| Abstract: |
A pilot project was undertaken in South Bedfordshire, England, to develop a work-based job training program for out-of-school youth. The program was based on a partnership between local educators and employers and featured an integrated curriculum that combined work-based learning with off-the-job training. Besides integrating occupational and basic skills, the program provided for instruction in such areas as communication, numeracy, manipulative, and English-as-a-second-language (ESL) skills. Tutors developed training curricula during the training process rather than before it. The training model called for counselors to play a central role, functioning as (1) liaisons between supervisors, trainers, tutors, and trainees and (2) teachers and providers of guidance and support. Although a few employers regarded the program as an opportunity to obtain cheap labor, the majority of those employers contacted welcomed the idea of youth training and went to considerable lengths to provide work experiences that included variety. At the end of the program's first year, most of the staff agreed that while some differences existed between the approaches of supervisors and tutors, some aims supported by the Youth Training Scheme (YTS) approach were already being practiced by supervisors. (Appendixes to this report include data tabulated for the induction questionnaire, the tutor/counselor questionnaire, the form used to assess progress and attainment, and a sample work-based training unit.) (MN) |