School-to-Work / Workforce Training

... despite political and education rhetoric to the contrary, most economic forecasts show that a large proportion of the jobs the modern economy is creating are low-skilled, part-time, and poorly paid. (Apple 1989).

— Michael Apple and James Beane; "Lessons from Democratic Schools;" Democratic Schools; 1995

But in a broad survey of employment needs across America, we found little evidence of a far-reaching desire for a more educated workforce.

— Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, National Center on Education and the Economy; America's Choice: high skills or low wages!; Rochester: National Center on Education and the Economy; 1990.

Tradition also has created a high school culture that values sports, social activities, and clubs, and these activities may create conflicts for students striving to raise academic achievement levels and to participate in work-based learning.

— Final Report; Governor's Council on School-to-Work Transition; March 23, 1995, page 13

Work-based learning programs in high school should not be students' first exposure to work; students should have an emphasis on career awareness in elementary grades and career exploration and counseling in middle and junior high schools.

— High Skills, High Wages; Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board; Washington State; 1994

WTECB, the Employment Security Department, and the workforce training and education agencies should work together with business and labor on an ongoing basis to analyze the match between the supply of trained workers completing programs and the demand in the labor market.

— High Skills, High Wages; Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board; Washington State; 1994

To succeed in high performance work organizations, today's students must master the new basic skills — teamwork, critical thinking, making decisions, communication, adapting to change and understanding whole systems.

— High Skills, High Wages; Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board; Washington State; 1994

Knowing what we face, we are confident that Washington has the leadership, energy and perseverance to make it to our destination: a world class workforce.

— High Skills, High Wages; Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board; Washington State; 1994

Workforce training must be linked to economic development strategies so that the supply of highly skilled workers is coordinated with the demand, and that Washington's training efforts help attract family-wage jobs.

— High Skills, High Wages; Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board; Washington State; 1994

What is essential is that we create a seamless web of opportunities to develop one's skills that literally extends from cradle to grave and is the same system for everyone — young and old, poor and rich, worker and full-time student.

— A Human Resources Development Plan for the United States; National Center on Education and the Economy; 1992.

In a slave state, vocational training may be education enough. For the education of free men, much more is required.

— William Pearson Tolley, Chancelor of Syracuse University; 1943

The transformation of K-12 education system into a integrated system that is performance-based and in which STW is a central focus, in conjunction with industry-driven skill standards, will drive the necessary changes in our entire education and training system.

— Working and Learning Together; Washington State School-to-Work Implementation Grant; 1995

Moving toward the regional approach in year two of the STWOA grant will ensure labor market information and projections are also a key driver of the developing STW system.

— Working and Learning Together; Washington State School-to-Work Implementation Grant; 1995

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