National Perspective on Cooperative Education.

Overview & Synopsis

From a national perspective, cooperative vocational education is becoming increasingly important. As the country changes from a manufacturing to a service economy, many traditional jobs are being eliminated, while new jobs are being created, especially in the information field. In order to prepare employees for these jobs, a partnership between the schools and the private sector is needed. Schools will benefit by providing quality education on the cutting edge of the new technology, and the private sector will benefit by getting qualified employees at less cost for recruiting and training. At the national level, Congress funds programs of national significance, which include (1) national discretionary projects, (2) the National Center for Research in Vocational Education, (3) six regional curriculum coordination centers, and (4) the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee. These programs of national significance support the functions of applied research and curriculum development, demonstration, dissemination, and training. Through these programs, improvements can be made in education, including cooperative education. Research findings to date indicate that cooperative education leads to a positive attitude of students toward office occupations and higher job performance ratings from employers. Further efforts are needed to determine the effects of cooperative programs on productivity, minority employment, the work ethic, job satisfaction, employment of handicapped persons, high technology, entrepreneurship, and articulation from secondary to postsecondary education. All signs now point, however, to the benefits of cooperative programs to the employer, to the students, and to the community. (KC)