Tuesday, March 09, 1999

Forum looks to close school-to-work 'skill gap'

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Goal is to help teens meet business needs

BY MIRIAM SMITH
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        There's a gap between what students know and what businesses need.

        That's what a joint study by the Ohio Business Roundtable and the Ohio Department of Education released last spring reveals.

        And in an effort to bridge that gap, about 250 educators and business leaders from 49 school districts across Ohio are attending the High Schools that Work — Region 5 Conference. It continues today.

        The educators gathered Monday at the Mayerson Academy, an independent, professional educational training facility in Corryville.

        The study said the skills of Ohio's emerging labor force do not the current skill demands of Ohio's workplaces. It also suggested too many students are leaving high school unprepared for productive work.

        It also found too many job candidates are unable to read instruction manuals, complete simple forms or apply fundamental mathematical and scientific principles to work-related problems.

        The “skill gap” is Ohio's greatest economic challenge, the study said.

        Educators hope one program discussed Monday will help close the gap. It is called “High Schools That Work,” and it already is in place in 12 Cincinnati-area high schools.

        A national study by the American Institutes for Research found it was one of the most effective programs to improve student achievement.

        Area schools participating are Carlisle, Deer Park, Mount Healthy, Taft, Winton Woods, the Warren County Career Center, Clermont Northeastern, Williamsburg, Middletown, Talawanda, Northwest and Little Miami.

        The program, which is being implemented in 22 states, including Kentucky and Indiana, replaces general studies with a mix of college preparatory and vocational courses. The marriage of two curricula seeks to raise the achievement of all students — even if they are not headed for college.

        As part of that program, academic and vocational teachers work together, and focus on the potential of all students.

        Students receive counseling, and parents are involved in planning and completing the challenging four-year program of academic and vocational study. And for students who need it, extra help is offered.

        The program helps put the focus on core academics for all students, especially those who don't go to college, said William Lambert, regional coordinator of the Region 5 Ohio School-To-Work program.

        “How can we increase the relevance, the rigor, the meaningfulness of their education experience so they learn more?” Mr. Lambert said.

        The challenge of closing the gap includes providing high school students — and those already in the workplace — with more and better options for specialized career training, officials said.

        “What we're trying to do now is to deliver to students more application based, hands-on types of instruction where they'll be able to relate (to) instruction they're going to utilize in their careers,” Little Miami Superintendent Michael Virelli said.

        “(We're) simply showing kids what you're using is not useless information.” head RECOMMENDATIONS

        The study by the Ohio Business Roundtable and the Ohio Department of Education recommends that educators:

        • Push for for higher academic standards, more challenging tests and increased accountability.

        • Ensure all students have strong academic skills and opportunity for work experience.

        • Include parents, employers and community leaders in identifying academic and skill standards.

        • Provide teachers and administrators with professional development opportunities and place greater emphasis on learning the physical sciences in a way that allows students to apply it to real-word settings.

       

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