The Continuing Crisis: A Special Look at "Education for Work."

Overview & Synopsis

This report looks at the concerns and issues about the growing involvement of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) in education, provides legislative information and primers about the programs in the three education areas with which JTPA links most often, and provides program models and resources. Specifically, the report looks at four areas: (1) the need for education for work (the need for post-high school but less than college education), one of the few education components that is not well funded or supported; (2) suggestions for improvement, such as more competition between local schools, tighter eligibility, more intensive services, and more linkages between local agencies; (3) making education for work happen--coordination that includes understanding the resources available and the final goal, education for work that focuses on basic skills needed for employment, and understanding the barriers; and (4) the large number of federal programs serving JTPA-eligible populations (vocational education, adult education, and secondary/elementary education) with limited funding. Appendixes to the report include a summary of HR7--the Applied Technology Education Amendments of 1989; a list of educational programs, regional contacts, and the administration's fiscal year 1990 budget proposal; the Louisville, Kentucky, partnership student contracts and curriculum; and a list of national clearinghouses. (KC)