Explorations in Employer-Based Career Education.

Overview & Synopsis

A model developed by Research for Better Schools, Inc., the Academy for Career Education was an attempt to develop a "pure" transportable model of employer-based career education that provided a comprehensive secondary school education program for students. The year-round program, conducted at about 80 different locations in Philadelphia, involved 100 11th grade students and 100 different employers. The program consisted of four major elements: (1) a governance structure, (2) an evaluation plan, (3) guidance and counseling activities, and (4) an instructional program. Central to the model was the instructional program of: (1) general education, (2) explorative education (career and life skills), and (3) specialized education (career and life skills). Explorative education proved to be the most successful aspect of the model, while general education caused severe operational problems. A central conclusion was that a "pure" employer-based model is feasible only on a small, experimental scale due to employer unwillingness and inability to provide general education independent of the public schools. A modified prototype involving career skills, career guidance, and career development units will be developed in the next contract period; students will participate in the program part-time to supplement their educational program in their home school. (EA)