Initiatives for Youth
Dropout Prevention and Recovery Initiative:
Combining work and learning is a powerful and effective dropout prevention strategy providing many students a reason to stay in school. Students who participate in school-to-career programs attend school more regularly and graduate at a higher rate than their peers. Students also gain valuable work experience, career awareness and connections outside their communities. Under the direction of the Regional Employment Board, local School-to-Career Partnerships connect high school students with area employers offering work-based learning experiences.
Benefits of work and learning
Effective Dropout Prevention and Recovery
Combining work and learning is a powerful and effective dropout prevention strategy. Students who participate in school-to-career programs attend school more regularly and graduate at a higher rate than their peers. For students holding school-to-career internships, the dropout issue virtually disappears. Students gain valuable work experience, career awareness and connections outside their communities.
Increase College Enrollment
The Center for Labor Market Studies has documented that students are more likely to enroll in college if they hold a summer job during high school. The advantage grows for seniors whose internships continue into the school year. After graduation, participants are more likely to be employed, whether in college or not. Summer jobs and school year internships motivate students to make informed decisions about college and career.
Extending the Classroom to the Workplace
Education must extend beyond the school day and the school year, particularly for high school students. There are a set of skills that are best learned by extending the classroom to the workplace, by making the workplace a learning place. These are the habits of work and productivity – communication, collaboration, problem solving, time management, and initiative. The benefits of school-to-career compound over a career. Youth employment, when connected to school, is second only to educational credentials as a predictor of future earnings.
For more information on this initiative, see the MA DESE website: http://www.massconnecting.org/
For more information contact one of the local Partnerships:
Springfield School-to-Career Partnership
River West Schools
River East School-to-Career Partnership (Wilbraham/Palmer Area)
Holyoke School-to-Career Partnership
Chicopee School-to-Career Partnership
For more information, contact us!