Summary: Public officials and educators considering comprehensive school-to-work transition programs to better prepare high school students for the workplace cite many obstacles to their efforts, ranging from employer reluctance to provide workplace training to parental aversion to their children's participation. About 30 percent of youth aged 16 to 24 today lack the skills for entry-level jobs, and half of adults in their late twenties have yet to find steady jobs. School-to-work transitions in the United States are often viewed by experts as falling short in comparison with those in foreign countries, such as Germany, where roughly two-thirds of all youth participate in apprenticeships that teach occupational skills. This testimony provides an overview of the comprehensive school-to-work strategies at the state level and identifies opportunities for federal assistance. Proposed legislation before Congress would establish a national school-to-work transition strategy. These bills stress the need for improved academic performance, training in occupational skills sought by employers, and workplace orientation and career guidance.
