The STC program is an integrated policy of combining education to skill training. This is a crucial reform introduced in the 1990 national policy aimed at smoothening the transition from education to vocation.
This was in response to the people’s cry against low-wage work. The principal goal of the initiative is to increase the potential of the upcoming youth by increasing their career opportunities and skill set.
How about considering the effectiveness of the program?
David Neumark answers the question in a very thought-provoking and the investigative manner in The Effect of School-to-Career Program on Postsecondary enrolment and employment.
He expounds on the issue, using the national database for his scrutiny, and claims that the program has indeed increased college enrolment and employment opportunities. In contrast to those mentioned above, the state-specific analysis of the state of California attests that the evaluation of the Program lacks in many respects.
Thus, he concludes that funding of any nature should be under particular scrutiny to ensure proper disposal of its purposes. The research in California included the following activities supported by grants from the state:
Internship
To build acquaintance in a particular field of expertise, the student works under an employer for a specified time period.
Apprenticeship
This involves both school and work-based education in a specified locality in a multiyear system.
Cooperative education
The students study a particular field, and they work in that specific field of interest for a better understanding of the industry.
Mentoring
In this process, a student is paired with an employee of that particular industry is interested in an extended time period, where the student gets first-hand knowledge of the industry. The student learns skills from the employee, understand workplace behaviour, continually challenges the student at the performance.
School-sponsored enterprise
The school encourages students to learn to make and provide goods and services for sale. This would increase their competence, teamwork, and other technical skills needed.
After the initial five-year implementation, the STWOA didn’t get reapproval. Though the funding’s for Career Academics and Tech Preps continued, shortcomings in the general STC activities continued.
Recommendations
When the evaluation doesn’t prove that the funding for Career Academics and Tech Preps, which is a more specific type, the funding for the same continues; on the other hand, since funding’s for the STWOA has been shortened, this has reduced the number of students benefiting from it, considering the broad base support the STWOA programs offer.
This makes a reasonable argument for the redistribution of funds from those other STC activities to the STWOA. A pressing need exists in evaluating the programs that are under implementation, including the Career Academics and Tech Preps.
