Industry-Education-Labor Collaboration. Policies and Practices in Perspective.

Overview & Synopsis

Industry, labor, and educational institutions are entering a new period of enthusiasm for mutual cooperation and alliances within communities. Local collaborative councils bringing together leaders from business, labor, government, and education are demonstrating anew the community-level leadership that is essential to create and establish a new national consensus about the purposes and functions of education institutions. But, according to this study, conducted through a review of literature and an examination of local collaborative councils, these are still pioneer activities without well established structures. Basic findings of the study are that (1) existing relationships between education institutions and the business sector are complex, while relationships with the labor sector are being built from a very limited base of prior contacts; (2) attention to the needs of collaboration with education is being given by business leaders especially as a focus on the elementary and secondary schools; (3) gradually, more interaction among education, business, and labor is leading to new patterns for education and training; and (4) career education and career development activities have been the focus taken by local collaborative councils. Recommendations are made for improvements in the collection and dissemination of information essential to the creation of effective programs of industry-education-labor collaboration nationwide; for improvements in the leadership of collaborative activities; and for federal and state government actions encouraging such collaboration. (KC)