NCJ Number
124827
Date Published
1987
Length
22 pages
Annotation
The Off Campus Work/Study Program is designed to increase the employability of St. Louis youth by providing supervised work experience and exposure to careers.
Abstract
This is a 17-year-old program administered through the vocational education division of the St. Louis Public School system. It emphasizes pre-employment skills and appropriate work behavior by reinforcing the connection between basic skills competence and the use of these skills in the workplace. The program tends to attract/recruit two types of students: those who have become impatient with school and those not doing well in school and whom guidance counselors feel might do better in a more business-like, nontraditional school environment. Outcomes of this program can be viewed from a variety of perspectives: benefits to youth, benefits to the companies that employ them, and other unintended effects, such as teacher satisfaction and professional development. The strengths of the program include the enduring participation of companies, the provision of extra attention to its participants, and the sharing responsibility of the schools and industries.