Youth Apprenticeship Program, write or call:

Photo courtesy of Southern Maine Technical College.

Return to John R. McKernan, Jr. TECHNOS Quarterly Interview.