The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 (Federal Public Law 10-239, May 4, 1994) focused on the need to incorporate school-to-work activities and instructional strategies for all students. Learning a Living, the Secretary of Labor?s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) report, emphasizes the characteristics the workforce needs to successfully compete in a global economy. These include: 1) personal qualities (e.g. cooperation, integrity and honesty); 2) basic skills (e.g. reading, writing, listening and speaking); and 3) thinking skills.
However, these skills do not develop in isolation, and schools assume the responsibility of preparing students for the workplace. Although these responsibilities are delivered through specialized exploratory classes, it is also important to incorporate workforce development skills into the standard curriculum for all students.
Tamara Willis, seventh grade social studies teacher at Sullivan Middle School in Rock Hill, South Carolina, integrated workforce development activities into her social studies curriculum. Early in the school year, her students commented that, "school is like a job and...we should get paid for attending."
Capitalizing on a teachable moment, Willis explained, "a job requires more than just showing up;" there are expectations and responsibilities that must be met in order to keep a job.
Eager to assume real-life roles, these young adolescent students responded that they could handle responsibilities, so Willis decided to implement a six-week project related to employment. Before allowing students to vote on the trial activity, she explained one stipulation: if they chose to start the project, they would be required to finish?no turning back in the middle of the project if they did not like it. All students agreed and voted that their "business" would be a university named Sullivan University.
After teacher-developed job descriptions and responsibilities were distributed, each student was required to fill out an application and complete a resume for the position of their choice: Dean, Professor and Intern. Mirroring real-world scenarios, students then interviewed student-applicants for the jobs and hired students from the applicant pool.
Through this process, Willis served as a resource, providing sample questions and feedback. She facilitated reflection by asking students to share their feelings during the process in a journal. Journal writing and other activities incorporated SCANS skills throughout this process: reading and writing were incorporated in the application and resume process; listening and speaking were integral to the interviews.
In addition, important workforce dispositions such as integrity and honesty were reflected in the application and interview questions.
The deans met and formed teams for the class, meeting with Willis to discuss changes needed for the class to be a productive learning environment (their first executive board meeting). Because students initiated decisions for changes (such as class behavior rules), the students began to assume more ownership in the overall learning environment.
For example, when one student became loud enough to interrupt other students? work, his peers asked him to be quiet. Willis became a facilitator of learning, stepping in when needed. SCANS skills were naturally integrated throughout the executive board meetings in which teamwork and cooperation were emphasized.
A major surprise for students arrived with their first paychecks, when they were forced to experience a very personalized lesson in economics. They were excited to receive a "check," but were amazed about the taxes that were taken out of their checks. Their expectation was they would receive their entire gross sum. Willis? response: "Uncle Sam gets paid no matter what."
Students laughed and commented that that?s what their parents say. Paychecks over time included performance pay, which added another layer for students to consider.
Before the project began, students had to compare their work at school to a job. Comments included "having responsibilities such as turning in homework, being on time, following rules and dress codes, and being organized;" "eight-hour days;" "teamwork;" "information required before starting, such as birth certificate/social security number, immunizations, proof of residency;" and "having positive and negative consequences."
Although their responses did not accurately reflect a full understanding of the comparison, the responses did provide a glimpse of students? views of their world as work.
Continued involvement in the project encouraged student learning in several areas and promoted motivation. Students were interested in the activity and were actively engaged throughout the activity and entire project. Before the project, students were regularly off task, few students engaged in class discussion, and tardies and missed assignments were the norm. Once the project began, on-time attendance, completed assignments and participation in discussions increased.
In addition, the overall quality of class discussions improved, and students provided leadership for their peers. Students were able to gain valuable real-world experiences.
Willis notes, "They have learned more in less than two weeks than I could have lectured about over a six-week period."
Likewise, students gained opportunities to self-evaluate their performances, as authentic opportunities for reflection were provided. As one student notes, "I have learned that having a job is not at all easy. You have to like it to do a good job. I would say that my job is going well, although I think I could still bring my grades up."
Or, as another student who served the role of dean says, "I learned that having a job comes with a lot of responsibility. It?s a lot harder than I thought it would be...I have switched some people around, and I get along well with my group. They are all responsible and well behaved. They don?t talk much, and when they do, it?s about education."
Willis also gained valuable insight through the process. What began as a capitalization on a teachable moment was strengthened when she tied the activity to a research project required in her graduate program. She discovered that the adolescent literature she read took on new meaning, as her methods and experiences were validated by research. She found that simply by responding to her students? questions, she was actually implementing strong, research-based practices that are appropriate to meet the needs of young adolescents.
As she notes, "This project for my students and myself is not just a project. It is not just a grade. It?s a life-altering experience."
SCANS skills are not only appropriate for workforce development, but they are also key factors for academic success in K-12 classrooms. The standard curriculum is an excellent place to teach skills that will last a lifetime (SCANS) and help our students to become productive, well-adjusted members of society.
Resources and References for Implementing Workforce Development in the Classroom
Learning a Living: The final report of the United States Secretary of Labor?s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS), Government Printing Office, (Superintendent of Documents, P. O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA)
- How to Look Good to an Employer/With Teacher?s Guide, by Rebecca Anthony
- Testing the Waters: A Teen?s Guide to Career Exploration, by Alice N. Culbreath and Saundra K. Neal
- Exploring Careers: A Young Person?s Guide to Over 300 Jobs, by Michael T. Farr
- 100 Jobs for Kids and Young Adults?A Self-Empowerment Tool, by Eva Marques
- Jobs People Do, by Christopher Maynard Work, by Ann Morris
- Children?s Dictionary of Occupations, by Barbara Parramore
- Careers: Exploration and Decision, by Jack L. Rettig
- Taking Responsibility (Job Skills), by Stuart Schwartz and Craig Conley
- Odd Jobs: The Wackiest Jobs You?ve Never Heard of, by Ellen Weiss
- History (Discovering Careers for Your Future), by Carol Yehling
- Chicken Man, by Michelle Edwards
- I Am a Dancer, by Jane Felman
- Working Days: Short Stories About Teenagers at Work, by Anne Mazer
- The Paperboy, by Dav Pilkey
- Felix and the 400 Frogs, by Susan Schade
The following are some Web sites that can be used as resources for workforce development activities.
http://www.whatdotheydo.com
Students can find out what people in various jobs do. They can explore jobs from accounting to undertaking as they read job descriptions followed by a vignette depicting a day in the life of a person who holds that job.
http://www.yahooligans.com/School_Bell/Careers
This page is a link to many other sites that provide in-depth coverage of specific jobs and careers. Students can link to other Web sites based on their interests.
http://www.pbs.org/livelyhood/classroom/chipping/careers.html
This Web site is a great resource for students wanting to connect career choices to family. Here students map out the career paths of their parents and grandparents, and they explore the barriers and occupational hazards that once accompanied certain jobs. There are many links to extend the learning.
http://www.bls.gov/k12/html/edu_over.htm
Produced for children, this Web site gives them ideas for careers based on their interests in subjects in school. It also provides links for teachers and to the Bureau of Labor Statistics home page.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/home.htm
This Web site is hosted by the Department of Labor, which provides a Career Guide to Industries. The guide includes "the nature of the industry, working conditions, employment, occupations in the industry, training and advancement, earnings and benefits, employment outlook, and lists of organizations that can provide additional information."
A special thanks to Tamara Willis, Sullivan Middle School in Rock Hill, South Carolina, for her assistance on this story.
Dr. Barbara R. Blackburn is an assistant professor and coordinator of the MED in Middle Level Education Program at Winthrop University. She is a member of the Southern Forum to Accelerate Middle School Reform and was a middle school teacher for six years.
Dr. Carol P. McNulty is an assistant professor in elementary education at Winthrop University, where she teaches social studies methods. Her research interests include middle schoolers at risk for delinquency. She taught elementary school for five years.
Dr. Sue Peck is associate professor of vocational education and chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Winthrop University. Her specialty is adult and vocational education, and she is a former high school teacher.
