POLITICAL ISSUE #403: INADEQUATE CAREER EDUCATION

PRESENT CONDITION: Public school curricula are becoming almost exclusively academically oriented. This education provides no direct career training for students who do not go on to college.

IDEAL CONDITIONS: Public education should provide every student with both sound general educational skills (e.g. literacy, math and general knowledge) and specific career training for all students not going to college. This career training should be sufficient to obtain an entry level job in the student's chosen line of work.

ISSUE JUSTIFICATION: The purpose of funded public education is to educationally prepare each generation to function as adults in American society. The single most important adult function is to be able to be economically self supporting. This function requires both solid general educational skills and specific training to perform one of the many specialized jobs in society.

AUTHOR: UWSA SANTA CLARA CO EMAIL:humphrey@aimnet.com

OPTIONS FOR ISSUE # 403: INADEQUATE CAREER EDUCATION

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Publically funded school systems shall provide comprehensive career counseling throughout junior and senior high school and then at both 2yr and 4yr colleges. Most schools now provide superficial counseling, but this recommendation for comprehensive counseling would enable students to evaluate, select and then prepare for specific vocations or professions. Schools would supply students with input from business and professional organizations on the skills, job characteristics and pay scales of various career possibilities.

JUSTIFICATION: The primary purpose of education is to prepare the next generation for gainful employment in society. Therefore guiding students to a productive and fulfilling career should be one of the primary goals of education.

AUTHOR: UWSA SANTA CLARA CO EMAIL:humphrey@aimnet.com

OPTIONS FOR SOLUTION # 403.1 REQUIRED CAREER COUNSELING

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SOLUTION DEFINITION STATEMENT
FOR
SOLUTION # 403.2 REQUIRED CAREER EDUCATION

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Publically funded school systems at both the secondary and college level shall be refocused toward preparing students with career education skills. Schools shall offer students starting in junior high school with a comprehensive career counseling and jobs requirements program designed to help students assess their skills and interests and mesh them with the requirements of various potential careers. For students not going to college, secondary school systems shall provide career training including appreticeship designed to provide graduates with adequate skills for entry level employment in a wide range of jobs. State law shall require unions to admit all such graduates that successfully demonstrate the skills for those jobs.

JUSTIFICATION: The primary purpose of education is to prepare the next generation for gainful employment in society. Unfortunately required public education and the credential of a college degree have created an irory tower mentality that has disconnected education from its primary focus of career training.

AUTHOR: UWSA SANTA CLARA CO EMAIL:humphrey@aimnet.com

OPTIONS FOR SOLUTION # 403.2 REQUIRED CAREER EDUCATION

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